Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The central idea this writer gleaned from the lectionary readings is that Jesus Christ is the glorious Son of God who saves and sanctifies us.

From his conception and through every event of his earthy life, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity glorified God the Father and was glorified by Him. And in his baptism at the Jordan, He was glorified by the Holy Spirit and opened a way of glory for us.

The Catholic doctrinal focus is on the Sacrament of Baptism.

It is good at the beginning of Ordinary Time, when the Liturgy reminds us of the Baptism of Christ, to appreciate again our own Sacramental Baptism. It is always good for us to remember that the Church Christ founded is a sacramental church. That is, the Sacraments are the fundamental way Christ has left us through which we are saved and sanctified. The grace of the Sacraments along with our own cooperation are how we (God and us) transform our ordinary lives into something good and glorious.

Finally, a practical application of the message of the readings is to recall the meaning of and pious use of the sacramental of Holy Water.