I Believe in Light from Light

A man named John was sent from God. John came for testimony, to testify to the Light. John was not the Light, but came to testify to the Light.

John 1:6-8,19-28 for the Third Sunday of Advent.

In the beginning of his testimony to Christ the Light, John said: there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.

John came among the people to ready them for the coming of Christ the Lord.

Of his own mission, John said: I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’

Later in his testimony, John said of Christ the Lord: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

At John’s bidding, we are to make straight the way of the Lord to come and take away our sin.

John’s testimony is a part of every celebration of the Eucharistic Body and Blood of Christ in the Roman Mass.

His testimony prepared God’s people for Christ’s own earthly ministry.

John’s testimony serves us in our standing ready at every moment for Christ’s Second Coming at the end of history.

His testimony also joins us in making ready at Mass to receive Christ’s Body and Blood.

The Priest genuflects, takes the host and, holding it slightly raised above the paten or above the chalice, while facing the people, says aloud:

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

And together with the people he adds once:

Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world has told us in giving us his Body and Blood that they are the new and eternal covenant … for the forgiveness of sins.

And so, the testimony of John the Baptist and the Lamb of God, Light from Light, call us at every Mass to the work of making ready in ongoing conversion.

The word of the Lord in today’s second reading at Mass [1 Thessalonians 5:16-24] also calls us to that ongoing work.

Refrain from every kind of evil. May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely— spirit, soul, and body—be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Turn. Love. Repeat.