Encountering Jesus 

On this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time,  John the Baptist points to Jesus and proclaims Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. With this simple declaration, John teaches us that the heart of faith is not drawing attention to ourselves but recognizing and revealing Christ.

Jesus is presented not as a distant judge but as the One who carries our sins, our failures, and our hidden wounds, offering mercy and freedom.

John’s admission that he did not fully know Jesus at first reminds us that familiarity with religion is not the same as a living relationship with Christ. Many believers know prayers and church practices yet struggle to recognize Jesus in daily life. This Gospel calls us to move from knowledge to encounter, allowing Jesus to become real in our choices and attitudes.

Like John, we are sent to point others to Christ through practical Christian living—through forgiveness instead of bitterness, honesty instead of compromise, and faithfulness in ordinary responsibilities. True conversion is not achieved by human effort alone but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we behold the Lamb of God in the Eucharist, we are invited to trust Him completely and allow Him to take away whatever weighs us down and lead us into new life.