Music Notes for The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 18, 2026 Dr. John Michniewicz
The readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, show God’s call and invitation to salvation and holiness. Those chosen by God reveal God’s light, serve as witnesses, and point to Jesus, the Lamb of God and Light of the Nations to all the world. In the First Reading, Isaiah 49:3, 5-6, highlights the second Servant Song, referred to as the Suffering Servant. In the reading, God chooses a “servant” from birth for a specific mission: to be a light to the nations, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth. The responsorial refrain, “Here am I Lord, I come to do your will,” echoes the servant’s acceptance of God’s mission. The psalm speaks of “waiting for the Lord,” who “heard my cry,” and that the Lord “put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God.” The salvation and rescue from God inspires trust and thanksgiving, a heart that joyfully proclaims God’s blessing and faithfulness. In the Second Reading,1 Corinthians, 1:1-
3, Paul addresses the Corinthian church as those “called to be holy,” emphasizing their
shared identity in Christ. This reading shows that God’s calling extends to “all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the Gospel reading, John 1:29-34, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world, the one on whom the Spirit descends at his Baptism. Jesus is shown as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic servant and the source of holiness for the Corinthians. Jesus is the true Light to the Nations. It is Jesus who embodies and empowers this call for all faithful believers. As God’s faithful chosen believers, we also then are called to be witnesses, pointing to Jesus as the world’s true light and Savior, again echoing the Psalm response, “Here am I, Lord.”
Sunday’s Entrance Hymn The Church’s One Foundation (Worship Hymnal No. 736) perfectly reflects Sunday’s readings. In Isaiah, the chosen servant brings salvation to all the ends of the earth, echoed in the second verse “Elect from every nation..one Lord, one faith, one
birth,” which also highlights the the unity of believers as given in 1 Corinthians, where Paul speaks of the believer’s shared calling and unity in Christ. John’s recognition of Jesus as the Lamb of God at his Baptism is echoed in the text recognizing the Church as being “his new creation, by water and the Word.” Further, the “Lamb of God” bringing salvation is referred to in the text: “With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.” God’s faithfulness as shown in Psalm 40 is echoed in the text of the third stanza, “Through toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she (the Church) waits the consummation Of peace forevermore.” There is an affirmation that Jesus’ sacrifice, as the “Lamb of God,” is the defining reason and foundation for the Church.
- The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is his new creation By water and the Word;
From heav’n he came and sought her To be his holy bride;
With his own blood he bought her, And for her life he died.
- Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth; Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth. One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses, With ev’ry grace endued.
- Through toil and tribulation And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
- Yet she on earth has union With God, the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won. O blessed heav’nly chorus! Lord, save us by your grace That we, like saints before us, May see you face to face.
The Presentation Hymn, In Christ There Is No East or West (Worship Hymnal No. 824) also strongly reflects Sunday’s readings. Isaiah speaks of the Lord’s servant as a “light to the nations” so that salvation may reach “to the ends of the earth.” In the hymn, it is seen that Christ’s message reaches to the entire world: “In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north.” In the Gospel of John, the “Lamb of God” takes away the sins “of the world,” signifying that God’s salvation extends to “one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.”
The hymn tune “McKee” was written by African American composer Harry T. Burleigh, who named it after Rev. Elmer M. McKee, the rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church in New York City, where Burleigh was the baritone soloist for 52 years. Burleigh adapted the melody from an African American spiritual, I Know the Angel’s Done Changed My Name for the text written by William J. Dunkerley in 1908, creating a powerful hymn of Christian unity. The Jubilee Singers from Fisk University greatly popularized the hymn on their concerts and tours across the country. The hymn now is included in many hymnals, and commentators note that Burleigh’s adaptation brought the rich heritage of African American spirituals into worship, highlighting themes of unity and liberation. Here is a link to the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Choir singing: In Christ There Is No East or
West: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEwLle8Ue4Y&list=RDtEwLle8Ue4Y&start_radio
- In Christ there is no east or west, In him no south or north,
But one great fam’ly bound by love Throughout the whole wide earth.
- In him shall true hearts ev’rywhere Their high communion find;
His service is the golden cord Close binding humankind.
- Join hands, disciples in the faith, Whate’er your race may be!
Who serve each other in Christ’s love Are surely kin to me.
- In Christ now meet both east and west, In him meet south and north;
All Christly souls are one in him Throughout the whole wide earth.
