1st Reading – Isaiah 49:3, 5-6

The LORD said to me: You are my servant,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
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;
and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, the LORD 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.

Today’s first reading comes from what are known as the Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah, a series of poetic passages that describe a mysterious servant chosen by God for a special mission. Last Sunday, we heard the first Servant Song, in which the servant is introduced and named as God’s chosen. Today we hear the second Servant Song, which expands that call: the servant is not sent only to gather Israel, but to become “a light to the nations,” bringing God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. Continue reading “Jan 18, 2026: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)” →