Human Sacrifice
Jan. 15: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Generally, the Church tries to connect both the Old and New Testament readings to the Gospel. For months, these throughlines have been pretty clear, because the season has an obvious narrative.
Now that we’re in Ordinary Time, the readings can seem kinda random. I think I cracked the code this week, though.
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.
The wording in the first line is ambiguous. The USCCB bible1 translates it: He said to me, You are my servant, in you, Israel, I show my glory. From the footnotes and such, I gather “Israel” isn’t the servant. But rather, the servant is a part of, perhaps a representative of, Israel.
Israel is the nation through whom God shows His glory. But Israel is “too little.” God wants to make His servant a light to all nations, so His salvation will reach every corner of the Earth. Israel is a starting point, a launching pad.
At least, that’s my guess why this reading is paired with today’s Gospel.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R. 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 I am, 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.
Once gain going off the footnotes, the “new song” isn’t the Psalmist patting himself on the back for writing another hit single. It’s a song about God doing something new. This is a song thanking God for doing something He’s never done before. Which is how this connects to the Gospel, which is about the start of Jesus’ ministry.
What’s interesting here is the statement that God doesn’t want sacrifice or offering; instead, he wants obedience. Jews were expected to offer sacrifices at the temple regularly, so this Psalm is actually rather forward looking. We no longer slaughter lambs and pigeons. Jesus is the final and eternal sacrifice.
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.
Paul’s epistles all start this way. All educated Romans began letters with a praescriptio: name of sender; name of addressee; greeting. Paul adds a little color commentary about himself and the recipient, so they understand the context in which he’s writing.
In that context, it’s a rather unremarkable passage. Except the part about being sanctified in Christ Jesus. We can’t make ourselves holy; only He can. And how does he do it? His sacrifice.
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.
Jesus’ incarnation was a vital part of God’s saving plan. There would be nothing to sacrifice if He hadn’t become a human.
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."
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, John obviously knew his cousin. He just didn’t know that his cousin with The Christ.
Why does he call Jesus the “Lamb of God?” According to Bishop Barron, lots of people seem to believe this is a reference to Jesus being gentle and innocent. That’s not it at all! Lambs were a sacrifice, given by the ancient Israelites to God.2 But if they were sacrificing Pascal Lambs as prescribed by Moses, why would they need Jesus to be a new lamb?
I think this comes down to the nature of God as a Parent. Most parents I know don’t need another piece of macaroni art or a papier-mâché figure. But they love those things when their child gives it to them.
Praying to God, sacrificing to God, offering penance to God. God doesn’t need any of those things, but He loves that we offer them, because He loves us.
Like children, our gifts will never be perfect. But by becoming a man and offering Himself as a sacrifice, Jesus can offer the perfect gift. And every mass, Jesus allows all of us to participate in his sacrifice, again and for all time.
That’s the “new song” we sang about in the Psalm. That’s the light to all nations Isaiah is talking about. That’s why the Corinthians in Paul’s time and the Church today are sanctified—in Christ Jesus and his sacrifice.
With this doesn’t match the daily mass readings on the USCCB page, I’ll never know.