The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light…

We know by faith that God is from eternity and for eternity. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in unity, peace, and complete mutual love and giving. They have always been and will always be together. They have it all – absolute truth, perfection, and justice. They have what we might consider, abundant life. They have abundance that is abundant!

I like to imagine the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit having a Board meeting in heaven, a sort of Parish Committee meeting. They were sitting around their table of abundance and were working out a plan. How can We possible share all this abundance with humanity? In Their perfect and abundant love They never brought up the fact that humanity had largely rejected Them, or that the the chosen people continued to walk in darkness after all They had done for Them. They focused on one thing – sharing Their abundance with humanity – not counting sins, but giving love. They worked out their plan. The Son would divest Himself of the abundance of heaven, its beauty and perfection, and would take up humanity. He would empty Himself of everything, even His life, so He could put it all in a big basket and hand it to us.

Nine months ago an angel appeared to Mary. He asked a question and she said yes. The Son was immediately sent to carry out Their plan. He was sent, as He would later say: so that we may have life and have it abundantly.

This night He lies in a manger. We must look beyond our symbolic mangers in church and at home to the manger of our hearts. His beautiful face is cradled in our hearts. His love is within each of us. His abundance fills us. He offers Himself to us – truly abundant life – over and over.

Certainly, life is not always easy nor does it seem abundant if we look at it with worldly eyes. Difficulties, struggles, and even suffering come. Yes, Jesus Christ’s abundance is greater and overcomes every obstacle because as His anointed and commissioned followers we fully share in His abundance. He has given us abundance without bounds or end.

On this day we have a chance. It is a great chance, an opportunity, a moment. Let us agree together to accept His abundance once again, to re-connect to it. Let us say: I desire only His abundance. I accept His promise and gift of abundant life.

I was remarking while watching TV a few days before Christmas that we are going to be seeing Valentine’s Day commercials starting the day after Christmas. Within a few seconds a Valentine’s Day commercial came on. Here too is an opportunity and a blessing. Remember that the theme of Valentine’s day is love. Today marks the start or re-start of our acceptance of abundant life in Jesus, the great gift of love shared with us as planned by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They gave us everything. Over the next fifty-one days between Christmas and Valentine’s Day let us give thanks and more closely recognize how blessed and loved we are. We have abundant life, love, healing and protection because on this night He emptied Himself so He could give it all to us. Thank you Lord for coming to give us abundant light, life, and love. Amen.

Recognize your
call and live it

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

St. John the Evangelist uses the figure of the lamb in his expression “Lamb of God” in his Holy Gospel twice. The Church fathers taught that this expression is in reference to the lamb offered at Passover. This expression, “Lamb of God,” is only found in St. John’s Gospel and signifies that the Lord Jesus Christ would be the true sacrifice, the Lamb that would atone for and take away the sins of the world.

It is important to reflect on how we know the Lamb of God. We need to recognize the fact that if it were not for people who listened, recognized their vocation, and took action we would not know Him.

John the Baptist points to Jesus and says: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s naming Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God is a remarkable act of recognition that tells us about the workings of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace in the world as well as our necessity to respond.

John’s testimony continues when he refers to himself saying: “He who sent me to baptize with water said to me ‘On Whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”

John stands as a superior example of recognizing God’s grace, following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and doing God’s will.

St. John the Baptist sees and understands that God chose him for a specific purpose and he sets out to fulfill that mission. He works every day to fulfill the mission he was given. He prays, fasts, and lives a life in accordance with the vocation he was given. He stays awake and aware and when the key moment of his ministry, his calling arrives – he recognizes it and proclaims it publically: “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

All that happens in the kingdom of God depends on people, depends on us. Our testimony and witness depend on whether we, like the Baptist, allow grace to have its affect on us, and whether we choose to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If we listen, pray, and live regularly in accord with our calling we will be ready to give testimony. In fact, our entire lives will be witness to the Lamb of God.

Our God is a remarkable God. He came in the humblest of ways, as a lamb. He lived His human life with complete trust in the Father’s will. As He began His public ministry He did not just stand up and say, ‘here I am.’ Jesus did not announce Himself. He needed to be recognized. It is now up to us. We must be His recognizers – announcing Him by our lives.