Holy Cross Catholic Community

"Behold the Lamb of God!" We hear this phrase every Sunday at Mass, but there's a good chance that many Roman Catholics would not know who in the Bible originally spoke this phrase. Some may be surprised that it appears in only one of the four Gospels, and after it is spoken two times, it never appears again. It is John the Baptist who twice utters this phrase in the Gospel of John. In today's Gospel reading, John proclaims Jesus as the Lamb of God, and two of John's disciples then follow Christ. A little bit later Andrew, who heard John and then followed Jesus, brings his brother Simon to be re-named Cephas, or Peter.

A careful look at these Bible verses shows us the mission of everyone baptized into the Body of Christ: We must always proclaim our faith in Christ, so that others will follow him. Even though we do not know how the will of God might work through those we bring to Christ (could Andrew we have known the destiny of his brother?), that is not the point. The point is that our ongoing mission as a church-one, holy catholic, and apostolic - is to bring others to Christ. We do not seek attention, glory, or followers of ourselves, but only for the Lamb of God, who takes aways the sin of the world.

Key Passages: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." (Mark 1:14-15)

HHS's new mandate for contraception/sterilization coverage...includes an incredibly narrow exemption for "religious employers" that protects almost no one. For example, a Catholic institution serving the poor and needy would have to fire its non-Catholic staff, refuse life-affirming care to non-Catholic people in need, and devote itseft instead to "the inculcation of religious values" to qualify for the exemption. Individuals, insurers, and the sponsors of non-employee health plans (e.g., student health plans in Catholic schools) would have no exemption at all. This effort to corral religion exclusively into the sanctuaries of houses of worship betrays a complete ignorance of the role of religion in American life, and of Congress's long tradition of far more helpful laws on religious freedom.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chair of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Letter to Congress, September 7, 2011, in support for Rights of Conscience Act"