Message from Fr. D. Ryan Saunders

St. David Catholic Parish

Dear Saint David Family,

This Sunday’s Gospel opens with words we hear at every Mass: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” When John the Baptist speaks these words, he is not only identifying who Jesus is—he is proclaiming how God chooses to save us. From the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, the shadow of the altar and the promise of the Eucharist are already present.

By calling Jesus the Lamb of God, John draws us back to the Passover, when the blood of the lamb marked the homes of Israel and opened the way to freedom. Jesus is the fulfillment of that ancient sign. He is the true Lamb whose self-gift will bring liberation from sin and death—not through power or force, but through sacrifice and love. What John announces at the Jordan, we encounter sacramentally at every Eucharist.

John also testifies that the Spirit descends upon Jesus and remains with Him. This detail is essential. The One who offers Himself is not acting alone, but in perfect communion with the Father and the Spirit. In the Eucharist, that same Spirit is invoked again, so that ordinary bread and wine may become for us the Body and Blood of Christ—the Lamb who continues to give Himself for the life of the world.

Each time we gather for Mass, we stand in the place of those first disciples, invited to recognize Jesus as John did—not merely as a teacher or prophet, but as the Son of God who feeds His people with His very life. When we respond, “Lord, I am not worthy,” we echo the humility of John, acknowledging that what we receive is pure gift.

As Ordinary Time begins, this Gospel reminds us that the Eucharist is not separate from daily life, but its source. Having received the Lamb of God, we are sent to bear witness to Him—by becoming what we receive: a people poured out in love for others.

May our participation at the altar shape how we live beyond it, so that through us, others may come to behold the Lamb of God.

In Christ,

Fr. D. Ryan Saunders