January 18, 2026: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Just as we heard St. John the Baptist point toward Jesus in Advent, so we hear him today point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the Savior Who takes away our sins.

In baptism, we encounter Christ, Who washes away our sins and transforms us into a new Creation.

Indeed, He calls us to a new sense of purpose.  He has given us His Spirit, just as Jesus was anointed, so that we can follow His way as His Servant and bring light to the world.

We enter into the life of Jesus Christ through our own baptism, and then we're summoned to live out our baptism by bringing the light we have encountered to all the world.  Like the reading from Isaiah says, it's not enough to bring God's blessings to His people: We are meant to bless the whole world.

And we strive in the way that St. Paul writes, as he says the Corinthians are sanctified and called to be holy.

Truly, Christ has given us the great gift of salvation and the means to continously encounter Him as we put this great gift into action.