First reading Isaiah 49:3,5-6
I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth
The Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel,
in whom I shall be glorified’;
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.
And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:
‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
Responsorial Psalm 39(40):2,4,7-10
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
He put a new song into my mouth,
praise of our God.
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace
I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.
Gospel John 1:29-34
‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’
Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’
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There is the Lamb of God
In today’s Gospel, we are drawn into the powerful moment when John the Baptist proclaimed, “Look, there is the Lamb of God!” With these words, he boldly identified Jesus as the Chosen One of God, the Messiah. This declaration captures the essence of John’s mission: to be a steadfast voice crying out in the wilderness and a guiding finger pointing directly to Jesus. As we enter this sacred time of prayer, we are invited to reflect deeply on the example set by John the Baptist. We must ask ourselves, “What about me? In my daily life, do I actively draw attention to Jesus?”
We often seek attention because of our pride and ego. We yearn for the world’s gaze to linger on us, seeking recognition and validation. This desire can sometimes lead us to scrutinise the flaws and shortcomings of others, allowing discontent to grow as we complain and engage in comparisons. In contrast, John the Baptist directed the crowd’s attention toward Jesus, urging them to follow the true path laid out before them. Today, let us strive to redirect our focus firmly toward Jesus. Like John the Baptist, may our lives encourage others to follow Jesus and lead purposeful lives.
Reflective question:
How can the people in my life come to encounter Jesus more because of me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
