Reflections and Actions for 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, January 19, 2025

The Sundays of “Ordinary Time” are also known as the Sundays after Epiphany. It is a shorter liturgical period that will end on Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The readings for these Sundays are meant to manifest how Jesus is the Light of the World. Though we will read primarily from the Gospel of Luke this year, today’s reading comes from John’s Gospel with the story of the wedding feast at Cana. In St. John’s Gospel, this miracle of changing the water into wine is referred to as the “first” of the signs showing who Jesus really is. This passage is actually replete with symbolism. The wedding is a sign of the relationship between Christ and his Church. The water changed to wine prefigures the movement from Baptism to the Eucharist. It also prefigures the water and blood that will flow from Jesus’ side in the crucifixion for our salvation. Primarily, the actions of Jesus are a sign – something that could be seen and experienced, helping His disciples to know Him.

How does your parish help people to “know Him?” Can a spirit of love, welcome, holiness, and concern for the weak and needy be “seen?” It’s not that our communities do what we do to be seen and congratulated. Rather, can it be seen in the sense that the parish, itself, is a living sign that Christ is the Light of the World? In this time before Lent, educate your community about all the good that is experienced and known because the parish exists! Children are educated in the faith. The sick are visited and consoled. The hungry are fed, and the naked are clothed. Those who mourn are comforted. You can go on and on, but the point is to call to awareness all the good that happens because your parish exists. Your parish, too, is a living sign that Christ is the Light of the World. For this reason, the many should be welcomed!

1. Be sure to continue following up with those who visited your parish during the Christmas Season. The best practice is to make a phone call, and the next best practice is to send an email of thanks and welcome to each one!
2. On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM CST, join Bridget Daly for a special webinar on Digital Wallets. She will walk you through how to get started, how reporting and depositing work, and how digital wallets have revolutionized transactions, making them simpler, faster, and more secure. With just a few taps, donors can complete their gifts without lengthy forms or manually entering payment details. You can register for this Webinar here: Webinar on Digital wallets.
3. The first three months of the year are a great time to update your parishioner contact information, sign up for communications, and increase giving. A simple way to accomplish this is by emailing your parishioners a personalized message with a GC SmartLink. To learn more about using GC SmartLinks, visit the Knowledge Center on your GiveCentral Dashboard or contact us at implementation@givecentral.org.?campId=10871