Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 01-23-11, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 01-23-11 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

January 23, 2011

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel

Reading 1

Is 8:23-9:3-1

First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.

 Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

 

---

Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

Responsorial Psalm

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

---

1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

Reading 2

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”
or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.

 

---

Mt 4:12-23

Gospel

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.

or

Mt 4:12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

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For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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Alleluia Ping!

 

If you aren’t on this ping list NOW and would like to be, 

please Freepmail me.

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Information: St. John the Almsgiver

Feast Day:	January 23
Born:	550 at Arnathus, Cyprus
Died:	616 at Arnathus, Cyprus
Patron of:	Knights Hospitaller

[Salvation]

Information: St. Ildephonsus

Feast Day:	January 23
Born:	607 at Toledo, Spain
Died:	January 23, 667

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Interactive Saints for Kids

St. John the Almsgiver

Feast Day: January 23
Born:(around)550 :: Died:619

St. John was born at Arnathus, in Cyprus, Greece and came from a rich family. He married and had a child. John was a good Christian who used his wealth and position to help poor people. When John's wife and child died of a disease, John became a priest and then a bishop.

In 608, he was given a very important position and made the patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. St. John went to his new ministry determined to heal the divisions among his people. He made himself a promise that he would practice "charity without limits."

As he had come to serve, the first thing he did was ask for a complete list of his "masters" - the poor. When they were counted, the poor of Alexandria numbered 7,500. St. John promised to be their personal protector.

As patriarch, St. John made many changes to the way things were done and set new rules. He was respectful and kind, but firm. He set aside two days each week, Wednesday and Friday, and made himself available for anyone who wanted to see him.

People lined up in queues and waited patiently for their turn. Some were rich. Some were homeless and penniless. St. John treaded them all with the same respect and attention. When he found out that the church funds had eighty thousand pieces of gold, he divided it all among the hospitals and monasteries.

He set up a system so that poor people received enough money to support themselves. Refugees from neighboring areas were welcomed warmly. When the Persians attacked and robbed the people of Jerusalem of their wealth, St. John sent money and supplies to the suffering people. He even sent Egyptian workmen to help them rebuild their churches.

When people asked how St. John could be so charitable and unselfish, he had an amazing answer. Once when he was very young he had a dream or vision. He saw a beautiful girl and she represented "charity." She told him: "I am the oldest daughter of the King. If you are devoted to me, I will lead you to Jesus. No one is as powerful with him as I am. Remember, it was for me that he became a baby to redeem humankind."

St. John never grew tired of telling about that vision. He gently led the rich to be generous. He helped the poor trust that God would always be there for them. Because of his great charity, he is called "the almsgiver."

St. John died peacefully on November 11, 619.

[Salvation]

 

Jesus. High Priest

 

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem.  He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

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Rosary for the Bishops Campaign celebrates six months of prayer, global expansion 

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1.  Sign of the Cross:  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

2.  The Apostles Creed:  I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3.  The Lord's Prayer:  OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary:  HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be:  GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer.  Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

 

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

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~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
 Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we  humbly pray,
 and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
 by the power of God,
 Cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
 Amen
+

[Salvation]

God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Bachmann: Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama.  Psalm 109:8"

Psalm 109:8

    "Let his days be few; and let another take his place of leadership."

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?  

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have.    Please forward this to your praying friends.

[Salvation]

Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!

January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria

Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.

---Roman Breviary

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

 

O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.

O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil:2:10-11

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus

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Pope Benedict XVI's Intentions for January, 2011

General Intention: That the riches of creation be preserved, valued and made available to all, as a precious gifts from God to mankind.

Missionary Intention: That Christians may achieve full unity, bearing witness of the universal fatherhood of God to the entire human race.

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Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

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Continue to Pray for Pope Benedict [Ecumenical]

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From: Isaiah 9:1-4 — RSVCE (8:23 - 9:3 — NAB)

The Prince of Peace

---

[1] But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he
brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the
latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations.

[2] The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness
on them has light shined.
[3] Thou hast multiplied the nation,
thou hast increased its joy;
they rejoice before thee
as with joy at the harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
[4] For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
thou hast broken as on the day of Midian.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

9:1-7. At this point, though not yet very clearly, we begin to see the figure of King
Hezekiah, who, unlike his father Ahaz, was a pious man who put all his trust in
the Lord. After Galilee was laid waste by Tiglath-pileser III of Assyria, and its po-
pulation subsequently deported (cf. 8:21-22), Hezekiah of Judah would reconquer
that region, which would recover its splendour for a period. All this gave grounds
for hope again.

