
January 15th 2023
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year A
Today we are invited to go back to the sources of our faith and then resume our walk, grateful for the gift received; grateful above all for the gift of Christ.
Today’s liturgy of the Word focuses in particular on Jesus. The first reading (Is 49,3.5-6) presents the mission of the Servant of JHWH. This mission extends to the ends of the earth. Paul, in the second reading (1 Cor 1: 1-3), offers us a partial image of this mission when he speaks of those who in every place call on the name of the Lord. Finally, John tells us about the experience of faith of the Baptist who recognizes in Jesus the Son of God (Jn 1: 29-34). The Spirit who in the morning of the world hovered over the waters, the dove that sought the earth after the flood, now descends on Jesus at baptism; descends and abides in him. The characteristic of Jesus as the Messiah will be precisely that of being the bearer and giver of the Spirit: the Spirit is his anointing, which he gives without measure, and in communicating it his messianic mission consists. In this way he will bring humanity, through a new exodus, from the slavery of sin to the promised land of redemption. Today the Christian community, gathered by the word of God and the Eucharist, keeps her gaze fixed on Jesus, author and perfector of the faith. He speaks to us about the Scripture and the Tradition of the Church, the prophecy (John the Baptist) and the testimony of the first disciples. Today we are therefore invited to go back to the sources of our faith and then resume the journey grateful above all for the gift of Christ.
Commentary by b. Sandro Carotta, osb Abbazia di Santa Maria – Praglia (Italy)
Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey