Author: SHSS

This Sunday has been designated Word of God Sunday. The Church wishes to point out to us the importance of the Word of God in the Liturgy. There are four readings every Sunday and holy days: the first reading, usually taken from the Hebrew Scriptures, the responsorial psalm, the second reading, and the Gospel. It is only during Easter that the first reading is also taken from the New Testament. We believe that Christ, the Word of God, is truly present in the reading of the sacred text as well as in the sacraments. Today we are asked to reflect on the presence of Christ in the Word, and even in the homily given.

The Word Proclaimed in Scripture

To illustrate the importance of God’s Word in sacred text, let us look at the text proclaimed today. The first reading is taken from the Book of Isaiah. The reading speaks to us of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. This is a region in the north of Israel. It was a place that was largely populated by non-Jews. It was also a land that was regarded as a place of darkness regarding spirituality and religious observance. Yet the reading tells us that the people who live in this region have seen a great light.

In the Gospel, the same region is mentioned. Yet the light that the people see is none other than Jesus. What is the Liturgy of the Word telling us? There are people who live with a great deal of darkness and sadness. There are people whose lives are dark, who are lonely, who feel abandoned. There are people whose lives have been difficult and who are about ready to give up. Yet a great light has come. The light for them is Jesus, who can change their lives. Do you know people whose lives were changed by coming to know Jesus?

The Word That Changes Us

Once we hear the Word, know it, and allow it to touch our hearts, then we too, can be changed for the better.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
January 25, 2026
Sunday Readings

Sunday is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The term Ordinary Time means that we are not preparing for an important feast like Christmas or Easter, nor are we celebrating an important feast. There are two Ordinary Time liturgical seasons. The first Ordinary Time follows Christmas and ends with Ash Wednesday. The second Ordinary Time follows Pentecost and ends with the First Sunday of Advent. The first Ordinary Time begins by focusing on the Incarnation and will lead us to the season of Lent. The second Ordinary Time has its focus on Easter and will lead us to the season of Advent. Keep in mind: when Jesus is involved in our lives, nothing is ordinary.​

Called to Discipleship in Belief and Behavior

In today’s readings, we are called to be followers of Christ. We are called to live our discipleship in our belief and in our behavior. In baptism, we are called to a life of holiness and wholeness. The Gospel invites us to “come and see.” We are invited to meet the Lord Jesus again for the first time. We are invited to deepen our personal relationship with the Lord. The lives of Peter, Andrew, James, and John were radically changed. They grew beyond what they may ever have imagined. Our relationship with the Lord is deepened through prayer and our relationship with others.​

The Universal Call, Personal Paths

When the call to holiness is universal, the discernment of one’s way to live out that call is personal as well as Church-related. All vocations have similar earmarks. The call always involves the giving of oneself completely to the Lord through the vocation. Each vocation is called to the service of others in the name of the Lord. Each vocation has death and resurrection experiences. Each true vocation feels natural to the one called. Thus, some are called to the vocation of marriage and parenthood, others to religious life or single life. Some are called to Holy Orders as deacons or priests. All are called to give of themselves. All have their lives completely changed for the better.​

Hear the Invitation Anew

I invite all to hear today’s Gospel for the first time. I invite all young people to consider Christ as your hero and to seek a life that will proclaim his greatness. Hear the invitation of Christ to follow him. See and hear this call as a call to deepen one’s personal relationship with the Lord in the context of the Eucharist, Scripture, and Church. See the Lord as a dynamic and alive person for you in your heart, in your mind, and your whole being. Grow in the Lord, and you will have a life to the fullest.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie​
January 18, 2026

The Baptism of the Lord is another major Epiphany of the Incarnation of God among us in Christ Jesus. In this feast, there is a manifestation or showing of Christ. In St. Paul’s Letter to Titus we read: “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways…” and again: “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared….” Seeing is the main theme of the readings. The invisible God is seen in Jesus. Notice that on Christmas, Christ is manifested to the shepherds by the angels. On the Epiphany, Jesus is manifested to the magi by Mary. In today’s liturgy, Christ is manifested to us by the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Feast and the End of Christmas

The feast closes the Christmas Season. The Baptism of the Lord is the manifestation of Christ Jesus, the Incarnate Word, to the world by the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Lord begins the public ministry of Jesus.

In this baptismal event, Jesus aligns himself with sinful humanity, which struggles to be sinless while faced with human weakness. In the mystery of the Incarnation, God touches our weakness, our spiritual wound, and heals it.

John’s Baptism and Christian Baptism

The baptism which John the Baptist administered is not the same baptism we as Christians receive. The baptism of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance; it was a sign that the one being baptized would try to change one’s life. The baptism John administered has its roots in the Jewish mikvah bath. The mikvah is a cleansing and signifies a new beginning.

Our baptism is an immersion into Christ Jesus. We are immersed into the redemption which Christ has brought about through his passion, death, and resurrection.

Jesus’ Solidarity with Sinners

Jesus preached a baptism of repentance in the hope of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, who is sinless, does not need the baptism of John. Jesus is not a repentant sinner.

Yet Jesus accepts John’s baptism as a sign that he stands with all struggling sinners who desire redemption, long for healing, and want the reign of God. The Baptism of Jesus begins his public ministry. The redemptive ministry of Jesus will lead to the Cross. It will be Christ’s faithfulness to his ministry that will ultimately redeem our unfaithfulness.

From Baptism to Easter

Truly, the mystery of the Incarnation is astounding when one realizes that God became human to take on our weaknesses and to make atonement for us. The event of the Baptism of the Lord resembles Easter. The baptism begins the redemptive work of Jesus which will culminate in the events of Easter.

The Baptism of the Lord begins the victory of Christ over all forms of evil and death.

Our Call to Manifest Christ

Each of us, because of our baptism, Confirmation, and especially the Eucharist, is called to be a manifestation of Christ to those around us. Yes, Christ acts through us for others. In the same way, the divine Holy Spirit, who comes to us in every sacrament, enables us to recognize the manifestation of Christ in those around us, especially in the poor, the vulnerable, the innocent, the wise, those in need, and even the gifted.

God’s presence surrounds us. The universe is singing God’s presence. We need to be alert to this divine Presence. This feast is one of hope and comfort for all of us. It reminds us that Jesus walks with all people of good will who are striving to be faithful and yet fail from time to time. The Epiphany events of the arrival of the magi, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding Feast at Cana remind us that nothing will separate us from the love of God which comes to us in Christ Jesus.

Msgr. Guy A. Massie
January 11, 2026