The Gospel of the Mass of January 18, 2026
Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John*
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
At that time, seeing Jesus coming towards him, John the Baptist declared: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; it is of him that I said: the man who comes behind me has gone before me, for he was before me. And I didn’t know him; but if I came to baptize in water, it is that it might be manifested to Israel. » Then John bore this testimony: “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and He remained on him. And I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me: “Whoever you see the Spirit descending and remaining on, the same baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” I have seen, and I bear witness: this is the Son of God. »
* Chapter 1, verses 29 to 34.
Other readings: Book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 49, verses 3 and 5 to 6; Psalm 39 (40); First letter of Saint Paul to the Christians of Corinth, chapter 1, verses 1 to 3.
It’s him
Dominique Lang, journalist at Le Pèlerin and Assumptionist religious
“ I don’t understand why at mass we still use enigmatic expressions like “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. How do you expect my grandchildren to decipher this? » an old parishioner often protests.
I hear his desire to make the liturgy more accessible, to appear less esoteric to contemporaries. But today’s Gospel reminds us that the language of the liturgy is in fact peppered with biblical references, in order to sharpen our attention and become, too, disciples of the Lord.
Because it is indeed the voice of John the Baptist which sounds like this just before communion. He bears witness so that we can believe and that our religious approaches are not just acts of piety or aesthetic or intellectual adhesions.
From the banks of the Jordan, this testimony spread, amplified by the ultimate baptism, that of the death and Resurrection of Christ.
It is up to us to dare to say: “I bear witness: this is the Son of God. »
