ORDINARY TIME WEEK II [Year “A”] (Jan 18, 2026) Is 49:3, 5-6; I Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34. BY: Rev. Fr. Clifford Atta Anim.

Behold the Lamb of God

A young seminarian once asked an elderly priest what it really means to preach Christ. The old priest replied simply, “Live in such a way that, even if your mouth is silent, your life keeps saying, ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’” That simple advice captures the heart of today’s readings. The Word of God challenges us not only to admire Christ as the Lamb of God, but to live like him, and when the time comes, to suffer with him, so that our lives themselves become a witness to the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.

In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist points to Jesus and declares, “Behold the Lamb of God.” This is not just a title. It is a call. God invites us, personally and as a community, to accept John’s testimony and to become witnesses to the Lamb of God in our own time and place.

The first reading comes from one of the Songs of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. The servant is chosen even before birth and set apart for a mission that goes beyond Israel, to be a light to the nations. This passage already points toward Jesus, whose life and mission would unfold as self-giving sacrifice for the salvation of the world. Like the servant, Jesus does not seek glory for himself. His strength lies in obedience, trust, and surrender to the Father’s will. Scripture often shows that God calls his servants from the womb, Jeremiah is known by God before birth, and Paul later recognizes that his own apostleship was God’s initiative, not his own achievement. God’s call always precedes human response.

In the second reading, Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy. Holiness here is not reserved for a few extraordinary people. It is the vocation of all who belong to Christ. Through Baptism, we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and consecrated for a life of service and witness. What Isaiah speaks of prophetically, Paul applies directly to the Church. Every baptized person shares in Christ’s mission and is invited to reflect his sacrificial love in daily life.

The Gospel brings everything to a sharp focus. John the Baptist bears witness to Jesus and identifies him as the Lamb of God. For John’s Jewish listeners, this image would have been rich and layered. They would have thought of the lamb offered on the Day of Atonement, symbolically bearing away the sins of the people. They would recall the daily lambs sacrificed in the Temple morning and evening. They would remember the Passover lamb whose blood saved Israel from death in Egypt. They would recognize the prophetic image of the lamb led to slaughter in Isaiah, silent and obedient. They might even sense the image of the victorious lamb found later in apocalyptic hope, a lamb that conquers not by violence but by faithfulness. When John calls Jesus the Lamb of God, he gathers all these meanings into one living person.

From this revelation flow important life messages.

First, we are called to live and to die like the Lamb of God. To live like the Lamb means choosing purity of heart, humility, gentleness, and selflessness. It means obeying Christ’s commandment of love even when it costs us. It means trusting the loving care of the Good Shepherd who guides and protects his flock through the Church. It also means drawing strength from Christ himself by feeding on his Body and Blood and by remaining rooted in Scripture, the sacraments, and prayer. A lamb survives by staying close to the shepherd. So do we.

To die like the Lamb does not necessarily mean dramatic martyrdom. More often, it means daily sacrifice. It means sharing our blessings of time, health, resources, and talents with those around us. It means bearing illness, pain, disappointment, and loss with faith and hope. It means offering our sufferings for the salvation of souls and in reparation for sin, uniting them to Christ’s own sacrifice. In this way, even suffering becomes fruitful.

Second, we are called to be witnesses to the Lamb of God by the way we live. John the Baptist shows us that witnessing is not optional. It is the natural result of genuine faith. Discipleship is not passive. One cannot follow Christ from a safe distance, just as one cannot love deeply without involvement. Faith grows when it is lived and shared. A silent faith eventually weakens, but a faith that bears witness becomes strong.

Third, today’s Gospel invites us to echo Jesus’ words, “Come and see.” Christian witnessing is not about argument or pressure. It is about sharing what we have seen and believed and inviting others to encounter Christ for themselves. Andrew does not give a long speech. He simply brings his brother to Jesus. Our faith often begins the same way, by responding to Christ’s invitation to come and see.

We enthusiastically recommend good food, good doctors, or good services. If we hesitate to invite others to Church, to prayer, or to Christ himself, it is worth asking why. Perhaps today’s readings challenge us to renew our own encounter with the Lamb of God, so that our invitation flows naturally from joy rather than obligation.

To behold the Lamb of God is not only to look at Jesus, but to follow him. When we live like the Lamb, suffer with the Lamb, and point others to the Lamb, our lives become a living proclamation of the Gospel. God bless you.

References and Sources

Sacred Scripture:

Isaiah 49:1–6

1 Corinthians 1:1–9

John 1:29–42

Exodus 12

Leviticus 16

Isaiah 53:7

Jeremiah 1:4–5

Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 523, 608–613, 1246–1249

Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, nn. 9–11, 39–42

St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John

St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John