Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 64 Reading 1 Is 49:3, 5-6
The LORD said to me: You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R/ (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. And he put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God. R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Sacrifice or offering you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.” R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Reading 2 1 Cor 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia Jn 1:14a, 12a
R. Alleluia, alleluia. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him, he gave power to become children of God. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
FAUSTI - "He sees Jesus coming towards himself": the day after his testimony, John "sees" Him Whom he had already contemplated before, but without recognizing Him. Even the reader has already heard in the prologue that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God; but it takes time to recognize Him. To see Jesus who "comes" is to see the invisible, the Word become Flesh which shows the Glory. John awaits It, but it is This who comes to be seen. The initiative of the encounter is Its own. The Son, just as He is turned towards the Father, so necessarily He turns towards us, His Brethren. The "voice of one who cries out in the desert" sounds consolation, because she promises forgiveness and brings the good news: "Here is our God! (Is 40.1-9). Forgiveness, however, is not only for Israel, but for "the world", so that all flesh may see His Glory. (Is 40.5). We speak of sin, not sins. It is about sinfulness, which is the non-knowledge of God, the root of every single transgression. Whoever takes away sin can only be God Himself. Jesus is called "the Lamb". The Word alludes to the Servant of JHWH , mute as a lamb led to slaughter (Is 53:7) , especially since the Aramaic word "taleya" can mean both child/servant and lamb. In these Words of John resounds the same theology as in the other Gospels, according to which Jesus in Baptism is proclaimed by the Father as the Son/Servant who, through His sacrifice, will save the world. The Baptism of Jesus is the gateway to Christian revelation, which introduces us into the house of God. Is not He completely a door wide open to man? The scene of Jesus' Baptism took place earlier, at an unspecified time. It is not said when, perhaps because in every time the Word "is baptized" and is immersed in the world. John, like each of us, needs time to understand what he has contemplated in the flesh of the Word, in solidarity with all mankind. He reveals Himself as the Son because He makes Himself our Brother and immerses Himself in the condition common to all. The Spirit Who in creation hovered over the primordial waters, the dove that hovered over the earth as soon as it emerged from the deluge, descends upon Jesus who is Baptized in the Jordan. Not only descends, but "dwells" upon Him, His home. Directly from God for inner inspiration, or indirectly, through the Word long chewed, John knows the sign to recognize Jesus as "He who comes". He is the Spirit who descends and dwells upon Him. However, for him, as for us, there is always a distance between knowing and recognizing, between seeing and understanding. While the other prophets had foreseen and foretold, John sees and says . The fulfillment of what was promised has already happened in Jesus and is present to all in the testimony of the one who has seen and recounts.
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
RispondiEliminaLectionary: 64
Reading 1
Is 49:3, 5-6
The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
that Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R/ (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me and heard my cry.
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or offering you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, “Behold I come.”
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
“In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
to do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!”
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R/ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading 2
1 Cor 1:1-3
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Sosthenes our brother,
to the church of God that is in Corinth,
to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,
with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia
Jn 1:14a, 12a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.
To those who accepted him,
he gave power to become children of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jn 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
FAUSTI - "He sees Jesus coming towards himself": the day after his testimony, John "sees" Him Whom he had already contemplated before, but without recognizing Him. Even the reader has already heard in the prologue that Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God; but it takes time to recognize Him.
RispondiEliminaTo see Jesus who "comes" is to see the invisible, the Word become Flesh which shows the Glory. John awaits It, but it is This who comes to be seen. The initiative of the encounter is Its own.
The Son, just as He is turned towards the Father, so necessarily He turns towards us, His Brethren.
The "voice of one who cries out in the desert" sounds consolation, because she promises forgiveness and brings the good news: "Here is our God! (Is 40.1-9).
Forgiveness, however, is not only for Israel, but for "the world", so that all flesh may see His Glory.
(Is 40.5). We speak of sin, not sins. It is about sinfulness, which is the non-knowledge of God, the root of every single transgression. Whoever takes away sin can only be God Himself.
Jesus is called "the Lamb". The Word alludes to the Servant of JHWH , mute as a lamb led to slaughter (Is 53:7) , especially since the Aramaic word "taleya" can mean both child/servant and lamb. In these Words of John resounds the same theology as in the other Gospels, according to which Jesus in Baptism is proclaimed by the Father as the Son/Servant who, through His sacrifice, will save the world. The Baptism of Jesus is the gateway to Christian revelation, which introduces us into the house of God. Is not He completely a door wide open to man?
The scene of Jesus' Baptism took place earlier, at an unspecified time. It is not said when, perhaps because in every time the Word "is baptized" and is immersed in the world.
John, like each of us, needs time to understand what he has contemplated in the flesh of the Word, in solidarity with all mankind. He reveals Himself as the Son because He makes Himself our Brother and immerses Himself in the condition common to all.
The Spirit Who in creation hovered over the primordial waters, the dove that hovered over the earth as soon as it emerged from the deluge, descends upon Jesus who is Baptized in the Jordan.
Not only descends, but "dwells" upon Him, His home.
Directly from God for inner inspiration, or indirectly, through the Word long chewed, John knows the sign to recognize Jesus as "He who comes". He is the Spirit who descends and dwells upon Him. However, for him, as for us, there is always a distance between knowing and recognizing, between seeing and understanding.
While the other prophets had foreseen and foretold, John sees and says . The fulfillment of what was promised has already happened in Jesus and is present to all in the testimony of the one who has seen and recounts.