The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B)
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
—John 1:35-37
If you’re anything like me, the recent celebrations of Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord have already faded into memory. Not only were Advent and Christmas the fewest number of days they could possibly be this year, I found myself continually distracted by the ceaseless news cycle and the “quick succession of busy nothings” of my own life (to borrow a phrase from Jane Austen). And now, here we are in Ordinary Time again, with a very adult Jesus in the early days of his ministry.
The Gospel proclaimed on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time opens with John the Baptist in conversation with some of his disciples. In a sense, John helps to form a bridge between Advent and Christmas and these first days of Ordinary Time. John will soon step into the shadows as the liturgy directs our focus to the mission of Jesus. But, for one last time it seems, John fulfills his mission as a prophet by sharing one final revelation—another epiphany, as it were—about who this Jesus is: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
Although the Church traditionally celebrates three gospel events as “Epiphany”—the visit of the Magi, the Baptism of Jesus, and the wedding feast at Cana—this Sunday’s Gospel compliments these great mysteries because it helps focus our attention on the saving work of Jesus. In fact, the entire life of Jesus is itself a revelation, a manifestation of the Father’s love and grace. As Saint John Paul II observed,
“The witness of John the Baptist still resounds today, almost 2,000 years after the event recounted in the Gospel: the Precursor points to Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah and invites us all to renew and deepen our faith in him. It is Jesus our Redeemer! His saving mission, solemnly proclaimed at the moment of his Baptism in the Jordan, culminates in the paschal mystery, when on the Cross he, the true Lamb sacrificed for us, frees and redeems humanity, every person, from evil and death.”
“Each one of God’s calls is an initiative of his love. He is the one who always takes the initiative. He calls you. God calls to life, he calls to faith, and he calls to a particular state in life: “I want you here”. God’s first call is to life, through which he makes us persons; it is an individual call because God does not make things in series. Then God calls us to faith and to become part of his family as children of God. Lastly, God calls us to a particular state in life: to give of ourselves on the path of matrimony, or that of the priesthood or consecrated life. They are different ways of realizing God’s design, the one he has for each of us that is always a design of love. God always calls. And the greatest joy for every believer is to respond to this call, offering one’s entire being to the service of God and our brothers and sisters.”
-Pope Francis
What is remarkable about this Sunday’s Gospel however, is that the text doesn’t end with John’s powerful statement about who Jesus is. It continues by recounting how John’s disciples respond to this moment of revelation: they walked away from John, a teacher whom we can assume they loved and admired, to follow Jesus. Moreover, Andrew didn’t keep this revelation to himself. Instead, he invited his brother Simon—soon to become “Cephas”—to come to Jesus, as well.
Like the story of Samuel recounted in the First Reading, the Gospel reminds us that, when moments of revelation take place in our lives—when are blessed with a glimpse of God’s grandeur—we are called to respond. For the boy Samuel, this meant learning to listen when God spoke to him. For Andrew, Simon, and the other disciples, their nascent understanding of who Jesus was inspired them to leave behind the lives they knew and to set out on a new path.
In a very real sense, this is the purpose of the moments of epiphany enshrined in the gospels. These glimpses of the divine within Jesus were not simply “aha!” moments. Rather, these mysteries invite a response. They challenge us to act on what has been shown to us. In a way, they are gifts that ask to be used. We can sense the urgency of this in the quick progression of the story. Jesus’ response to the question “Where are you staying” is clear and concise: “Come, and you will see.” This is what Jesus is saying to each of us. We have seen his glory. Now is the time to act, to accept the Lord’s invitation to “come.”
Almighty ever-living God,
who govern all things,
both in heaven and on earth,
mercifully hear the pleading of your people
and bestow your peace on our times.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
