Hope in Him

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, January 11th, 2026:
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

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Isaiah
​42.1-4, 6-7

Thus says the Lord:
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

​Pause. Pray. Reflect.

I am writing this reflection before Christmas, which is usually a pretty joyous and exciting time of year! However, you will be reading this in January when Christmas excitement may feel as if it happened months, and not weeks, ago.
 
I know I am not alone in finding the winter season a challenge. The dark afternoons, messy weather and general gloom can make it easy to forget the joy of Christmas and the coming of the Messiah. This happens to many of us.

Nevertheless, as I read the First Reading for this coming Sunday, which is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, I am reminded of a great hope — a hope that is not dependent on the weather, the calendar, the temperature, my mood or my feelings — and I am drawn to the phrase, “He will not grow faint or be crushed ….” This is a message of persevering hope. My God is not depressed in the winter. He is not down and out with a cold. My God is strong. He is enduring. He is faithful and just. He is firm but gentle and loving. How can I not trust in a God who comes to heal me and free me?

And so, for my part, I must trust! I must trust beyond what I see and feel, because many days I feel as if the world is winning and my faith is as nothing. The First Reading calls me to stand up, carry on and know that God is with us all! It calls me to hope in what is not seen and to trust in what is not fully known. 

Can I hope and trust in the midst of gloom and difficulties? Yes I can — because God is present and working!


Sr Teresa MacDonald

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