Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Monday, January 19, 2029
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – January 18, 2026
(Isaiah 49:3, 5–6; 1 Corinthians 1:1–3; John 1:29–34)
Although Christmas is a joyful season, the Church does not
allow it to be a time of “pure joy.” She places the feast of Saint Stephen, the
first martyr, immediately after December 25. In doing so, the Church follows
the pattern of the Gospels. In the infancy narratives of Jesus, both Saint
Matthew and Saint Luke give hints of his death. Saint Matthew recounts the
martyrdom of the Holy Innocents, who were killed while Herod sought to destroy
Jesus. In Saint Luke, the aged Simeon refers to Jesus as a “sign of
contradiction.” It is an enigmatic description. It means that Jesus will be
rejected and hated by the very sinners he came to save.
This juxtaposition of joy and sorrow continues today as
well. We concluded the Christmas season a week ago with the celebration of the
Baptism of the Lord. And now, on the first Sunday afterwards, we hear a note of
sadness. John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus, calls him “the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world.” At first glance, this seems like a peaceful
image, but in reality it carries a frightening implication: the Lamb will remove
sin by the shedding of his blood as a sacrificial offering.
As in the liturgies of Advent and Christmas, today’s Gospel
fulfills the prophecy of the first reading. This reading comes from one of the
four “Songs of the Suffering Servant.” These poems testify to a mysterious
figure—the Suffering Servant—who appears in the second part of the Book of the
Prophet Isaiah. The song proclaimed today reveals the Servant’s mission, while
the other songs describe how he will carry it out.
According to this song, God has chosen the Servant to
accomplish two goals: to restore the twelve tribes of Israel and to bring
salvation to the entire world. In light of the story of Jesus, the early
Christians could only see him as the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus not
only established the new Israel with his twelve apostles, but he also sent them
to spread the Gospel to the farthest corners of the world. Equally significant,
he fulfilled his mission according to the predictions of the Songs. He brought
comfort to the poor and died for all men and women, without protest or
complaint.
Pope Saint John Paul II helped us understand the greatness
of these works of Jesus. He wrote that God creates the human person as a gift
of love. In other words, our lives are gifts from God, given to us out of love.
By “love,” we mean the willingness to seek the good of another. Since each of
us is a gift, we fully realize ourselves as human persons when we give
ourselves to others out of love. Jesus makes this self-giving possible through
the sacrifice of his birth, his life, and his death. He was born in Bethlehem
as God’s gift to the world. He lived by teaching us the ways of the Kingdom of
God. Finally, he gave his life on Calvary for the salvation of the world from
sin. In this process, Jesus not only modeled what it means to sacrifice oneself
for others; he also conquered the spirit of evil that prevents us from
imitating him.
Yet we live in a culture that has largely ignored the love
of Christ. Many people today do not know Jesus. They live not as gifts for
others, but for self-exaltation. Each year, fewer adults wish to commit
themselves to another person in marriage. Why? Because they fear the sacrifice
it requires. Young people avoid having children for the same reason. They do
not understand that true joy comes only through this kind of sacrifice. Perhaps
they may find pleasure in superficial relationships and excessive spending on
themselves, but in the end they will likely wonder whether life has more to
offer.
We have just begun Ordinary Time. This is the period in
which we learn how Jesus gave his life as a gift. However, the season will be
interrupted by Lent and Easter. Then we
will learn the cost of imitating him—and why it is worth it.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Memorial of Saint Anthony, abbot
(I Samuel 9:1-4.17-19.10:1; Mark 2:13-17)
Today’s gospel passage has a reference that has defied
commentators. Where Mark writes, “While
he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with
Jesus and his disciples.” To whom does the
first “his” refer? Possibly it refers to
Levi whom Jesus just called to follow him.
More likely, however, it refers to Jesus himself. If so, then Jesus invited sinners into dine
with him.
Does this scandalize anyone?
It shouldn’t because we are all the sinners whom Jesus came to
save. Mark Twain said that he would
choose “heaven for the climate” and “hell for the company.” Jesus doesn’t go that far, but he still calls
to his side those whom society rejects.
These companions include thieves or drug addicts. As he loves people like us who come to mass,
he loves them.
We have heard that we “are known by the company we keep.” It is true that we must take care not to take
up the vices of notorious friends.
However, we should not abhor those whom society finds objectionable. Rather, we should respect them as humans made
in the image of God. We should also, as
far as possible, convey to them the love of Christ.
Friday, January 16, 2026
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel 8:4-7.10-22a; Mark 2:1-12)
Jesus’ question in today’s gospel is hard to appreciate. Of course, it is easier to say “Your sins are
forgiven” when no one can see the forgiveness taking effect. But this is not what Jesus means by the
question. Rather, he wants the people to
consider which will cost him more – to bring about the forgiveness of sin or to
heal physical maladies?
Achieving the forgiveness of sins will cost Jesus his
life. He will be crucified as a human sacrifice
to the Father so that the sins of the world may be forgiven. Those who repent of their sins can walk free
of guilt with Jesus enduring their due punishment.
We might ask ourselves a question like the one Jesus
proposes. When we are offended, is it better
for us to forgive our offender or to do something good for her or him? It seems more efficacious for us to help the
person than to dispense an unrequested pardon.
In this way the offender might be moved by our generosity to acknowledge
his or her guilt. Then we can forgive
the offense and achieve the desired reconciliation.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
“’Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines?’” the men ask themselves. Apparently assuming that the problem lies with God’s lack of attention, they summon the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to the battlefront. “Surely the Lord will wake up,” the elders now seem to say, “when He sees His people’s need.” Of course, the tactic fails. God knows quite well of their vulnerability yet chooses not to support the Israelites.
God has His reasons which will always remain obscure to humans. We might speculate in the case under consideration that God is changing the center of human authority from judges to a king as well as the center of cultic worship from Shiloh to Jerusalem. Or it may be that God is chastening his people for thinking that the mere presence of holy things, not their becoming holy, is what is most important. Still, God’s ways are often inscrutable. If we could figure them out, we would sit on an equal level with God. But this does not mean that God caresses and despises humans at whim. No, He has definitively chosen to support His people when He sent us his Son, Jesus Christ. Like the leper Jesus cures in today’s gospel, God loves us despite our not always heeding His commands.