The image of the lamb is very important for the Jewish people because it is tied up with one of the most astounding events of their history as a nation. After so many years of living in very degrading situations in Egypt, the time came for them to be led away from such conditions. God had appointed Moses to be the leader for this mission. Understandably, the pharaoh, the King of Egypt did not want to deprive himself from such a beneficial source of work for his nation. The economy of Egypt depended to a large extent on the cheap labour of slaves like the Jewish people. He continuously refused the pleas of Moses to let the Jewish people leave for another land. His heart became hardened. As a result, Egypt went through quite a difficult time. God sent different signals to entice Pharaoh to let the Israelites go but to no avail. At the end, Moses said to Pharaoh that unless he changes his mind the angel of the Lord would during one night kill all the first male born being human or animal.

It was the feast of the Passover, one of the greatest feasts in the Jewish calendar. God said to Moses that this was going to be the day when he would set his people free. He asked Moses to gather the people in family groups to eat the traditional Lamb. However, he asked the people to smear the side of their doors with the blood of the Lamb so that the angel of the Lord would know that in that house lived Jewish people. Then the angel would pass over that house and would not kill the first born male of humans or animal. this is precisely what occurred. When the Pharaoh realised that the Egyptians were experiencing the death of the first born male while the Israelites did not; he relented and let the Israelites leave Egypt. The Jewish people were therefore literally saved by the blood of the Lamb. Because of the blood of the Lamb, the Jewish people were able that very night to start their journey towards freedom and live in a manner which enabled them to exercise their gifts and talents for the good of all.

Now we can start to understand a bit better the full meaning of the statement of John the Baptist about Jesus: “Look there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world”. Sin is not a physical stain. Sin is not only something that we do. Sin is more a condition of brokenness and woundedness. What we do, the action that we commit is the result of so many deep hurts and brokenness that are part and parcel of our condition as human beings, or as the result of hurts and brokenness that we have experienced from others throughout our lives. Very often because of certain things that have happened to us in our lives we become so fearful, so anxious, so conditioned and so unsure of ourselves that instead of being a source of blessings to others, we become enclosed in on ourselves. Such a behavior not only makes our lives difficult but also causes dysfunction in the lives of the people that come in contact with.

Sin affects the way we perceive things, the way that motivates us to behave in a certain manner. If we have an attitude of always putting myself first because I feel so insecure then it is no wonder that I do not care about the rights of others. It is no wonder that I use other people only for my own advantage, personal satisfaction or gratification and for my personal way of thinking. If I have an attitude of always putting myself down, because I do not like the way I am, it is no wonder that wherever I am I easily gossip about others. I try to belittle others and be always on guard that I would always be number one; that I  always have the last word, that my opinion is the only valid and right way to go. No wonder that we are experiencing so much hurt because of dysfunctional relationships.

Jesus, on the other hand, is constantly inviting us to adopt His way of thinking and acting. He is constantly inviting us to a new way of looking at things. Jesus was constant in making sure that people understood that we are all equal that each of us has a dignity that it is so vital to love more and constantly, that it is so important to embrace the value of commitment in married and family life and not be abuse anyone. Jesus is a constant reminder that in order to nourish and nurture such attitudes we need to spend time with our God. God has to have a paramount place in our lives. Jesus has constantly repeated the importance of spending time with him and let ourselves be moulded and fashioned by His touch and by his healing presence. Moreover, if we make mistakes, it’s not the end of the world. Jesus reminds us that our God is a God who not only forgives our action but desires to heal where these actions are coming from so that we may be in a position not to repeat the same thing again. He literally shed His blood, because of His promoting this way of living and acting. His blood like the Lamb of the Old Testament is a source of making us live in such a powerful and meaningful manner.

This is the essence of the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” call this sacrament “the Sacrament of Healing”. We are invited to give to our God not only a list of what we have done or what we have not done. We are also invited to let our God heal the cause of our behavior; so that we might experience freedom and not repeat the same destructive actions. It is true God forgives us when we get angry, but why are getting angry all the time? Why are we living a life full of anxiety? Maybe we are still harbouring hatred or feelings of revenge for someone who has hurt us so much. Jesus desires to heal us form these destructive attitudes, so that we can find the peace that we all need and not continue to be in such constant anger. This is the reason why the church invites the priest to pray with the person coming to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us frequent this sacrament, presenting to our God not only what we have done wrong, but also asking Him to heal whatever is not His within us so that we can become more and more a source of blessings to others. This is how patience in the midst of adversity, perseverance in the midst of anxiety, total giving to others in the midst of negative attitude and behaviour and continuous generosity in the midst of selfishness and overwhelming odds is nurtured in us. This is the freedom that Jesus gives us. Because of Jesus, we are indeed powerful people. It is enough to reflect on and remember the life and ministry of Mgr John Duffus.

God Bless.