Sunday Readings for January 17-18, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Edward Looney | For On Mission
Today’s Gospel provides a profound insight into the spiritual life of St. John the Baptist. It is a sentence that could easily be overlooked and read too quickly. But after pausing, re-reading, and reflecting on it, you will find the depth of it.
The Gospel summarizes the relationship between St. John and Jesus. Everything St. John did as the forerunner was to prepare for Jesus, to point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, and to witness the marvelous events that transpired at his Baptism.
St. John the Evangelist records these words of St. John the Baptist: “I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me…” (Jn 1:33). Here, we are provided a glimpse into St. John the Baptist’s closeness to God. Who sent St. John? Was he sent by someone from his community who told him to carry out the baptisms in the Jordan River? Or is it Almighty God?
The answer becomes clear when we consider who St. John was: he was sanctified in the womb of his mother, while Jesus was in the womb of Mary, and he lived an austere life in the desert. The one must be God, and St. John allowed his whole life to be led by God, who showed him the way through prayer.
Diving deeper into the passage, it says that the one who sent him “told” him. If we are speaking about God, how did St. John receive his message from God? At the Baptism, he heard the voice of the Father say, “This is my beloved Son” (Mt 3:17). Was that moment the first time St. John heard God’s voice or had he heard it previously? Or did he hear the voice interiorly in solitude and prayer? Was it the whisper of God?
Like St. John, God is revealing his plan to us in varied ways. St. John was able to hear and recognize what God was saying and then witnessed it as he carried out his mission. As we give God the first moments of our day in prayer or when we spend time praying before the Blessed Sacrament, like St. John, we will hear what “the one” wants us to do. Make yourself available to him and see what he says and where he sends you. If you follow his voice, as St. John did, you will see God’s marvelous plan unfold.
The readings for Sunday, January 18, can be found at Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.
Fr. Edward Looney serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawano. He is an author and podcaster, with a presence on various social media platforms under the handle @FrEdwardLooney.