2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 18th January 2026 

Although we are in the year of Matthew, this week’s reading follows on from the Baptism of Jesus which we celebrated last Sunday and so is from the Gospel of John. In the first sentence John calls Jesus the ‘Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world’ – words we echo every time we are at Mass. These are words we all know what they mean and which we believe – familiar words. 

 

There are images of lambs throughout the Old and New Testaments but ones we are more familiar with are ones where the lamb is sacrificed (OT) and where the lamb is lost (NT). Here John is using the Old Testament idea but perhaps we can look on Jesus as a leader being sacrificed rather than someone who is passive. We are all leaders in our own way – in our ministry, our jobs, at home, in our parishes, among our friends and family or in the area where we live. This may be because we are natural leaders and to whom people look for advice, help and support. Last year we saw the election of a new Pope, Leo XIV, who may not have been considered by many as a potential world faith leader. We may not always agree with those who are not our choice. However, we can be consoled, perhaps, that like John with Jesus, that if people recognise us as leaders they can look to for help and inspiration that can be quite a responsibility. 

 

We are challenged to be leaders, to be witnesses, to speak out about Jesus in our lives. Our world needs witnesses, whether in our homes, at work, in schools and parishes or wherever we meet other people. What or who are we witnessing to? We are witnessing to the love of God in the world, in our lives, as revealed by Jesus. We have just celebrated 3 great feasts of Jesus – Christmas, Epiphany and the Baptism – and at each occasion there were witnesses: shepherds, wise men, John the Baptist (and others). These witnesses were given the task of spreading the Word, having encountered Jesus. We have to ask ourselves ‘what are WE doing to spread the Word?’ ‘How will we be spreaders of the Word? 

 

Leaders point to or bring people to where they should rightly be. They lead by example (or should do!) People are thirsting, yearning for stability in their lives and are looking for something or someone to fill the ever-increasing hole they feel is in their lives. Many are looking for things outside themselves. WE need to help them look inside and see their own worth. We need to help them see that and believe that. That is quite a task but one we are challenged to – can we say like John, ‘I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.’? 

 

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