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Meditation from Father John
January 18, 2026
This past weekend we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This ended the liturgical celebration of the Christmas season and the celebration of the Lord‘s Nativity. This week, we transition to Ordinary Time which will lead up to the Lenten season.
Our readings for this week in Ordinary Time remind us of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we just celebrated. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah mentions, "It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant…I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) The Second Reading from the very beginning of St. Paul‘s First Letter to the Corinthians mentions, "...to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy,..." (1 Corinthians 1:2) Both readings focus on the intimate relationship to which God calls each one of us. They point to our priestly and prophetic role as members of the Body of Christ. Through our Baptisms in Christ, we are called not to a servile fear of the Lord, but to an intimate friendship with Him and to be cooperators in His plan of salvation. We are called, as St. Paul mentions, to be holy. That holiness is not about perfection, but about following God‘s plan for our lives and seeking to serve Him with all our hearts and minds. This service is not out of fear but a response in love to a God who has freely given everything to us.
We see an example of holiness in the character of John the Baptist who is mentioned in the Gospel this week. John consistently gave witness to the divinity of Christ. He testified to what God spoke to Him and courageously proclaimed Christ as Lord and Messiah. He cries out at the start of this week‘s Gospel, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) We use this same acclamation at every Mass following the Sign of Peace. The priest holds up the Consecrated Host and in imitation of St. John the Baptist, proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God". This deeply profound statement portrays the deep faith and knowledge that John the Baptist had of Christ‘s mission. After witnessing the Holy Spirit come down like a dove upon Jesus at His Baptism, John fearlessly proclaims Jesus as Lord. He mentions, "'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.‘ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." (John 1:33-34)
We too, in our baptisms, are gifted with that same gift of faith. We are gifted with the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit within our souls. As the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus at His Baptism, the Holy Spirit came down upon each of us at our Baptisms, and we too are called to give testimony to the divinity of Christ. Through Baptism, we are anointed as priests, prophets and kings. We share in Christ‘s priestly, prophetic and kingly roles. The priest or deacon, following the baptism of an infant, anoints the head of the infant with Sacred Chrism. He states, "The God of power and father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, and brought you to new life through water and the Holy Spirit. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation, so that, united with his people, you may remain forever a member of Christ who is priest, prophet and king." Through our baptism, we remain forever anointed in Christ. We share in the priestly dignity of Christ and are called through prayer to make our work, families and lives dwelling places for the Most High God. We are called as the readings mention this week to live out our lives in imitation of Christ‘s holiness and to give witness to the divinity of Christ as His prophets. When we do this, we will share in His joy and rule with Him forever in Heaven.
Father John