When we say the words of the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, during Mass, we are directly quoting John the Baptist.
The scene is set on the banks of the Jordan River. John has been gathering disciples by powerfully calling for repentance in light of the coming kingdom of God. One day, as he sees Jesus, he cries out, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!"
In today's Gospel, we see Jesus's reaction to the news that his cousin John has been arrested: he goes into seclusion back at home in Galilee, maybe for one last visit home with Mary, and then begins gathering the band of followers who will become his apostles.
As we enter the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we encounter the beautiful but challenging teachings of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes present us with a paradox. Jesus says that the people who are suffering by the world's standards are actually blessed. In fact, the word blessed in Greek means so...
