Second Sunday in Ordinary time

by Benny Kottarathil Antoney OSB  |  01/18/2026  |  From the Clergy

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy…” (1 Cor 1:2a)

In Paul’s language, to be a Christian means to be “in Christ Jesus”. It’s more than believing in Jesus or accepting him. Through baptism we were made members of the Body of Christ, and that means we are now in Christ.  According to Paul as members of the mystical Body of Christ (i.e., the Church), we do not belong to ourselves anymore. We are no longer our own. We are “in Christ.”

Paul was writing to the Church at Corinth. At that time, Corinth was very rich, but notorious for its immorality. So, he tells them that they were called to be something different: they were called to be saints. And the Greek word he uses is ἅγιος (hagios) or ἅγιοι (hagioi, the plural). Literally, it meant “the holy ones” or “saints”.

In contemporary English, when we use the expression “saint,” we tend to use it restrictively to refer to canonized saints alone. But that’s not the way Paul uses it. For him “saints” are the believers on earth who are living right now. That means by virtue of our Baptism and our faith in Christ Jesus, we also are called to be saints. There are no exceptions and no preferences. It applies to all equally. So, let’s strive hard to be saints, because that’s indeed what we are called to be.

Benny Kottarathil Antoney OSB