SCRIPTURE FOR EVERYDAY LIFE                      Second Sunday of Ordinary Time FIRST READING: ISAIAH 49:3, 5-6     Today's first reading is what is commonly called a messianic prophecy.  These prophecies were meant to offer encouragement to the Jewish exiles while they were being held captive in Babylon.  They were to persevere in their trust in Yahweh, for he would soon set them free and eventually send them a Messiah.  These prophecies were a series of oracles which describe a "servant of Yahweh" who is to come.  He will suffer and die for his people, but God will raise him again.  These prophecies, uttered 450 years B.C., were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.     This servant who is to come will lead the people back to God.  He will be a light to all nations.  His mission will be to bring salvation to all peoples.  To fully understand the power of today's first reading, we have to understand the traumatic experience that the Israelites had experienced.  The Israelite nation had fallen in battle to the Babylonian army, and had been taken as slaves in exile to Babylon.  They had lost their king and their kingdom, and their temple had been destroyed.  They were God's chosen people.  God had a covenant with them and was supposed to protect them!  Why is this happening?     The hope and encouragement Isaiah offer in today's reading is that- through their suffering- Yahweh will lead Israel back into his covenant love and restore Israel as a light to all nations.  The mission of the Messiah who is to come is to bring comfort, compassion, and restoration.  It will be a time of joy, the captives will be set free, and they will be led back home.     When enduring trials in one's life, it is good to reflect on verse 5 of this passage: "...I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength!"  The Lord set us free from the grip of fear and anxiety.  It is also good to recall and reflect that the love of God is all-inclusive and that his salvation is meant "...to reach to the ends of the earth (v.6)."  Is there any group or nationality that I would exclude from my inner circle or towards whom I show bias?  Let us pray that the God of tender love and mercy may heal us of any animosity or prejudice that may loom in our hearts. SECOND READING: I Corinthians 1:1-3     Although this week's second reading is very brief, there is much to be mined from these three verses.  Corinth was a prosperous Greek seaport town under Roman rule.  It was indeed prosperous, but mostly corrupt.  For two years, Paul had preached in Corinth, which was home to a vast and varied array of culture and people.  For all its shortcomings, Corinth converts proved to be one of Paul's most enthusiastic faith communities.  Paul begins his letter to the Church in Corinth by referring to himself as an apostle called by God.  He makes it plain to the faithful in Corinth that they also have been called to be a holy people.  Paul attributes his call and vocation to be an apostle of Jesus to the direct intervention of God.     "Paul an apostle of Christ" identifies the writer.  The letter is addressed "to the Church in Corinth."  He makes it clear that this is God's church in Corinth not the Church of Corinth.  By doing this, Paul places the Corinthian community in the context of the universal church.  Some had lost sight of the larger picture and regarded themselves as the central church.  Paul reminds them that they are united with the other faith communities and are mutually dependent on Christ and one another.  "Grace and Peace" was more than a salutation; they were God's saving gifts that encompassed the joy of forgiveness and reconciliation.  These were valued blessings from OUR Father, bestowed upon all who believed in Christ.  All that Paul stands for is stated in these opening three verses.  Paul states that he was called to be an apostle.  He did not volunteer- it was through the will of God that he is an apostle of Jesus.  He was called and chosen by Christ Jesus.  This is much more than a greeting, it is a proclamation of faith on Paul's part.     We, as Christians, are consecrated and 'called,' just as Paul was.  Like Paul, we are called to be of service, not to be served.  We are called to serve those in need and to show the world the Christian values that rule our life, and not to value the self-indulgent attitudes that rule the world. GOSPEL: JOHN 1: 29-34     After his baptism in the River Jordan, Jesus remained a few days in that region.  The next day, while preaching, John the Baptist deflects the crowd's attention away from himself and towards Jesus.  John is paying homage to Jesus.  He points out Jesus as the Messiah, the "Servants of God."  The Baptist tells the people that his mission was to prepare them for the arrival of the Messiah.  John says that he saw the visible form of a dove descend upon Jesus, signifying the Spirit of God.  John's baptism of the people was only an outward sign of their repentance and of their turning their hearts toward God.  It was a symbol.  The real baptism would be conferred upon them by Christ: "He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (v. 33)."     By our Baptism, we too have been chosen and sent on a mission.  We are called to speak and act as the children of God.  We must frequently pray to the Holy Spirit to guide and encourage us in our life's mission.  This wasy we can truly get to know who Jesus is and then testify that he is Lord, just like John the Baptist did.  We must also deflect attention away from oursevles and with deep humility always give credit to God for any good that we do.  Hopefully, through our example and our imitation of Christ, we can bring others into the kingdom that God has prepared for all mankind. -Sunday, January 16, 2011