This oracle may have a connexion with the Immanuel prophecy (7:1-17), and the
child with messianic prerogatives that has been born (cf. 9:6-7) could be the child
that Isaiah prophesied about (cf. 7:14). For this reason, 9:1-7 is seen as the se-
cond oracle of the Immanuel cycle. This “child” that is born, the son given to us,
is a gift from God (9:6), because it is a sign that God is present among his peo-
ple. The Hebrew text attributes four qualities to the child which seem to embrace
all the typical features of Israel’s illustrious forebears — the wisdom of Solomon
(cf. 1 Kings 3: “Wonderful Counsellor”), the prowess of David (cf. 1 Sam 7: “Migh-
ty God”), the administrative skills of Moses (cf. Ex 18:13-26) as liberator, guide
and father of the people (cf. Deut 34:10-12), (”Everlasting Father”), and the virtues
of the early patriarchs, who made peace pacts (cf. Gen 21:22-34; 26:15-35; 23:
6), (”Prince of peace”). In the old Latin Vulgate, the translation gave six features
(”Admirabilis, Consiliarius, Deus, Fortis, Pater future saeculi, Princeps pacis”);
these have found their way into the liturgy. The New Vulgate has reverted to the
Hebrew text. Either way, what we have here are titles that Semite nations ap-
plied to the reigning monarch; but, taken together, they go far beyond what be-
fitted Hezekiah or any other king of Judah. Therefore, Christian tradition has in-
terpreted them as being appropriate only for Jesus. St Bernard, for example, ex-
plains the justification for these names as follows: “He is Wonderful in his birth,
Counsellor in his preaching, God in his works, Mighty in the Passion, Everlas-
ting Father in the resurrection, and Prince of Peace in eternal happiness” (Ser-
mones de diversis, 53, 1).

Because these names are applied to Jesus, the short-term conquest of Galilee
by Hezekiah is seen as being only an announcement of the definitive salvation
brought about by Christ. In the Gospels we find echoes of this oracle in a num-
ber of passages that refer to Jesus. When Luke narrates the Annunciation by
the angel to Mary (Lk 1:31-33) we hear that the son that she will conceive and
give birth to will receive “the throne of his father David and he will reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Lk 1:32b-33;
cf. Is 9:7). And in the account about the shepherds of Bethlehem, they are told
that “to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord
…” (Lk 2:11-12; cf. Is 9:6). St Matthew sees the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in
Galilee (Mt 4:12-17) as the fulfillment of this Isaian oracle (cf. Is 9:1): the lands
that in the prophet’s time were laid waste and saw ethnic cleansing and trans-
plantation were the first to receive the light of salvation from the Messiah.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

An Appeal for Unity

---

[10] I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of
you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united
in the same mind and the same judgment. [11] For it has been reported to me
by Chloe’s people that there is quarrelling among you, my brethren. [12] What
I mean is that each of you says “I belong to Paul” or, “I belong to Apollos,” or
“I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” [13] Is Christ divided? Was Paul
crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [17] For Christ did
not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom,
lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

10-17. St Paul takes the Corinthians to task for the strife in their community —
not, it seems, quarrels over matters of doctrine, but minor disagreements due to
preferences for certain teachers. Even so, the Apostle is very much against fac-
tions, and he starts his letter by stressing that unity is essential to the Church.

He makes four points, as it were — an appeal (v. 10); a description of the state
of affairs in Corinth (vv. 11-12); a doctrinal reflection: Christ cannot be divided (v.
13); and a summary of his (Paul’s) ministry (vv. 14-17).

His appeal is virtually a warning: “I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” The Apostle only calls on the name of our Lord when he has very serious
counsel to offer (cf. 1 Thess 4:1; 2 Thess 3:6); he makes it clear that it is a very
grave matter to put the unity of the Church at risk. Each of these groups in Co-
rinth is appealing to whichever authority it prefers — without Paul, Apollos or Ce-
phas having any say in the matter. Christ cannot be divided and therefore neither
can the Church, Christ’s body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31).

Finally, St Paul points out their feeble grounds for basing divisions on personal
relationships: very few of them can claim to have been baptized by him, because
his concentration has been on evangelization.

This entire passage is a defense of Church unity. Throughout the centuries the
Church has confessed this truth of faith — from the Apostles’ Creed (”I believe in
the Holy Catholic Church”) right down to the “Creed of the People of God” of Paul
VI: “We believe that the Church which Christ founded and for which he prayed is
indefectibly one in faith and in worship, and one in the communion of a single
hierarchy” (no.21 ).

10. “That you all agree...in the same mind and the same judgment”: St Paul is
not calling for mere external unity or just living peaceably or being sure to come
together for certain liturgical ceremonies. He wants something that goes much
deeper than that: the concord that should reign among them should stem from
their being of one mind, from feeling the same way about things. In saying this
he obviously does not mean to restrict the freedom every Christian enjoys as far
as earthly affairs are concerned: it is the unity “of the Church” that Paul is dis-
cussing, and in that area there is no room for factions among Christians (cf. v.
11 ). Differences, diversity , which do not affect the unity of the Church are
something lawful and positively good.

One basic dimension of Church unity is unity of faith. That is why the Fathers
and the Magisterium have borrowed from what St Paul says here, to show that
genuine progress in understanding the content of truths of faith must always
keep in line with earlier understanding of the same: “any meaning of the sacred
dogmas that has once been declared by holy Mother Church must always be re-
tained; and there must never be any deviation from that meaning on the specious
grounds of a more profound understanding. ‘Therefore, let there be growth [...]
and all possible progress in understanding, knowledge, and wisdom whether in
single individuals or in the whole body, in each man as well as in the entire
Church, according to the stage of their development but only within proper limits,
that is, in the same doctrine, in the same meaning, and in the same purport [”eo-
dem sensu eademque sententia”]’ (St Vincent of Lerins, “Commonitorium”, 28)’.
(Vatican I, “Dei Filius”, chap. 4).

