The Lamb Which Takes Away the Sins of the World

Prayer-Soldier

The Lamb Which Takes Away the Sins of the World

Scripture:

And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them that were signed, an hundred forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, Saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the ancients answered, and said to me: These that are clothed in white robes, who are they? and whence came they? And I said to him: My Lord, you know. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14)

Behold what manner of charity the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knows not us, because it knew not him. Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it has not yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is. And every one that has this hope in him, sanctifies himself, as he also is holy. (1 John 3:1-3)

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. The poor in spirit: That is, the humble; and they whose spirit is not set upon riches.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)

Reflection:

Can we but imagine the day our lives will be transformed, the day we pass from this world to receive His judgment? How will we approach Him; in awe and worship or fear and trepidation for what we have done and what we have failed to do? If we believe in Him, if we know Him, we will know that despite our sins, we should approach Him with love, for He is our salvation. It was so that our sins may be forgiven that He endured the cross.

We must be honest with ourselves, we make many poor choices. Still, each day, we have the opportunity to make the choice which will yield our salvation. As we make the choice to believe in and love Him, our lives may be transformed from the weakness of wickedness to the strength of love. As we prepare for the time to come, the time we shall stand before His throne, though we shall pass from this life with robes blemished by our choices, it will be the blood of the Lamb which will wash us. It is the blood of the Lamb which will purify us and remove the stain of our sin so that the Son may bring us to our Father in heaven.

As we turn to Him and pray that He fills our heart, we turn to the blessing He has always sought for us, the blessing of love. Through Him, we may learn to turn away from the behaviors which sully us and cause us to bring forth harm to others as well as ourselves. Through Him, we learn the blessings of selflessness over selfishness. Through Him, we learn a better way through which we may live and through which we may prepare ourselves for the day we will stand before His throne.

From the mountain side, He taught us that we must not let material things separate us from God, that those whose soul is guided by Him shall find the kingdom of heaven. He taught us that our suffering in this world is but for a moment in time, but that our rejoicing in heaven shall be for eternity. He taught us that true greatness is not found in seeking power over others, but serving others with charity and love. He taught us that those who seek to learn His Word and live by its blessings shall walk the path of what is right and just. He taught us that as we give mercy, His mercy shall be ours. He taught us that as we cleanse our hearts of the evil desires of the world, we shall receive that which He has always desired for us, the blessings of His love. He taught us that that those who stand up to defend the innocent and bring forth peace shall be embraced by Him. He taught us that those who suffer persecution in His name will be received by Him. In short, He taught us the blessings we may share as we live by the commandments of charity and love. Blessed are we for the love bestowed upon us by the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier