Christ the Light of the World

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Yr A

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading
Is 8:23-9:3-1

In Galilee of the Gentiles, the people have seen a great light.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

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.

The word of the Lord.

Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14

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?

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Second Reading
1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

That all of you may agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

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.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
cf. Mt 4:23

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 4:12-23 or Mt 4:12-17

Jesus went to Capernaum, so that what might be said through Isaiah might be fulfilled.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

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: [Short Form]

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.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand” (Mt 3:2). This invitation has been echoing in our ears since Advent, through the appeal made by John the Baptist, who was sent by God to prepare the hearts of those who were thirsting for the Messiah. Now the time had come for Jesus himself to begin His public ministry. Jesus leaves Nazareth where He was brought up, and departs to a place “beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15). This place was called a place of darkness because many pagans dwelled there. As the Prophet Isaiah had said, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:1). Jesus the light, who came to enlighten the nations, begins his ministry with the same words used by John: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (v. 17).

Jesus always takes the first step to find us where we are, in the dark areas of our lives, in our sins, in our helplessness and in our discouragement: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (v. 17). The Lord says, I am here amongst you, but you must repent and change your ways, change your mentality and attitude. Jesus is also telling us today: “Repent,” allow me to reign in your hearts. What will your response be?

In Galilee, Jesus not only proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven is near and called for repentance, but he also called disciples to follow Him, and made them “fishers of men” to participate in his mission. At Jesus’ invitation, Peter and his brother Andrew left their nets at once and followed Him. Later, he called James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who also left their father’s boats without hesitation and followed him. Jesus called these four fishermen to follow him while they were fully engaged in their daily work.

This is how, at times, the Lord speaks to us: while we are absorbed in the difficulties of our daily lives. Thus, we must remain attentive to the invitations the Lord extends us. And yet, we may find ourselves distracted by many things that we don’t even realise that the Lord had passed by and called us. At other times, we hear his call, but we become entangled in the nets that hold us back from taking the first step. Today the Lord Jesus is calling us to become authentic Christians. Let us ask him for the grace to discern what holds us back and to break free, so that we may follow him with hearts filled with courage and generosity, as the first disciples and all those who have passed on the faith to us did.

Prayer

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a resolute spirit within me.
Do not cast me out from your presence
or take away from me your Holy Spirit.

Restore to me the joy of being saved,
and grant me the strength of a generous spirit.
I will teach your ways to the wicked,
and sinners will return to you.

 

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