11-12. St Paul now goes on to discuss the dissensions (v .10) which “Chloe’s
people” have told him about. We must presume that Chloe was a woman well
known in the church at Corinth; and obviously there is no question of secret de-
nunciations but of a well-intentioned effort to bring to Paul’s attention a problem
requiring solution. Chloe’s people might have been members of her family or ser-
vants of hers who had visited the Apostle in Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor 16:15-17).

Although St Paul does not go into much detail, we can see that a number of
groupings had grown up among the Corinthians. They each claimed to follow a
prominent Christian (clearly without any encouragement from their “heroes”),
and a certain rivalry had developed which could easily undermine the unity of
faith. The group who claimed Apollos — a Jewish convert from Alexandria (Egypt),
a man of eloquence, well versed in the Scriptures (cf. Acts 18:24-28) — would
have emerged after Apollos spent some time preaching in Corinth shortly after
Paul left there ( cf. Acts 19:1 ).

“I belong to Cephas”: the Peter group may have consisted of people who knew
him to be the leader of the Apostles (cf. 3:21-23; 9:4-5; 15:5); St Peter may have
passed through Corinth at some point, but there is no evidence of a visit and it
is more likely that some of his disciples or converts had come to the city.

“I belong to Christ”: this can be interpreted as a reference either to a fourth group
very attached to certain preachers from Jerusalem, of a Judaizing tendency — and
therefore very attached to Jewish traditions and very disinclined to acknowledge
the newness of Christ’s message; or else to some Christians who were disgusted
at the petty quarrelling of the other groups and, therefore, would naturally claim to
belong to Christ and only to Christ. It is possible, however, that this is a personal
statement of St Paul’s, designed to show how foolish these groups are: You may
say that you belong to Paul, to Apollos or to Peter: but I belong to Christ.

What the Apostle says here should lead us to avoid narrow-mindedness: each of
us has his own job to do, where God put him, but he should also make his own
the sentiments and concerns of the universal Church.

13-16. Crispus was, or had been, the ruler of the synagogue at Corinth and had
become a Christian through Paul’s preaching (cf. Acts 18:8). Gaius was another
convert of Paul’s and the Apostle had stayed with him when he was in Corinth (cf.
Rom 16:2). Stephanas’ family had been the first to be converted in the province
of Achaia; and Stephanas himself was now with St Paul in Ephesus (cf. 1 Cor
16:15-17).

There is no excuse for divisions, the Apostle tells them: unity is not dependent
on which teacher you had or who baptized you; it is something based on Christ
— whom all the preachers preach; Christ was the one who was crucified for every-
one, and his is the name they were baptized in. And there is only one Christ;

It is through Baptism, the door of the Christian life, that a Christian becomes part
of the one body of Christ; there the merits gained by Christ on the cross are ap-
plied to him, and the baptized person is configured to his dead and risen Lord:
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might
walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:3-4). And the Second Vatican Council states that:
“by the sacrament of Baptism [...] man becomes truly incorporated into the cruci-
fied and glorified Christ and is reborn to a sharing of the divine life, as the Apostle
says: ‘for you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with
him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead’ (Col 2:12)”
(”Unitatis Redintegratio”, 22).

17. In the first part of this verse St Paul is giving the reasons for his actions as
described in the preceding verses. The second part he uses to broach a new sub-
ject — the huge difference between this world’s wisdom and the wisdom of God.

“Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel”: this is a reminder
that preaching is St Paul’s main task, as it is of the other Apostles (cf. Mk 3:14).
This does not imply a belittling of Baptism: in his mandate to the Apostles to go
out into the whole world (cf. Mt 28:19-20), our Lord charged them to baptize as
well as to preach, and we know that St Paul did administer Baptism. But Bap-
tism — the sacrament of faith — presupposes preaching: “faith comes from what
is heard” (Rom 10:17). St Paul concentrates on preachrig, leaving it to others to
baptize and gather the fruit — a further sign of his detachment and upright inten-
tion.

In Christian catechesis, evangelization and the sacraments are interdependent.
Preaching can help people to receive the sacraments with better dispositions,
and it can make them more aware of what the sacraments are; and the graces
which the sacraments bring help them to understand the preaching they hear
and to be more docile to it. “Evangelization thus exercises its full capacity when
it achieves the most intimate relationship, or better still a permanent and unbro-
ken intercommunication, between the Word and the Sacraments. In a certain
sense it is a mistake to make a contrast between evangelization and sacramen-
talization, as is sometimes done. It is indeed true that a certain way of admini-
stering the Sacraments, without the solid support of catechesis regarding these
same Sacraments and a global catechesis, could end up by depriving them of
their effectiveness to a great extent The role of evangelization is precisely to edu-
cate people in the faith so as to lead each individual Christian to live the Sacra-
ments as true Sacraments of faith — and not to receive them passively or apa-
thetically” (Paul VI, “Evangelii Nuntiandi”, 47).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 4:12-23

Preaching in Galilee. The First Disciples are Called

---

[12] Now when he (Jesus) heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into
Galilee; [13] and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea,
in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] that what was spoken by the
prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

[15] “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the
Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—[16] the people who sat in darkness have seen
a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has
dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

[18] As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is
called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were
fishermen. [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of
men.” [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed him. [21] And going on
from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his
brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called
them. [22] Immediately, they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

[23] And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching
the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among
the people.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

15-16. Here St Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 8:23- 9:1. The territory
referred to (Zebulun, Naphtali, the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan),
was invaded by the Assyrians in the period 734-721 B.C., especially during the
reign of Tilgathpilneser III. A portion of the Jewish population was deported and
izeable numbers of foreigners were planted in the region to colonize it. For this
reason it is referred to in the Bible henceforward as the “Galilee of the Gentiles”.

