December 27 is the feast day of St. John the Evangelist.

John 1: 29: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God…”

Shrine of the Lamb at Knock, Ireland

On August 21, 1879, at the rear of St. John the Baptist Church in Knock, Ireland, four figures appeared: Mary, Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and the fourth figure was a lamb, standing on an altar, surrounded by angels. Today, the Shrine of the Lamb at Knock is Ireland’s national shrine.

Behold the Lamb is a professionally recorded retreat given by Emmanuel Charles McCarthy at the Shrine of the Lamb in Knock, Ireland. Click on the link and scroll down to find the audio files. There are a total of 16 lectures. Behold the Lamb is considered to be the most comprehensive and spiritually profound proclamation of Jesus’ Gospel message of Nonviolent Love. In Behold the Lamb, Fr. McCarthy takes as his central theme the Lamb of God and focuses on this biblical symbol and reality as the true icon and transcendental model for encountering God as revealed by Jesus, and for understanding and following the Way of God as taught by Jesus.

This is a homily given by Fr. McCarthy at the close of a 40-day fast given at the Shrine of the Lamb in Knock, Ireland, on August 9, 1988.

The Infant Saint John Playing with a Lamb, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1670-1680, Oil on canvas, 61 x 44 cm, The National Gallery of Ireland.