January 11, 2026
20th Sunday
Ordinary Time
FOCUS: Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power at his baptism.
The prophet Isaiah says that God’s chosen one is called to be a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. When the Spirit descended upon Christ at his baptism, these promises were fulfilled. But these promises aren’t only for Jesus; we, too, are called to be signs and instruments of God’s presence in the world.
What's in Your Heart
Anointing figures prominently in the readings this week. Isaiah speaks of God's "chosen one." In Acts, Peter reminds his audience "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power." And the story of Jesus' Baptism in the gospel has the voice of God saying, "This is my beloved Son . . . ." Today also marks the transition to the stretch of ordinary time leading up to Lent.
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How do I live out my Baptism, Confirmation, and vocation—my anointing—by doing good, being a healing presence, showing compassion, and bringing justice and peace to the world around me?
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How can I encourage others to claim their own Baptism and vocation and act on it?
Homily Stories
One of my favorite television programs when I was growing up was a quiz show called To Tell the Truth. On this show three contestants, all claiming to be the same person, were quizzed by panelists about their identity. The two phonies could lie to the panelists, but the real person had to tell the truth. The best part of the program was when the host would boom out, "Will the real Mr. So-and-So please stand up?" And then we'd find out who the actual inventor or skydiver or race car driver was. I was surprised to see that some people were better at being somebody else than they were at being their own real selves.
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Perhaps it shouldn't have come as such a surprise. It seems easier for us to put up a false front than to be authentically who we are. And yet when we discover who we are at our deepest core and are able to be that person fully, we are liberated and God is well pleased.
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Jesus had his revelatory moment of identity when his Father boomed out, "Will the real beloved son of God please stand up?" Then Jesus arose from the waters of the Jordan knowing, deep down, his identity and his mission. We each need help to discover and assume our true identity, and home can be a great place to get that guidance. At home and with your friends, are you putting forth the invitation, "Will the real you please stand up?"
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First Reading
Second Reading
Gospel
Quotes
Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched…. Christ is the first to be baptized, then, so that Christians will follow after him.
—Saint Maximus of Turin