What do you think? Did John actually see a lamb? A dove? A man with an amazing sense of integrity, holiness, and dignity about him? How many of us would be deeply grateful to have the spiritual awareness of Jesus that John describedeven if we didnt have the excitement of seeing visions and getting instantaneous revelations!
Whatever it was that John actually saw, we can be clear that the Holy Spirit allowed him to perceive Jesus holiness and deep connection with the Father. Whether or not he saw a real dove is not as important as recognizing what it was that moved John to testify so boldly about Jesus. He had spent his life preparing himself and his fellow Jews for the coming of Gods Messiah and the age of salvation. So when Jesus came to him, his heart was ready.
Just as John was able to perceive the wonder of Jesus, we too can see the Lord in a powerful way as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. During this day of Sabbath blessing, we have an extraordinary opportunity to sense Jesus holiness, love, and grace: in the Scripture readings at Mass, in the brothers and sisters who join us to celebrate the Lords passion, and most powerfully in the body and blood of Christ offered to us in the Eucharist. As we gather to worship the Lord and receive him as the source of all life, we can encounter a God who will never abandon us, a God whose heart is filled with grace and power to meet all of our needs.
John the Baptist saw Jesus in a new way, and his joy was complete (John 3:29). The same can happen in us today at Mass as we ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes. Then, as we see Jesus in this new and life-giving way, we will be compelled to bring this vision into our world every day. Like John, we too will cry out, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away our sins!
Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see Jesus today. Come, Lord, and reveal your presence to me.
1 John 2:293:6; Psalm 98:1,3-6