Second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sister Ginny Scally, SNDdeN
January 18, 2026
John 1: 29-34
Recently, we celebrated Christmas, 2025. As we have launched into “Ordinary Time,” today’s Gospel reminds us once again, through the words of John the Baptist, of what we have professed to believe as Christians: -that Jesus HAS come among us…-that Jesus IS the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” … that “the Spirit WAS upon him” and … that “he IS the Son of God!” John the Baptist tells us that again! And yes, indeed, our God is good!
We profess our belief in this mystery each Sunday. It is so easy though, for the words of our Creed to roll off our tongues automatically, when we come together to worship. What we profess is true, and yes, we can say with the psalmist , “All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High,” BUT do we believe the witness of John the Baptist? …that Jesus IS the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of our world?
John also had his questions, especially as his life was turned upside down and he was thrown into prison! … “Are you the One who is to come or are we to wait for another?” John voiced this question from the possible disillusionment of his prison cell! In the midst of our own world, with its oftentimes disturbing and disillusioning headlines or nightly news broad-casts, what are our questions in the world we live in? Do we dare put our questions into words in our conversations with the Lord in prayer the way John did from his prison cell? Perhaps our prayer would be something like this…“Where are you, God of our lives? We are waiting for you to come again! We need you to protect the defenseless of our day, to put an end to the unjust wars we are witnessing, to cure our blindness and arrogance, to establish your values more clearly! Are you here with us?”
John the Baptist “saw Jesus come toward him.” Perhaps Jesus comes toward us still, in one another, like in Martin Luther King whom we’ll remember this week, on January 19th.
Jesus continues to be Emmanuel, God-With-Us. He IS here. He IS among us too. “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. . . I SAW THE SPIRIT COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND REMAIN UPON HIM. . . HE IS THE SON OF GOD.” He IS as with us as he was with John!
Yes, the Entrance Antiphon was right! “All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!”
“We DO believe, Lord. Help our unbelief!”
May grace and peace be among us all, as this year of 2026 unfolds, and WE are sent out as witnesses to the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of our world” still, as John the Baptist was sent out in his day. Amen. Alleluia!
John 1: 29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘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.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Meet Sister Ginny Scally, SNDdeN