The evangelist, inspired by God, sees Jesus’ coming to Galilee as the fulfillment
of Isaiah’s prophecy. This land, devastated and abused in Isaiah’s time, will be
the first to receive the light of Christ’s life and preaching. The messianic meaning
of the prophecy is, therefore, clear.

17. See the note on Mt 3:4. This verse indicates the outstanding importance of
the first step in Jesus’ public ministry, begun by proclaiming the imminence of
the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ words echo John the Baptist’s proclamation: the se-
cond part of this verse is the same, word for word, as Matthew 3:2. This under-
lines the role played by St John the Baptist as prophet and precursor of Jesus.
Both St John and our Lord demand repentance, penance, as a prerequisite to
receiving the Kingdom of God, now beginning. God’s rule over mankind is a main
theme in Christ’s Revelation, just as it was central to the whole Old Testament.
However, in the latter, the Kingdom of God had an element of theocracy about
it: God reigned over Israel in both spiritual and temporal affairs and it was through
him that Israel subjected other nations to her rule. Little by little, Jesus will unfold
the new-style Kingdom of God, now arrived at its fullness. He will show it to be a
Kingdom of love and holiness, thereby purifying it of the nationalistic misconcep-
tions of the people of his time.

The King invites everyone without exception to this Kingdom (cf. Mt 22:1-14). The
Banquet of the Kingdom is held on this earth and has certain entry requirements
which must be preached by the proponents of the Kingdom: “Therefore the eucha-
ristic celebration is the center of the assembly of the faithful over which the priest
presides. Hence priests teach the faithful to offer the divine Victim to God the Fa-
ther in the sacrifice of the Mass, and with the Victim to make an offering of their
whole lives. In the spirit of Christ the pastor, they instruct them to submit their
sins to the Church with a contrite heart in the sacrament of Penance, so that
they may be daily more and more converted to the Lord, remembering his words:
‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”’ (Vatican II, “Presbyterorum Ordi-
nis”, 5).

18-22. These four disciples had already met our Lord (John 1:35-42), and their
brief meeting with Him seems to have had a powerful effect on their souls. In this
way Christ prepared their vocation, a fully effective vocation which moved them to
leave everything behind so as to follow him and be his disciples. Standing out
above their human defects (which the Gospels never conceal), we can see the
exemplary generosity and promptness of the Apostles in answering God’s call.

The thoughtful reader cannot fail to be struck by the delightful simplicity with
which the evangelists describe the calling of these men in the midst of their dai-
ly work.

“God draws us from the shadows of our ignorance, our groping through history,
and, no matter what our occupation in the world, he calls us in a loud voice, as
he once called Peter and Andrew” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By,”
45).

“This divine and human dialogue completely changed the lives of John and An-
drew, and Peter and James and so many others. It prepared their hearts to lis-
ten to the authoritative teaching which Jesus gave them beside the Sea of Ga-
lilee” (”ibid”., 108).

We should notice the words of Sacred Scripture used to describe the alacrity
with which the Apostles follow our Lord. Peter and Andrew “immediately” left
their nets and followed him. Similarly, James and John “immediately” left the
boats and their father and followed him. God passes by and calls us. If we do
not answer him “immediately”, he may continue on his way and we could lose
sight of him. When God passes by, he may do so rapidly; it would be sad if
we were to fall behind because we wanted to follow him while still carrying
many things that are only a dead weight and a nuisance.

23. “Synagogue”: this word comes from the Greek and designates the building
where the Jews assembled for religious ceremonies on the sabbath and other
feast days. Such ceremonies were non-sacrificial in character (sacrifices could
be performed only in the temple of Jerusalem). The synagogue was also the
place where the Jews received their religious training. The word was also used
to designate local Jewish communities within and without Palestine.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

In Jesus of Nazareth, Isaiah’s Light Dawned on Humanity — A Biblical Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A by Fr. Thomas Rosica

In Jesus of Nazareth, Isaiah’s Light Dawned on Humanity — A Biblical Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

January 19th, 2011

Both today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah [Is 8:23-9:3] and the Gospel passage [Mt 4:12-23] keep alive the memory of Christmas for us.  “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them a light has shined.”   The choral section from the Nativity cycle of Handel’s Messiah never ceases to move me each time I listen to Isaiah’s prophecy set to hauntingly beautiful music… words that reach their crescendo in the announcement of the birth of a child who will be called: “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6)  Isaiah’s prophecy forms the first reading that we hear proclaimed each year at the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

The powerful words of consolation were addressed to those who were in darkness and anguish, those who lived in the Galilean areas of Zebulun and Naphtali, lands located between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea.  In today’ Gospel, Isaiah’s prophecy of the light rising upon Zebulun and Naphtali (Isaiah 8:22-9:1) is fulfilled in Jesus’ residence at Capernaum. Since so much of Jesus’ ministry takes place in Galilee, and around the Sea of Galilee, it is important for us to have some historical and geographical understanding of the whole region.  We must know something about the Old Testament history of the land that Jesus made his own.

