Apropos the Blog published last week on November 29^th, concerning the ‘Sanctus’ of the Mass, there is another very wonderful part of the Mass in which all those present, priest and congregation, join in submitting everything to Jesus – he who takes away the sins of the world – and asking for his mercy.  I refer, of course, to the Agnus Dei: 

“Agnes Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; (2)

Agnes Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.” 

“Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; (2)

“Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.” 

Quite apart from the words, which in themselves are very meaningful, many of the great composers have created some of their greatest music for the Agnus Dei – and among these, I think it may be argued, that the most heart-touching melodies have been reserved for those composed as ‘Requiems’.  I have in mind music composed for Requiems by Mozart, Brahms, Verdi and Faure, but there are many more quite beautiful scores intended to be used at Masses for the Dead.

 A lamb holding a Christian banner is a typical symbol for Agnus Dei 

In the Old Testament, whenever sacrifices were to be offered to God, the first choice for that sacrificial offering was an animal of some kind, and since the Jews of those days, thousands of years ago, were agrarian almost without exclusion, tending flocks as well as lands, then the animal would most likely come from one of their flocks, most often a sheep or a goat.  The Bible tells us that the most sacrificial choices involved the killing and offering of a lamb, very often newborn, and it is from these ideas that we arrive at the position where the sacrifice is, essentially, defenseless, spotless and totally innocent.  How analogous to the person of Jesus is that – Jesus, the Lamb of God? 

This title we give to Our Saviour comes from the words of St. John the Baptist, recorded in the Gospel of St. John: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29).   John is baptizing people in the River Jordan; he looks up, sees Jesus approaching, and this is the exclamation that falls from his lips.  The very next day, John the Baptist again sees Jesus walking by and, for the second time, points him out, saying: “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). This occurs in the presence of the first two apostles; they called Jesus “Rabbi” (Master), and followed him.  Both references speak to the Divinity of Christ.  However, the second part of John the Baptist’s recognition refers clearly to the part Jesus will play in taking away our sins, and to do this he must die for them; this is where it is prophesied that Jesus will become the sacrificial Lamb – the Lamb that is slain – and humanity, in all its sinfulness, is the slayer. (All these thoughts are reflected in us at this time of the Church’s Year – Advent – that time of preparation for the ‘Coming of the Lamb’ at Christmas.)

The Lamb of God, carrying the Vexillum (Flag-like Standard) of the Cross and bleeding into the Chalice 

Most authorities take the view that there is a real significance in the association between the ‘Paschal Lamb’ of the Jewish ‘Passover’, and Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God’.   On the one hand, we have the fact that ‘lambs’ were sacrificed by the Jews, during the first ever Passover; on the other, we have the fact that Jesus was ‘sacrificed’, on the ‘Preparation Day’ for the Jewish Feast of Passover.  In the Old Testament, the newborn lamb was the perfect sacrificial choice, as defined by God, in his directions for the Passover and the Exodus of the Jews from slavery in the land of Egypt. In the New Testament, the Lamb of God is the perfect sacrificial offering for the sins of mankind.  But there is one crucial difference here in that Jesus offered himself, knowingly and willingly; he chose to suffer and to die at Calvary, in accordance with the will of His Father. The animals offered by the Jews, in sacrifice to God, had no choice in the matter. 

Quite differentially, there are many references in the Book of Revelation to a ‘lion-like’ lamb, and at first, one may find difficulty in reconciling the meekness of the lamb, with the lion-heartedness of the lion.  On this point, it may be that the strength of the lion is there to remind us that there was a victory over sin and death, and that Jesus, having laid down his life, overcame both in his Resurrection from the Dead.  On this point, we may take instruction from St. Augustine; in the year 375, this great theologian and doctor of the Church, wrote the following: 

“Why a lamb in his passion? Because he underwent death without being guilty of any iniquity. Why a lion in his passion? Because in being slain, he slew death. Why a lamb in his resurrection? Because his innocence is everlasting. Why a lion in his resurrection? Because everlasting also is his might.”

 Adoration of the Mystical Lamb – detail from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck.

“Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us!

 Socius

 All that is written above fits in well with this Advent season. We are called by the liturgy of Advent to be watching, praying always for the coming of Jesus in his glory at the end of time. In other words the teaching of John the Baptist is very relevant: John’s first teaching was “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near” (Mt 3; 2). Now that Jesus, the eternal High Priest has come, proclaimed as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist, I have the guarantee that my sins will be forgiven. That is the redemption that Jesus came to share with us, and in the Catholic Reconciliation rite (Confession), you will hear the priest saying: “God the father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ has reconciled this world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins”. 

The beautiful prayer, explained here by Socius, is said just before Holy Communion: it contains the essence of our attitude of mind in Advent, because our sinful state is such that many people are not even aware of their own self-preoccupation and pride. The roots of Original Sin are very deep indeed.  

The Church, in its long reflection through faithful Christians, has come to understand this, and so puts onto our lips this prayer, the Lamb of God, at every Mass so that what we say with our lips will eventually penetrate our hearts and help us to grow to the maturity of getting the beautiful relationship, between a redeemed sinner and his God, right. This will guarantee our freedom, our joy, our trust and our hope in the Lord, that he came to give us in proclaiming to us the Good News of our Saviour’s first coming, his second coming at the end of time, and in the present time of the Church, when we are privileged to live in a state of union with God, through the Word and Sacraments.  

Father Jonathan.