Word from the Pastor

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
Is. 49:3,5-6; 1Cor.1;1-3; Jn 1: 29-34

Dear parish family,
The central theme of today’s readings is a challenge to live like the Lamb of God and to die like the Lamb of God. In both the first and second readings, God calls individuals to his service entrusting them with a mission. The first reading is from the “Songs of the suffering Servant in Isaiah, where aspects of Jesus’ own life and mission are foreshowed. In the second reading, Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that they are sanctified and called to be holy like all who call on the name of Jesus. This Sunday’s gospel presents three themes namely: John’s witness to Jesus, Jesus’ epiphany and identification as the Lamb of God, and the call to discipleship. We are invited to gradually accept the identity of the One who calls us. Like John the Baptist, we may choose to accept today’s gospel as a personal call to become a witness to the Lamb of God.

We are called to live like the Lamb of God by leading a pure, innocent, humble and selfless lives and by obeying Christ’s commandment of love. Living like the Lamb of God means also to appreciate the loving providence and protecting care of the Good Shepherd in his Church. We live like the Lamb of God by eating the Body and drinking the Blood of the Good Shepherd and deriving spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit through the sacraments and our prayers.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to die like the Lamb of God by sharing our blessings of health, wealth, and talents with others in the family, parish and community and by bearing witness to Christ in our illness, pain and suffering. We are also invited to die like the Lamb of God by offering our suffering for the salvation of souls and as reparation for our sins and those of others.

Finally, our faithful response to God’s call is to rebuild broken lives, reconciling them to God’s love and justice through Jesus Christ, our Lamb and Lord.

Have a blessed week!

Fr. Jadotte
Pastor