A land of deep darkness

Immediately preceding chapter 9, Isaiah’s testimony has built up a frightening picture of the darkness and distress about to descend upon both Judah and the northern kingdom. What is this terrible fate and darkness of the people and why? After King Ahaz and his people have clearly rejected the Word of God (cf. Is 7:10-12; 8:6a) the Lord declares that he will hide his face from the house of Jacob (8:17) as an indication of his dismay and anger. In a time of anguish and panic due to the wrath of God, people have taken recourse only too easily to mediums and wizards (8:19). But Isaiah observes that it is ridiculous to consult the dead on behalf of the living. In chapter 8:16-22 we read of the terrible fate that could overtake the people: “there is no dawn for this people” (8:20). Instead there is hunger, thirst and misery showing itself in physical as well as spiritual deprivation. People’s hearts are darkened and their spirits are greatly disturbed.  They get enraged and curse their sinful king and the God whom they have forsaken.  They live without hope and any consolation. Whether they turn their faces upward or cast their eyes down to the earth, they will see only distress and darkness while they themselves will be thrust into thick darkness (cf. Exodus 10:22; Deuteronomy 28:29).

Such darkness penetrates right into the heart and soul and renders the continuation of human life impossible. But that darkness and distress were not Isaiah’s last words.  Precisely upon this land has shone a great light.  A recurring theme in the scriptures is the fact that God acts in the unexpected context, in the unexpected place, in the unexpected time, in the unexpected way.

Isaiah’s hope for the northern peoples

Chapter 9 of Isaiah’s book stands in total contrast to chapter 8.  The opening line of 9:1 forms a transition from the darkness of 8:22. The prophet proclaims a message of hope and consolation as darkness and gloom give way to light and joy.  The great light comes decisively into this profound darkness. It tears people away from their confusion and emptiness, from the violence and tyranny of the oppressor.  The message of 9:1-7 is directed to those people who were in anguish.

The darkness and gloom that had settled over the land penetrates right into the heart and soul and renders the continuation of human life impossible.  But this darkness and distress were not Isaiah’s last words.  The prophet proclaims a message of hope and consolation as darkness and gloom give way to light and joy.  On the inhabitants of a country in the shadow dark as death, light has blazed forth!

The first result of this great light over the peoples will be the fall of the oppressor- Assyria, who must be defeated no less decisively than Midian had been (Judges 6).  Only after such a decisive defeat can disarmament take place and peace reign. The symbols of the Assyrian oppression: the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, shall be broken (9:4). The garments of war shall feed the flames (9:5). The destruction of war-like equipment heralds an age of peace…symbolically described in 2:4 “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

Jesus’ ministry along the Sea of Galilee

In order to accommodate Jesus’ move to Capernaum to Isaiah’s prophecy, Matthew speaks of that town as being “in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali” (Matthew 4:13), whereas it was only in the territory of the latter, and he understands the sea of the prophecy, the Mediterranean, as the sea of Galilee.  As Jesus moved along the shore of Sea of Galilee, and on the Sea itself, he shed light onto the lives of many people who had experienced the ravages of war, invasion, occupation and violence in the whole area of Zebulon and Naphthali.

In the gospels of Mark and Matthew, that first encounter with disciples is told very briefly (Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18-22).  Walking along the shore, Jesus meets Simon and his brother Andrew.  They are casting their nets from the shore, probably hoping to catch some of the fish hovering about the warm springs that empty into the sea.  He summons them:  “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  Immediately, we are told, they leave their nets and follow him.  A little further along, he sees James and John, Zebedees’ sons.  They are sitting in their boats, mending the nets.  Wearied, perhaps, after a nightlong bout with the sea.  Jesus calls them in the same way; they leave their father and the rest of the crew and follow him.  For Jesus and for those whom he called, the Sea was a place and a moment of conversion. It is along the sea that Jesus calls others to join him in his prophetic ministry and outreach to the poor and the sick.  Pastoral ministry that is authentic and prophetic enters those areas acquainted with strife, pain, anguish, war and violence, and always reaches out and invites others to follow.

Jesus fulfilling the words of John the Baptist

At the beginning of his preaching [4:17] Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2) although with a different meaning; in his ministry the kingdom of heaven has already begun to be present (Matthew 12:28). The call of the first disciples [4:18-22] promises them a share in Jesus’ work and entails abandonment of family and former way of life. Three of the four, Simon, James, and John, are distinguished among the disciples by a closer relation with Jesus (Matthew 17:1; 26:37).  In verse 20 and in Matthew 4:22, as in Mark (Mark 1:16-20) and unlike the Lucan account (Luke 5:1-11), the disciples’ response is motivated only by Jesus’ invitation, an element that emphasizes his mysterious power.  There is always a before and after in the lives of those who are called by Jesus.  For some, the conversion of heart is often a gradual process that takes time. For others, the conversion is an unexpected and all-encompassing lightning bolt experience.

Even though the call to follow Jesus was a privilege beyond imagination, there is no attempt to pretend the disciples were ideal people.  They were very real people – contentious, weak at times, often baffled by Jesus.  Even when they understood Jesus and his teaching, the disciples were capable of rejecting and failing him.  The gospel portrayal of the disciples is compassionate because it makes a place for people who struggle to reach their dreams, for people who at times forget their call to greatness.  People like us!  Following Jesus is a risk, as every new way of life is.  Each of us is called to teach as Jesus taught and to heal boldly and compassionately as he did.

