Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of the Second Week of Epiphany: Year A
Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-12; 1st Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42:
“The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
This “taking away the sins of the world,” was also proclaimed in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 1, verse 21, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” It is the work of the Church to reconcile all people to God through the ministry of Jesus Christ: (BCP 855)
John the Baptist goes on to say, “This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (John 1:30). This statement from John the Baptist refers to the prologue to the Gospel of John where it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God,” (John 1: 1 and 2). John the Baptist is well aware that he is sent to announce the coming of the Lord, the coming of heaven near us.
And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1: 32). This coming, and remaining, is like unto the witness of the Magi of the Gospel of Matthew where we read, “When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was; (Matthew 2:9). Back to the Gospel according to John, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit;” (John 1:33).
“John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God! (John 1: 35 and 36) The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for? They asked him, “Where are you staying?” Again, we have movement, stopping and staying. May our eyes today catch the movement of God and then attend to what God is doing.
“One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed”. He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas,” (which is translated Peter). (John 1: 40 to 42)
How has Jesus changed who you are? Has the Holy Spirit moved to you, found you, and stayed with you? This is the speech of the Holy Spirit. We are called to listen to this same Holy Spirit today.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
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