18 January 2026

18 January 2026 - Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

Transcript

Reading:  

1 Corinthians 1:2

Psalm 40:7-8

Write:  

…to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
 then said I, “Behold I come.”

Reflect:   

Why in the world would I think these two verses, one from First Corinthians and the other from the Psalm have any connection?

It has to do with the core of what Jesus chose to do in sanctifying us when he did the will of God “which is his delight.” Those words are also taken from our Responsorial Psalm.

We could also focus on the alleluia verse, which is probably the most direct connection for all of these verses. It is also a quote from earlier in the first chapter of John: “The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. To those who accepted him, he gave power to become children of God.”

Apply:   

Here we are at the beginning of Ordinary Time and the Church in this selection of readings is trying to remind us of the perfect destiny of each one of us. Our perfect destiny resides in being a child of God.

You may ask, “Yeah, Father, we know that! What’s the big deal?” I’m glad you asked that. The big deal is that, being children of God, graces us with an important ability to influence the world around us. Is there anyone here who has not thought the violence of our world in our day is an extreme tragedy?

I used the word “influence” on purpose. There is so much talk about “social influencers” in so many circles of our society today. We are called to be not social influencers but super influencers, or maybe I should say super-natural influencers. What does it mean to be “called to be holy?”

I remember a priest talking about a story he heard about another priest’s mother. She used to go to daily Mass. Well, her next-door neighbors came home after a late-night party – actually came home in the morning. There had been an ice storm, and the husband said to his wife, “I bet that old lady doesn’t go to Mass today!” But… he turned to look out the window and saw this priest’s mother crawling up the sidewalk on her hands and knees over the ice to get the church. Later that day, he was so shaken that he showed up at the rectory to ask the priest, “what do you do here that would make a little old lady crawl on her hands and feet over ice to get to it?”

All I can say regarding that kind of evangelization is: wow!

We are called to be children of God. No, that is not right. We ARE children of God!

This is what the prophet Isaiah is declaring at the close of the first reading: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Yes, the church does see this prophetic statement of Isaiah as pointing to Jesus. But it is nonetheless also pointed toward us. None of us may have the kind of influence that this priest’s mom had on her neighbor. But our faith should be lived in such a way that people see us and have the reaction that drove this guy to the rectory to find out “why.” We do not do what we do for God so that others will see it. What we do for God needs to be done out of a devotion and love so strong that people see it and say, “I want that!”

Our Responsorial Psalm is quoted in Hebrews, chapter 10. “Behold I do your will… By this will we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” He goes on: “for by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying: ‘this is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord: “I will put my law in their hearts, and I will write it upon their minds…”’”

We are being consecrated – we are being made holy – every time we turn to the Lord in prayer. Our prayer may not seem to have the visible influence that someone like… Pope Leo has. Certainly this priest’s mother did not know she was influencing her neighbor. But we never know who we are influencing or how. Pope Saint John Paul II often referenced a Polish tailor who quietly showed the young Karol Wojtyla what the faith was all about. From the tailor to the Pope we see a direct line. How many lines have formed from the Pope? And will be an influence to the end of time?

How many lines will you discover that you have started once you get to heaven and discover the value to the Kingdom your life has been? This also is what metanoia means. We haven’t forgotten – nor should we forget – this call to conversion for ourselves and others.

There is another saying: “remember, you may be the only Bible someone else ever reads.” What has your conversion – your metanoia – put you in a position to do? We are halfway through the first month of the new year. What kind of a position are you in to share your faith – maybe in a way that you don’t even know? I don’t necessarily recommend crawling to church, but…

I am going to repeat myself. Can you tell your story of your reason to believe? Do you have it ready? I am NEVER going to get tired of asking that kind of question.

Pray/Praise:   

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, you have named us your children through Jesus. Help us to act like princesses and princes in the Kingdom. Not with any arrogant attitude, but with the desire to show the majesty of who you are. In the simple way we live into the glory of your name that you have given us, may we lead many other people to say, “I want… that!” You have asked your children to be ambassadors to the Kingdom. Help us to be and do what gives you all the glory and honor you deserve. Amen.

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