Relationship between the Old and the New Testaments

Today let us continue our reflections on Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict’s Post Synodal Exhortation on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the World” and consider the relationship between the Old and the New Testaments [#40-41].

40.  …Moreover, the New Testament itself claims to be consistent with the Old and proclaims that in the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Christ the sacred Scriptures of the Jewish people have found their perfect fulfillment. It must be observed, however, that the concept of the fulfillment of the Scriptures is a complex one, since it has three dimensions: a basic aspect of continuity with the Old Testament revelation, an aspect of discontinuity and an aspect of fulfillment and transcendence. The mystery of Christ stands in continuity of intent with the sacrificial cult of the Old Testament, but it came to pass in a very different way, corresponding to a number of prophetic statements and thus reaching a perfection never previously obtained. The Old Testament is itself replete with tensions between its institutional and its prophetic aspects. The paschal mystery of Christ is in complete conformity – albeit in a way that could not have been anticipated – with the prophecies and the foreshadowings of the Scriptures; yet it presents clear aspects of discontinuity with regard to the institutions of the Old Testament.

41.  These considerations show the unique importance of the Old Testament for Christians, while at the same time bringing out the newness of Christological interpretation. From apostolic times and in her living Tradition, the Church has stressed the unity of God’s plan in the two Testaments through the use of typology; this procedure is in no way arbitrary, but is intrinsic to the events related in the sacred text and thus involves the whole of Scripture. Typology “discerns in God’s works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the person of his incarnate Son”.  Christians, then, read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen. While typological interpretation manifests the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament from the standpoint of the New, we must not forget that the Old Testament retains its own inherent value as revelation, as our Lord himself reaffirmed (cf. Mk 12:29-31). Consequently, “the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament (cf. 1 Cor 5:6-8; 1 Cor 10:1-11)”.  For this reason the Synod Fathers stated that “the Jewish understanding of the Bible can prove helpful to Christians for their own understanding and study of the Scriptures”.

“The New Testament is hidden in the Old and the Old is made manifest in the New”, as Saint Augustine perceptively noted. It is important, therefore, that in both pastoral and academic settings the close relationship between the two Testaments be clearly brought out, in keeping with the dictum of Saint Gregory the Great that “what the Old Testament promised, the New Testament made visible; what the former announces in a hidden way, the latter openly proclaims as present. Therefore the Old Testament is a prophecy of the New Testament; and the best commentary on the Old Testament is the New Testament”.

Questions for our reflection this week

This week, in light of these rich biblical texts, take a few moments and ask yourself:  What have been your own moments of conversion?  What experiences or people in your life have been instrumental in deepening your faith?  Who have been the instrumental people in you conversion?  What concrete actions have you taken after a moment of conversion?  How have you invited other people into conversion?  In what ways can we, as disciples of Jesus, share in his mission of teaching and healing today?

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

The readings for this Sunday are Isaiah 9.1-4; 1 Corinthians 1.10-13, 17-18; Matthew 4.12-23.

[Salvation]

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 4:12-23

 

Oh, the places you’ll go ...

Fr. Jerome Magat 1/19/11

This week’s Gospel passage attests to Our Lord’s decision to relocate His base of operations from Nazareth to Capernaum, a small town on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel. Pilgrims to the Holy Land are sure not to miss a visit to this biblically significant town, as it became Our Lord’s home after His rejection in the synagogue in Nazareth (cf. Lk 4:29). Others have asserted that Jesus left Nazareth because Herod knew that Jesus operated out of that town and it was safer for Him to move further east and north away from Herod’s grasp to Capernaum, since John the Baptist had just been arrested.

In any case, a careful examination of the Gospels shows that Capernaum was of immense significance in Jesus’ public ministry. It is in Capernaum where Jesus called five of the apostles — Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. It is also where the dramatic cure of both Peter’s mother-in-law and the paralytic let down through the roof occurred. The apostles were sailing to Capernaum when Jesus came to them in the middle of night walking on the water. Jesus gave the “bread of life discourse” found in John 6 in the synagogue in Capernaum. It was also the site of an exorcism and the healing of the centurion’s servant. In addition, many of Jesus’ most famous preaching discourses occurred near and around Capernaum. For example, the Mount of Beatitudes is just a short distance from Capernaum and is the site of much of Jesus’ preaching on the moral life as found in Matthew 5. A pilgrimage to the Holy Land almost always impresses first-time visitors as they discover how proximate to each other each of the locations described in the Gospels are found.

Despite His decision to move to Capernaum, Jesus was very critical of the Jews there. Keep in mind that part of Jesus’ decision to leave Nazareth for Capernaum was His disgust with the lack of faith He found in Nazareth. And yet, Our Lord found a lack of faith in Capernaum as well. In dramatic fashion, Jesus would later say, “And you Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you” (Mt 11: 23-23).

Regardless of where Jesus preached, His message was the same: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The message was not welcomed with open arms by all. In a way, the fact that Jesus decried the lack of faith in both Nazareth and Capernaum reminds us that the human condition is essentially the same everywhere. While Jesus found more faith in Capernaum, as evidenced by the number of miracles He performed there, He was not welcomed there entirely either. Jesus' message of repentance and faith was not an attractive invitation for those wedded to the ways of the world. Even in a town like Capernaum, where Jesus found great faith, there were always those who remained indifferent or hostile to His message. That did not discourage Jesus from doing His Father’s will. His example should encourage us as well.