At the 11:30 Mass, the choir will present the anthem “I Waited for the Lord” from Felix Mendelssohn’s renowned Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, titled: Lobegesang (or Hymn of
Praise). Mendelssohn composed the symphony in 1840 and described it as “A Symphony-Cantata on Words of the Holy Bible, for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra.” I Waited for the Lord is one of the movements of this symphony. It is scored for two soloists and chorus, with the text derived from Psalm 40:
I waited for the Lord, God inclined unto me, God heard my complaint.
O blessed are they that hope and trust in the Lord.
In Lobegesang, Mendelssohn explores themes of faith, light overcoming darkness, God’s guidance, faith and redemption. “I Waited for the Lord” depicts the reliance on strength and God’s faithfulness in providing salvation and blessing. The duet for two sopranos will be sung this Sunday by Nancy Leville and Arijana Lempke. Here is a link to the anthem as sung on tour by the Northwestern University Choir and
soloists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDGGEtYPPj0
At the 11:30 Mass, for the Communion Meditation, the Choir will sing: Speak, Lord by the contemporary American composer, Tom Trenney. Its text is also a reflection of the mission to bring the Good news to the world, showing faithfulness to God’s calling, and pointing to Christ, the “Lamb of God” as the bringer of salvation. The text highlights listening to God’s word and acting on it directly, mirroring the servant’s commission and purpose as given in Isaiah.
Throughout the text, there is the desire expressed to be used by God to make Christ known to others.
Tom Trenney is the Minister of Music at the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. Growing up in Cleveland, he developed his talents early, studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Eastman School of Music. He is celebrated for creating emotionally resonant music that connects people and fosters spiritual growth.
You are the way, the truth, and the life. You are our hope, our victory o’er the strife. You are our peace, our calm upon the sea. Bringing good news to the oppressed,
you call us to set the captive free!
Refrain: Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. Speak, Lord, how we need to hear from you.
Give us courage to speak, Lord, till injustice is silent, speak your words of love in all we say and do.
You come to heal our broken heart, to comfort as we mourn, just mercy to impart.
You call us to preach the Gospel, dream the dream
till justice rolls down like water, righteousness like a mighty stream.
Give us sight to see the world through the eyes of a stranger. Help us hear the beauty of a language not our own.
Set our hearts to beat with compassion for our neighbor. When we love each other, you are seen and known. Refrain.
Be our strength to love in all we say and do. O Lord, teach us to live and love like you.
Here is a link to Speak Lord, as performed by Tom Trenney and the Choir at First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2NWKHRySeg
Sunday’s final hymn is Lord, You Give the Great Commission (Worship Hymnal No 790). This modern hymn was written by Jeffrey Rowthorn in 1978, pairing Christ’s missionary commands with a prayer for empowerment. Born in Wales in 1934, Rowthorn studied at Cambridge, Oxford, and Union Theological Seminary. He served as both a clergyman and professor, and was a founding faculty member of the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale
University in 1973. The hymn text was first published at Yale Divinity School in 1980. It shares themes of God’s call of the faithful to service, witness, and mission to the world. The hymn depicts the Lord as giving the commission to “preach the word” so that “the gospel” does not “go unheard”. It mirrors Paul’s understanding in I Corinthians that his apostleship is a calling from Christ for the sake of the Church. As John pointed others to Christ, the hymn calls for the “Spirit’s gifts” to empower the Church in its role of witness and ministry. The second verse echoes Jesus’ baptism, and the call then to “baptize and teach” so that “the world may trust Your promise” and find the “life abundant, meant for each”. The hymn also serves as a response to Psalm 40, echoing its refrain, “Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.” Throughout the hymn the specific “work of ministry” and “doing God’s will” are outlined: healing, preaching, and teaching. Each of the five verses ends with the petition and prayer, “With the Spirit’s gifts empower us, For the work of ministry.”
Here is a link to Lord, Give the Great Commission as sung at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington
D.C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXHqOKPNBA
Finally, the 11:30 Mass this Sunday will also serve as a special Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrating the 90th birthday and lifelong ministry of our beloved shepherd, Rev. Robert Uzzilio. It is fitting that Sunday’s music selections, with their emphasis on ministry and calling, is also a wonderful reflection of Fr. Bob’s work and lifelong outreach, mission and ministry.