Walking with Jesus: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time A

For Sunday, January 18, 2026

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34


So how do I know that Jesus is God? How do I know that each person, for all time, is blessed and needed by God to be special — a person of love? How do I know, since each person is special, that all are called to be holy, spiritual people — people of love, all the time? And if we are called to discipleship, what does it look like?

Ours is a historical religion. Not only does it unfold with the joys, sufferings and developments that took place in specific places and times, it also — most importantly — reflects the actual events that took place in the lives of real people. Jesus the Christ was not a mythic, made-up entity, an invention from a religious imagination. He was born into history at a specific time in a specific place. Today we see that he was known by real people like John the Baptist; He participated in real events including the ritual of Baptism. His followers were real people with real jobs who left them to follow this man of history.

Our history is as important as Jesus’. That means that all life is sacred since it is originated by God — not out of a whim but for a reason. Each person is important, has value, and contributes so many special, beautiful, necessary, developmental “things” to help us in our down-and-out times — showing us we are loved through a handshake, a listening ear, a hug, observing eyes, words, gestures of help. The bottom line is, love helps. It is within these moments that our actual salvation (why we exist) is revealed. We take these “love acts” and pass them on, loving those in our lives with the love that God loves us: We treat others with the compassion of God. The Buddhists speak of mindfulness — deep living into the moments of life. Well, it comes down to knowing we're loved — and asking ourselves, “Can I love at this moment?” or at least praying over the hardships that are happening. Which of these are love acts? Praying is a love act.

In Isaiah we hear an oracle about the “servant of the Lord.” It explains the “servant” on three levels. First the people Israel are mentioned: “You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory.” [Isaiah 49:3] Second, the prophet (Isaiah) describes from exile his own call as “servant” to “restore the survivors of Israel” [Isaiah 49:6] who have been taken from their homeland and brought into exile and, third, that God will be in control and “will make you a light to the nations” [Isaiah 49:6] so that all will know this is God’s will and plan. The amazing part of these servant songs is that the first disciples of Jesus looked to them in order to make sense of Jesus’ identity and His mission which is carried over to each of us. Our baptism commits our task to His mission.

Paul is writing his first of three known letters to to the Corinthians referring to his divine call to be an apostle (one sent), and because of this he is “called to be holy” [1 Corinthians 1:2] along with the people he is writing to. Each of his communities and us have been founded and guided by God’s will and grace to fulfill His plan — to do this in holiness which is our charism. How are we doing?

We are all familiar today with John the Baptist’s first encounter with Jesus in John's Gospel. Had they seen each other as youths? John knew that he was the precursor who was initiating the coming of the Messiah. He received his call to the people and in very explicit and forceful words called the people to repent of their ways, being immersed in the waters of the Jordan which would change one’s lifestyle. We were immersed at our Baptism either totally, partially, or with water being poured over us, to take on our mission of being Jesus to the world where we have been placed. The interesting part in this reading is that initially, John twice admitted he did not know Jesus. In fact, as the passage tells us, he only came to recognize who Jesus was by means of divine revelation. God had told him that the one upon whom the Spirit would descend in the form a dove would be the long-awaited Messiah. And Jesus’ mission began.

When we pick up the Scriptures, we often envision the people listening and present to be huge crowds like the ones we see in all the churches in which we have worshiped. A few times, like at the feedings of the thousands, the crowds indeed were large. But many were small and grew as the people questioned and believed and wanted to find out more. And they were mocked out, persecuted, and made outcasts in their communities. They were the first martyrs — in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, all over. The Colosseum in Rome (Flavian Amphitheater) was Rome’s massive public area for spectacles like gladiatorial contests and executions. This venue was funded by spoils from Jerusalem and used Jewish slave labor, symbolizing Rome’s power to build it. I have visited it twice, and both times I could “hear” the sounds of Christian martyrs crying out, praising and loving God while they willingly died horribly after being grossly tortured. Our faith is founded on the faith of our ancestors who died proving they believed — lived — praised God — by how they were chosen to be witnesses.

So I reflect on:

• I am called to be a witness to my world of the love of God which saves me from myself, which can be challenging ... even dangerous. How willing am I to do God’s will?
• In my Baptism I was called to be holy, for “I, your God, am holy.” What does holiness look like in my daily life? How am I doing?

Sacred Space 2026 states:

“Even though many people turned to John the Baptist for leadership and inspiration, he made it his business constantly to point the way forward for others, but not in a way that made them dependent on him or that cast himself in a particularly favorable light. He was like a good teacher who opens up new areas of growth for us and brings our talents to their very highest level.”