 

Fr. Magat is parochial vicar of St. William of York Parish in Stafford.

[Salvation]

The Work of God

 

Year A

 -  3rd Sunday in ordinary time

Jesus settled in Capernaum - Repent

Matthew 4:12-23

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles --
16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea -- for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Shortly after my Baptism in the river Jordan, John the Baptist was arrested, to die later because of my cause. I moved then to Capernaum in fulfillment of the Holy Scriptures. My time had come to start the salvific mission that would change the face of the earth.

I was the great light that came to shine in the world, already obscured by the darkness of the ignorance of God and the life of sin. My words were not ordinary words but the Word of God, I was in fact that Word of God living in the flesh.

Therefore I came to make use of my creative words in order to re-create the life of man by my forgiveness, otherwise the curse made in Paradise would stand and dust would go back to dust for eternity. I came to offer the resurrection after death and eternal life, which is to be found in Me only.

The first words of my message are the key to your salvation: "Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is near", in fact it is within yourselves. In other words it depends entirely on your will to decide either for me, the light, or for darkness; for me, the life, or for death. These words have continual power so that anyone who listens to them and puts them into practice will be given grace to live the way of life I that have proposed.

To those who first listened to them, I also said: "follow me", and because they were fishermen I told them to become fishers of men. They had no objection to my divine invitation because they were given the light of understanding and the wisdom to appreciate the weight of my call to become disciples.

I am repeating the same words to every soul. Repent, my Kingdom starts in your heart, in your decision to accept my word and in your humility to accept my offer, "follow me", I will make you disciples and apostles, you will have a safe place in my Kingdom, your reward will be paid with infinite grace and everlasting joy.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

[Salvation]

Archdiocese of Washington

Come and Go With Me to My Father’s House: A Meditation on the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of the Year

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

In these early weeks of “ordinary” time we are increasingly introduced to Jesus and to the beginnings of his public ministry. In Matthew’s Gospel today we hear described how Jesus began his public ministry in the wake of the arrest of John the Baptist. And Matthew tells us three things regarding this ministry of Jesus: it’s Context, its Content, and it’s call. Let’s look at each in turn.

1. CONTEXT of Jesus Ministry - The text says,  When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.

The relocation of Jesus northward from Judea up to Galilee tells us some important truths. First, it tells us of the hostility of the southern regions to the message of John the Baptist and Jesus. The area in and around Judea which included, principally, Jerusalem was controlled by a sort of religious ruling class (the Sadducees especially, and to a lesser extent the Pharisees). Since they were in strong but often controverted leadership in these areas, they were far less open to ideas which in any way threatened their leadership or questioned the rituals related to the Temple. As we know, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but he did come to fulfill it and this was threatening to those tied to the current status quo, most of whom did not distinguish fulfillment from abolition, and saw only threat. Further, the Herodian dynasty was also threatening especially in the south and had arrested John the Baptist.

Jesus thus, moves north to more fertile territory to begin his public ministry. The Jewish people in Galilee were less hostile. In fact the people of Jerusalem often looked down upon them for their more simple, agrarian ways and “rural accent.” But here was more fertile ground for Jesus to begin.

Now there is an important lesson for us in this. While we must carefully preserve Christian orthodoxy and only accept a development of doctrine that is organic and faithful to the received Apostolic Tradition, it is also true that we can sometimes stifle the Holy Spirit who will speak to us through unexpected people and in unexpected ways. The Pharisee leaders simply rejected the notion that any prophet could come from Galilee. Whne Nicodemus encouraged them to give jesus a hearing they scoffed:  Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee (Jn 7:52).  It is possible for us to insist upon things where freedom is permitted the Christian. There are various degrees of expression permitted in the liturgy and there are often different schools of theological thought which the Church sanctions. Balance is required of us. There may be preferences that we have for Thomistic formulations, Carmelite spirituality, charismatic worship or traditional Latin Mass worship. Such things are legitimate matters for on-going discussion, but we can too easily be threatened by what the Church currently deems to be legitimate diversity. Discovering a the range and limits of diversity is an on-going matter for the Church but we ought not permit the field of our own soul to be hostile to Jesus and his ministry, which may come to us more diverse ways that we, of our self,  prefer.

How tragic it was for Judea that Jesus thought he had to move on to more fertile territory, and what a blessing it was for Galilee that he moved there. The fact is that unfounded stubbornness can be hinder the Word of God in us. Jesus moved on to a more accepting context wherein his ministry could bear the greatest fruit. St. Gregory the Great has this to say about the context for preaching and necessary fertility of the field:

For frequently the preacher’s tongue is bound fast on account of his own wickedness. as the psalmist says: But God asks the sinner: Why do you recite my commandments? (PS 50:16) On the other hand it sometimes happens that because of the people’s sins the word of preaching is withdrawn from those who preside over the assembly as the Lord tells Ezekiel: I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be dumb and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. (Ez 3:26) He clearly means this: the word of preaching will be taken away for they are unworthy to hear the exhortation of truth. It is not easy to know for whose sinfulness the preacher’s word is withheld, but it is indisputable that the shepherd’s silence while often injurious to himself will always harm his flock. – (St. Gregory the Great Hom. 17,3, 14)

For Galilee there was this boon: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined (Is 9:2)  But for others, Jesus had only this to say, Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matt 21:43)

2. The CONTENT of his MINISTRY – The text says, From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

We have discussed before the careful balance of Jesus’ preaching. He is willing  to challenge and so say, Repent! But he also declares the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Accepting the ministry of Jesus requires that we avoid both presumption and despair.

