2nd Sunday in OT 2026 

Readings: Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34. 

Homily by Fr. Ron Nelson



My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

I welcome you here to this holy sacrifice of the Mass where we celebrate the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Last week, ordinary time began with the feast of baptism of the Lord, which is fitting because that was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. 

It is useful to talk about our liturgical year. We have entered into Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time does not mean just humdrum time. No, it is ordered or numbered time. We can’t stay up in the mountains of those special times like Christmas and Easter; we need to descend back to the plains of daily life... into ordered time... into those times of our normal spiritual growth. 

Perhaps an analogy will help. In the military they have certain levels of readiness. They call it DEFCON, which stands for Defense Readiness Conditions. The normal state of readiness is DEFCON 5. When something happens and they need to be in a state of greater readiness, they might move to DEFCON 4 which is increased intelligence watch or DEFCON 3 which is an increase in force readiness. 

We cannot always be in that increased state of readiness, but we do need to always be ready on some level. I like to think of Ordinary Time like that. Ordinary Time is like DEFCON 5 and the seasons of Advent and Lent are like DEFCON 2 or 3. An increased sense of readiness where we are doing training drills. 

I invite you to stay in tune with the liturgical year. 

In our Gospel today, we have St. John the Baptist testifying to what he saw at the baptism of our Blessed Lord. If you have been following the daily Gospel readings, they have been about Jesus beginning his ministry with miracles and calling his disciples to follow him. He is starting to form the foundations of the Church. 

What we see happening is the fulfillment of what Israel was meant to be—and what the Church now becomes in Christ. 

The Lord says through Isaiah: 

The LORD said to me: You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory. 

And at the end of that reading the Lord says: 

I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. 

Our Blessed Lord is forming the Church which will be that light to the nations. The Church is that chosen instrument of salvation instituted by Our Blessed Lord. 

It is fitting that Jesus begins his ministry with his baptism because it reminds us that we are baptized to participate that same mission. 

On Friday, Bishop Smith gave a nice talk at the priest appreciation dinner sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. In that he gave an explanation of the Archdiocesan Evangelization Playbook. I thought it might be useful to give you a summary. It asks some question in order to focus on our mission. 

Why do we exist? In other words: why does the Archdiocese of Portland exist? Why does this parish exist? Why do we exist as the Church? 

We exist to witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We don’t exist just to maintain the status quo. We exist to give witness to the Gospel. 

Next Question: How do we behave? 

With zeal and courage for the mission. With fidelity to the faith. As a team player. Not doing our own thing. Zeal, courage, fidelity, as a team. 

Next Question: What do we do? 

We minister the salvation of Jesus Christ by exercising His mission 

to teach, sanctify, and shepherd His people. Bishops and Priest share in that mission in a special way, exercising those three munera (or offices) of Christ: He is Priest, Prophet, and King... called to teach, sanctify, and shepherd. 

But all of you share in what is called the Priesthood of the faithful. By virtue of your baptism, you too are called to teach, to sanctify the world, and to share in Christ’s mission of leadership and care in the world. And you being in the world are able to do that in a way that clergy are not: in your homes, in your work, in your schools. 

Next Question: How will we succeed? 

By bringing people into a life-giving, ongoing and transformational 

encounter with Jesus Christ. By cultivating a healthy, united and on-fire priesthood. By educating people in the true teachings of the Catholic Church. By forming people for the work of evangelization. 

This is an invitation to focus our efforts on what is most important... not our own pet projects, but encounters with Christ, being formed. 

Final Question: What is most important right now? 

Dispose Hearts and Minds for Mission Renewal. This means being willing to prune the unnecessary and focus on what is most important. Shifting our hearts and minds to a new way of thinking about how we participate in that mission. 

So as we stand here at the beginning of Ordinary Time, the Church asks us a very simple but very demanding question: Are we ready to live our baptism? Not in extraordinary moments only, but in the ordinary rhythm of our days. In the Gospel today, John the Baptist points and says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” That is always the beginning of renewal—fixing our eyes again on Christ. Ordinary Time is not about doing more things; it is about becoming more faithful disciples. It is about letting Christ shape our homes, our conversations, our priorities, and our witness. If we stay close to Him—through prayer, the sacraments, and fidelity to His Church—then the Lord will do what He has always done: take ordinary people, living ordinary lives, and make them a light to the nations. May this season of Ordinary Time be anything but ordinary, as we allow the Lamb of God to continue His saving work in us and through us.