John the Baptist shares his thoughts about the Baptism of Jesus. He said that he knew Jesus, but he didn’t know Jesus. What does that mean? He was Jesus’ cousin, but he really didn’t know what the meaning of Jesus was.

When he saw Jesus coming out of the water after his Baptism and the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus in the form of a dove, then he knew the meaning of Jesus. He called him the Lamb of God. He called out to the people, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world".

The priests in the Temple of Jerusalem in Old Testament days sacrificed a lamb on the altar.

They would burn it for the sins of Israel. St. Paul tells us that this sacrifice of the lamb did not take away the sins of Israel. It was only a ceremony.

Jesus, however, is truly the Lamb of God. He died upon the cross once and for all in Jerusalem at a given time. Jesus’ Resurrection made this sacrifice an eternal event. Although Jesus will never die upon the cross again, his sacrifice is made present upon this altar by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know Jesus. We know what the Bible says about his life. We do not really know what he means to us until we experience him as the Lamb of God.

At Mass we pray at the Glory to God in the highest and at the sign of peace: Lamb of God you take way the sins of the world have mercy on us.

I take the Body of Christ and I break it. This is to show that Jesus who is present in the Eucharist is broken for us. He is the Lamb of God who sacrificed his life for you and me.

Our lives this week may have been filled with worries and burdens. We may be exhausted taking care of our families and working long hours. We may be so worried about the condition in which we find our world. The Lamb of God is here bringing us salvation. He makes our week holy.

He heals us of our wounds and burdens.