To those who make light of sin and their condition as a sinner, Jesus says repent. It is wrong to presume that we do not need an on-going healing power from the Lord to overcome our sin. And perhaps our greatest sin is our blindness to our sin. Most human beings do not seem to comprehend how serious their condition is. The word translated here as “Repent!” is μετανοεῖτε (metanoeite) which means more literally to come to a new mind, or a new way of thinking. In our sin soaked world where sin is so pervasive as to almost be unnoticed, Jesus says, “Come to a new mind. Understand your condition and need for mercy and grace. Come to understand that without the rescue that only God can give, you are lost.” And hence we are told to reject presumption.

But we are also told to reject despair, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, the grace and mercy of God are now available to rescue us from this present evil age and from our carnal condition. Through Christ we are granted admittance to the Kingdom and the Spirit of God can overcome our carnal, sin nature and bring us true holiness.

The proper mean between presumption and despair is the theological virtue of Hope. By hope we confidently expect God’s help in attaining eternal life. By proper metanoia (repentance) we know that we need that help, and by hope confidently reach for it.

In our own proclamation of the kingdom we also need the proper balance exhibited by Jesus. Consider how, with children, that if all they hear is criticism they become discouraged (despair). But if all they hear is praise and are never corrected: they become spoiled and prideful and presume everything should be just as they want it. For the Church too, a balance is necessary. Too many expect the Church only to affirm and “be positive.” But this leads to a more selfish and incorrigible world and to a presumption that nothing matters (as we can plainly see). Thus the Church must announce the call to repentance. But the Church must also offer hope and mercy to sinners. She must offer grace though the Sacraments and by her preaching which, with God’s power, makes the Kingdom of God to be “at hand.”

3. The CALL of his Ministry The text says,  As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus, in building his kingdom,  summons men to follow him. He will train them to be the leaders of his Church as Apostles. The Kingdom of God is not only about calling disciples but also about developing leaders to provide order and authority in the Church. Even the most “democratic” of organizations requires authority and leadership. Without these there is anarchy and a battle of wills. Hence the Lord calls not only disciples, in the early stages of his public ministry, he also grooms leaders. Consider three things about the Lord’s call here.

A. His ARTICULATENESS: He says to these apostles, Come Follow me! Notice that his announcement is unambiguous. Good leaders like the Lord are clear to make known what they ask, indeed, what is demanded. He is clear to set the course and point the way. And HE is that way.

B. His APPEAL – Jesus must have had a personal appeal and exuded an authority that was strong and reassuring. His appeal to them was personal: come follow ME. He did not merely say come and “learn my doctrine,” or “accept my vision.” He said, follow ME. So too, as we hand on the faith to our children and to others, we cannot simply say, here is a Catechism follow it. We must also take the next step and say follow the Lord with me. We cannot simply say what a book says, correct though that book is. Ultimately we must be able to say, I am a personal witness to the fact that God is real and that the truth he has given to the Church is authentic and is changing my life. Our appeal must include the personal testimony that what we proclaim is real and is changing our life: COme and go with me to my Father’s house.

C. His APPROACH – Note that the Lord builds on what they know: fishing. He starts with the familiar to draw them to the less familiar. In a way he is saying that the gifts they are currently using are just the gifts they can use as leaders in God’s Kingdom. Fishermen are:

• Patient – Fishermen often wait long hours for the fish to bite. So too as Apostles and Bishops there must be a patience, a capacity to wait long periods before there is a catch for the Lord.
• Perceptive – Fishermen learn to know the fish and their behavior and what attracts them. So too Apostles and clergy must learn of their people and what will attract them to Christ.
• Persevering – Fishermen must often go out for many days with little catch. Only through perseverance is there real gain in fishing. So too with the Work of the clergy who may go long stretches with little to show. The gospel may go “out of season” even for decades in certain cultures (like our own). The good leader will persevere, will stay at the task.

3.  The COMPREHENSIVENESS of his Ministry – The text says, He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Therefore note that all of Galilee was his mission field and he covered it comprehensively. He also cured of every disease and illness. And thus the Church is catholic and must also address every part of the world and provide a comprehensive vision for life. We may not have the power to simplistically cure every ailment and problem, but we can provide the vision of the Paschal mystery that sheds light and brings spiritual healing to every affliction. If we are suffering and dying, so to did Jesus but only to rise and be glorified on account of his fidelity and obedience. So too for the Church and for the Christian, the grace and the comprehensive answer to every affliction is that we are always carrying about in our bodies the dying of Christ so that the rising of Christ may also be manifest in us (2 Cor 4:10). We seek to bring healing to everyone we can, and where physical remedies are not possible, the truth of the Gospel reassures that every Friday, faithfully endured, brings forth, by God’s grace an Easter Sunday.

Here then are three crucial insights to the beginning of Jesus public ministry. They remain for the Church and for all of us who would follow in Jesus’ footsteps important insights for us to acknowledge and imitate.

Now journey with me back to 1971, a year of funny hair to be sure, but here is the old Classic “Come and God With Me to My Father’s House”