Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Isaiah promised, Paul declares the fulfillment, and John points out the person, but the "light of the nations" turns out to be the "lamb of God," a sacrificial lamb, not a military conquerer. We learn from this that God's vision is greater than our "Israel" for it reaches to the ends of the earth and that it is by identifying with and sharing in the sacrifice of "the lamb" that we become agents of God's gathering.

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Title

A Light to the Nations

Outline

We are just past the season of naming the Person of the Year

Who made the greatest contributions to humankind? Who, then, won a Nobel Prize in their field? They were not a Pope, for popes have often been nominated but have never won.

Who made the cover of Time Magazine and other publications?

In other words, whom did the world at large see as the light of the nations this year? God gives a strange answer which is not what we might expect.

Isaiah expected a “light of the nations,” who is Israel personified.

He writes, “You are my servant, in you, Israel, I show my glory.” That this is an individual is clear when he says, God “formed me as his servant from the womb.”

His purpose is “That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him.” And that was the expectation during Jesus’ time.

But then God says something that “does not compute” in first century terms, “I will make you a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” A light, not just to the nearby nations or the related nations, but for salvation “to the ends of the earth.”

That is in the first place Jesus, but Jesus is carried by Paul

“called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” An apostle is sent, and Paul is writing to Corinth, which did have Jews, but was a Roman colony founded on the ruins of a Greek city the Romans had destroyed years before. It was a commercial center with two port cities and all that such commerce entails. And to the south it included the Acrocorinth, the steep height on which were the pagan temples. Paul is writing to the nations.

But this mixing bowl of nations are addressed as believers, “to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” Israel was supposed to be holy; these nations are holy because they call on the name of “our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We had promise in Isaiah and fulfilment in Paul.

John portrays the promised person himself

It is not an Alexander the Great or the great Augustus Caesar or Judas Maccabeus.

The Word who became flesh is portrayed thus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The son of a priest talks about a “lamb of God” who removes the “sin of the world.” He can only mean a sacrifice. It is through self-sacrifice that he takes away the sins of the world, that he purifies, or as John says “baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” John adds his status: “I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

That is definitely not what the people of Jesus’ day were looking for. David risked his life for his people but he did not sacrifice himself for them, let alone for the world.

We can learn from this, Sisters.

God wants to renew the Church, wants the new evangelism to succeed, wants to bring the strays back to faith.

But his vision is much greater than that and much larger than the Church. It may be he will bring the the strays back by letting much of our Western world, including church structures, collapse, while he reaches out “to the ends of the earth.” Maybe, as Paul says, he wants to make “the Jews” return out of jealousy because “the gentiles” are embracing the faith.

We also learn that the “lamb” is a sacrificial lamb and so it is through joining ourselves to the sacrificed lamb that we will be agents of God’s gathering, both those near and far. Paul lived this, even wishing himself accursed from Christ if only he could thereby bring his people to God. Then read of the sacrificial lifestyle he lived in carrying out his mission. That does not surprise us, for we know that St Dominic and many many other saints sacrificed much and suffered much in achieving much.

Perhaps when we hear “Behold the lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world,” the cry of our hearts should be, as mine is in a prayer I say after mass, “May I become one victim with him” so that I may share in his redemption.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 1-15-2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Isaiah 49:3, 5–6

3 He said to me, You are my servant,

in you, Israel, I show my glory.

5 For now the LORD has spoken

who formed me as his servant from the womb,

That Jacob may be brought back to him

and Israel gathered to him;

I am honored in the sight of the LORD,

and my God is now my strength!

6 It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the survivors of Israel;

I will make you a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-15-2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 40:8a, 9a

8 so I said, “See; I come

with an inscribed scroll written upon me.

9 I delight to do your will, my God;

your law is in my inner being!”

PSALM

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7–10

2 Surely, I wait for the LORD;

who bends down to me and hears my cry,

4 And puts a new song in my mouth,

a hymn to our God.

Many shall look on in fear

and they shall trust in the LORD.

7 Sacrifice and offering you do not want;

you opened my ears.

Holocaust and sin-offering you do not request;

8 so I said, “See; I come

with an inscribed scroll written upon me.

9 I delight to do your will, my God;

your law is in my inner being!”

10 When I sing of your righteousness

in a great assembly,

See, I do not restrain my lips;

as you, LORD, know.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-15-2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 1:1–3

CHAPTER 1

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Catholic Daily Readings 1-15-2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 1:14a, 12a

14 And the Word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory as of the Father’s only Son,

full of grace and truth.

12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,

GOSPEL

John 1:29–34

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30 He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. 33 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.’ 34 Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 1-15-2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Isaiah 49:3, 5–6

Response Psalm 40:8a, 9a

Psalm Psalm 40:2, 4, 7–10

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 1:1–3

Gospel Acclamation John 1:14a, 12a

Gospel John 1:29–34

GREEN

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