2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

This week the prophet Isaiah caught my attention. And the prophet caught my attention because of something he says to us today. “Now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb.” Who formed me as his servant from the womb. This is a term used 72 times in scripture, all the way from the Book of Genesis through Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

I think “womb for justice” captures a fundamental truth of what any parish is to be about. Parishes are communities of faith where Christians are formed, knit it together, made. No one is born a Christian. Christians are made. And in our Catholic community, this happens through our sacramental life together. This happens through our wrestling with scriptures and our wrestling with the world. Like Isaiah, we are formed to be servants of God’s grace. But to what end? Isaiah tells us today, so that “God’s salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” And how are we supposed to accomplish this? Isaiah again: “I will make you a light to the nations.” A light, a light.

Honestly, personally, I would have preferred something else. Something with more punch to it. Make me God, a wind. Or make me God, an earthquake. Or if it has to have something to do with light, then make me a laser beam! But make me something that can change others. Make me something that will give me power over others… for their own good, of course. But a light? A light can only illuminate. A light can only invite. A light can only point out the presence of another.

Yet now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb. “I will make you a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” God makes us lights and asks us to trust that this will be enough. To trust that God knows what God is doing. As lights we Christians are called to witness Jesus Christ. Like John the Baptist, we are knit together in the womb of Mother Church to go to the world and say, “Behold! Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in me.” How? How do we do this? By the lives we live. By our acts of charity and service done expressly in the name of Jesus Christ. We do this by our worship of God in this place and by the way we illuminate Christ out there in that place.

So, this morning I invite you to ask yourself, “how does my life in this faith community say to the world behold the Lamb of God?” Maybe it will be through the way that we honor one another. Maybe it will be through the way we listen to one another. Maybe it will be through the way we are present to one another in this community, even when we are tempted to be distracted.

GIVE EXAMPLES OF GOOD COMMUNITY WITNESS…marriages, service, etc.

Declare to all, “Behold the Lamb of God in me. Behold Christ in my life. Behold Christ in my decisions. Behold Christ in my service and sacrifice for others.” Do this, then as Saint Paul writes today in his letter to the Corinthians, we will be sanctified in Christ Jesus and called holy.

Are you interested in serving as a Eucharistic Minister? The Archdiocese of Louisville is offering training sessions over the next few months for those wishing become Eucharistic Ministers or those just needing a refresher. Visit the archlou website HERE for more information or to register for an upcoming session. There is no charge, but registration is requested.

• Thursday January 22, 2026, St. Agnes, 1920 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205, 6:00-8:00PM.
• Thursday February 26, 2026, St. Margaret Mary, 7813 Shelbyville Road, Louisville KY 40222, 7:00-9:00PM
•  Thursday March 26, 2026, St. Lawrence, 1925 Lewiston Drive, Louisville, KY 40216, 6:00-8:00PM

January 6, 2026

“Fear of the Lord”

John tells us today it is all about Love! Fitting scripture for our exploration of the final Gift of the Holy Spirit leveraged by God to sanctify each of us: The Fear of the Lord.

The seventh and final Gift of the Holy Spirit is the Fear of the Lord, and perhaps no other Gift of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood.

We think of fear and hope as opposites, but the Fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of hope. This Gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God, as well as the certainty that God will supply us the grace that we need in order to keep from offending Him.

Our desire to not offend God is more than simply a sense of duty; like Piety, the Fear of the Lord arises from a place of love. Because of our love for God offending God is what we are blessed to fear, not God nor any action on His part toward us.

Over these past Tuesdays of Advent and Christmas we have explored the Holy Spirit’s Seven Gifts embedded within our hearts at our baptism. Taken together the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are God’s present to each of us so as to transform us more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Through these gifts, when we in our freedom say “yes” to them, we become able to desire the contemplation of God over everything. Grasping what we contemplate, we are blessed with an insight into what God would have us do as well as the strength to do it. With the ability to see things as God sees them, we can then glean our purpose under God; a purpose we can then pursue because of a love-motivated worship of Him that we lovingly hope will be pleasing to Him.

Taken together a life that leverages these seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit will be holy.

Your chance to win $10,000 is Now! Taste of St. Francis $10K Raffle Tickets are available for purchase on-line through the link below. You can purchase in person in the Gathering Space after weekend masses or in the Parish Office during business hours (Mon-Thur 9AM-4PM, Fri 9AM-12PM). Raffle tickets are $10 each.

Each SFX family is asked to check out a pack of 10 tickets for purchase or for selling to friends and family. Please help to meet our goal of selling 3000 Tickets!

Visit the Taste of St. Francis event page for more information about TOSF, the Auction, and how you can help.

Campus will be closed during this period, with no Walking/Fellowship in the Xavier Center. There will be weekday masses, but no Adoration.

Thank YOU for your generous donations made to this year’s #iGiveCatholic! We have raised $7,370, surpassing our goal of $7,000! Stay tuned for more details and volunteer opportunities for our Love the Hungry packaging event that will be held on March 22, 2026.

To learn more about Love the Hungry, visit their website at www.lovethehungry.org

You can donate on-line anytime through the following link or visit the “Giving” section of the SFX website.

Please note that if Bullitt County Schools are closed due to inclement weather, the parish office and campus will be closed, and weekday mass will be cancelled. This will allow more time for our facilities staff to clear the sidewalks and parking lot, ensuring staff and parishioners have safe entry ways when campus reopens. Weekend masses will continue as scheduled.