Revealing the Lamb of God in Our Everyday Sacrifices
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 18, 2026
I asked our wise Oblate from Senegal, Fr Jean-Pierre OMI, what should I preach about in Sunday’s Gospel? He responded quickly: ask people (and ourselves), how do we reveal the presence of Jesus? Just as John the Baptist revealed Jesus in his day.
You might say, but John the Baptist had the real thing 2,000 years ago; how do we see the Lamb of God today? Fair call. However, John the Baptist gives us a clue still valid for today:
He said the Lamb of God, which predicted the one who sacrificed himself (or herself) for the good of others. So, in a very simple way we can say, whenever we sacrifice ourselves for the good of others, we reveal a little bit of Jesus, the Lamb of God, for others today.
Likewise, when we feel a bit depressed, stressed or worried, we are often lifted up and encouraged by the sacrifices we see others making for us or for other people. It’s even more inspiring when a poor person gives the little they have to help another a person in need: and we, who are a little bit well off, can feel challenged by our own small sacrifices.
What does this mean for us today? One of the biggest challenges in our world today is the lack of unity in our countries, communities and even many families. Too often we categorise and avoid many people because they behave in certain ways or have done “bad” things.
But, have not all of us done some bad things? As shared in recent weeks, holiness is not being perfect, but being able to embrace the imperfections of others. Many people categorised as bad, in normal society, often show great kindness to others.
The answer to building unity in family, community and our countries, is to recognise the good people are doing. We see this on a macro level (the big picture) when countries award honours to individuals, who have been recognised by others, as making a major contribution to society.
Last year the Australian Government recognised Br Frank O’Shea CFC (the main person responsible for building up Mukuru kwa Ruben centre in the Nairobi slums), for his 20 years of social development in the Pacific, Tanzania and Kenya.
About 20 years ago, Alex, my niece, was recognised by the West Australian Government for services to the deaf community, when she was only in Year 12. On a smaller level, we often see buildings in schools and the community, named after people by local communities.
These recognitions remind us to appreciate that what we have, and the opportunities to do things today is, in large part, due to the sacrifices of others (for our benefit). This should challenge us to ask: what can I do to make life better for others?
As Jesus said somewhere in the Gospel, “you received without charge, give without charge.” It is this spirit of generosity that creates opportunities to build unity, peace and prosperity for all people in our local communities.
Sadly, a common way of thinking in our culture is this: before we respond to help others, the question is asked: what’s in it for me? It can seem rational and reasonable. However, studies have shown that the more successful people in the world, are those who ask: how can I help?
The happiest families I’ve had the privilege of knowing and sharing time with are those where parents praise their children (as well as discipline them!), and likewise encourage the children to praise each other. The most successful businesses are those where managers regularly praise and, often, publicly recognise the good work of their employees.
Today, as we begin a new year and Ordinary Time, let us recognise that our happiness is based on the fundamental vocation of every Christian which should guide our lives:
it is the importance of recognising the Lamb of God in our world today: meaning, to recognise the presence of Jesus whenever we see people sacrifice to care for others.
It is through our sacrifices for others that we build unity, peace and joy for everyone, including ourselves. I’m convinced that the root cause of so much unhappiness, depression and violence in our communities and families, is due to our lack of recognising the good that others do (the Lamb of God): let us praise more good things, and say less negatives about others.
Experts tell us that happy marriages require a ratio of five positive comments to one negative comment. But I believe the same can apply to all our relationships.
Finally, every society requires leaders. And many countries are suffering because politicians are viewed negatively, and yet we need them. So, good people shy away and what are we left with? As we grow older, let us be prepared to offer ourselves for leadership and make our world a better place. Let all of us, however, praise good leaders and encourage others to be leaders: our material lives depend on them.
By Gerard Conlan, OMI
