Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away
the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called
to the supper of the Lamb.
The bishop or priest celebrating Mass raises the consecrated host and chalice so that we can gaze upon the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Alongside John the Baptist’s words of witness to his disciples we add those of John the Evangelist in beholding the Lamb who was slain but forever alive in Heaven (see Revelation 19:9). The Lord is calling us to sup with him, not only in this celebration of the Eucharist, but forever in eternity.
Contemplating the Lamb hearkens back to the Old Testament, back to salvation history in its phase when it consisted more of foretelling and not so much on fulfilling (which would happen in the New). The unblemished lamb was immolated, a pure and perfect offering. In comparison we are all the “black sheep” of the family with no merit for which to take credit. As we gaze upon that pristine white consecrated host we’re reminded of all the perfection and purity that sacramentally lays behind it: Our Lord, offered for us.
We don’t just consider a sacrifice being offered, but a sacrifice offered for us. A sacrifice of someone innocent, innocent in the sense of being harmless as well as not being guilty of any wrongdoing. Yet, like a lamb led to the slaughter, a sacrifice that offered himself with docility and without any struggle, surrendering himself to evil and death out of love for us. He is raised before us, immolated, and the only thing remaining to make the sacrifice complete is to eat of it.
--Roman Catholic Spirituality
Image source 1: Domenichino (Domenico Zampieri), Behold the Lamb of God, fresco (17th c.), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sant'andrea_della_valle,_affreschi_del_domenichino_08.JPG
Image source 2: https://www.facebook.com/mountcarmelmv
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