Sunday Liturgy
Saturday: 5:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am
Mission Statement
We are a welcoming Christian community called to embrace and respect the uniqueness of each individual as we join together in our faith and worship. Our ongoing mission is to engage our youth, promote renewal, out reach, evangelization and ecumenical cooperation.
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
Monday, January 19th – 9:00 am Frances Crilley (Anniv)
Tuesday, January 20th – 9:00 am Vince Desmond
Wednesday, January 21st – 9:00 am Dr. Joseph Hazel
Thursday, January 22nd – 9:00 am Gertrude Quigg
Friday, January 23d – 9:00 am No Mass
Saturday, January 24th – 5:00 pm Frank & Irene Roy
Sunday, January 25th – 11:00 am Mary Riley
Weekly Reflections (Homily) from Msgr. Sheehan (January 16, 2026)
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
The Lamb of God
“Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…”
Two memories associated with lambs come to mind… one is a few years ago – when I was studying in Ottawa – some New Zealand and Australian Sisters and I went for a drive in the Gatineau hills… and we went by the hills and fields of the Gatineau in search of the fall foliage – All of a sudden, we came upon a field of sheep… of all sizes… and in a corner some little lambs… Because of their background in New Zealand… they called out – “Oh! Look at them – aren’t they beautiful – Oh! Brian – we must stop!!”
The other – is the memory of my cousin changing his daughter – and she had a rash… and was crying vehemently… and as he tried to stop her from crying – he said – “I know it hurts, ‘my lammie’ – Daddy knows…”
We know enough about lambs to know that there is something about them which speaks of helplessness, innocence… and beauty…
There were two great associations with the lamb in the Old Testament – first the Paschal Lamb --:
When God had decided to deliver his captive people from the Egyptians, He ordered each family of Hebrews to immolate a lamb “without blemish, male, and one year old.” (Ex 12, 5) to eat it at night and to mark with its’ blood the lintels over their doors.
Thanks to this sign, they would be spared by the exterminating angel coming to strike all the first born of the Egyptians.
Enriching on this theme, Jewish tradition later on gave a redemptive value to the blood of the lamb… because of the blood of the covenant, the blood of the paseh – you have been delivered from Egypt… “because of the blood of the lamb – the Hebrews were delivered from slavery” –
The other association of the Lamb in the Old Testament, is with the Suffering Servant poems in Isaiah –
The image of the lamb was applied to the Servant of Yahweh who, bore the sins of others – appeared “as a lamb led to slaughter, like a sheep before the shearer, silent and not opening its mouth…”
This suffering servant poems – describe a person of unknown identity suffers, on behalf of others, although he himself is innocent; and by his sufferings – those for whom he suffers are relieved from affliction… a more faithful translation of the theme would be slave rather than servant…
It seems that the writer intended no historical figure – but an ideal figure who would realize the destiny of Israel through his suffering and death… did the author see in this description – an individual or a personification of collective Israel?... the individual in whom the people are recapitulated…?
Listen to some of the passages from the fourth poem of the suffering servant…
“See my servant…
As the crowds were appalled on seeing him…
so disfigured did he look…
that he seemed no longer human…
Like a sapling he grew up in front of us
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him)
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.
And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
And Yahweh burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers,
never opening its mouth.” (Is. 53)
There is so much in these verses – dear friends… we saw last week in the inauguration of the life of Jesus the voice from heaven at his baptism… saying – “This is my beloved son – in whom I delight” – it was a recalling of the suffering servant poems. –
Again this Sunday – John the Baptist – looks at a distance – to the one coming towards him and says – “Behold the Lamb of God” –
“Behold – the one who – comes to save us… he is a servant… he is a slave… he is innocent… he takes on our sufferings… he bears it humbly… he is sent out… his blood is shed… his skin is sheared… he does not speak out… he does not open his mouth…”
He is the Lamb of God… the loved one of God…
And it is as the lamb – the suffering Servant hat he saves us…
“Behold the Lamb of God… our Saviour!”
Amen.