Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 67
Reading 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.
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.
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.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
“The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light.” We know that light to be Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we are bathed in His light and are then able to live a joyous life with Him as our guiding force. This light is at once inside of us and all around us. Jesus Christ is everywhere, and He is everything. It is good to keep this in mind, especially at this time of year when daylight is scarce, and the air is cold. The appearance of lifelessness can easily lead to seasonal depression and loneliness. Reminding ourselves that Jesus is with us can combat these feelings and offer a counterbalance to all the bad things that are happening in this world.
I cannot help but feel spiritually uplifted when I participate in any type of religious gathering. This can be corporal worship, religious activities, or acts of charity. In all these instances there is a spirituality that cannot be ignored. When these things happen, the presence of Jesus is truly recognized. I know that all those who participate in these things feel the same way. As Jesus Himself said, “When two or three are gathered in My name, I am in your midst.” He was emphasizing the importance of community and acting out a rich spiritual life with Him at its center. This is the key to real joy and the solution to most challenges in a world that is under the constant threat of evil. Imagine how many billions of people participate in some sort of religious community or religious acts that lead to the revelation of Jesus to the world. His light shines brightly. It is the bulwark against the threats of those who oppose all that is good. Taking these things into account, there should be a realization of the strength that the revelation of Jesus Christ brings to the faithful and those who live throughout the world.
How strong are we as the Christian Faithful? We have God on our side. So, obviously, there really shouldn’t be anything to worry about. In our humanness, this fact is easily overlooked. We are inclined to think that we can be masters of our own destiny. It is true that we have certain freedoms that can lead to positive or negative outcomes based on our choices, but it is when our decisions are aligned to God’s will that things fall into place. Keeping God first is key to true joy and positive outcomes. Without God and not listening to God, things eventually go awry. Unfortunately, there are many times when we forget our own strengthens and are beaten down by earthly powers who seek to supersede the will of God for their own selfish reasons grounded in selfish gain, material wealth, and power. We must be reminded that these powers do not have our best interests at heart and are seeking to minimize the influence of God, removing as much of His influence as possible over His creation.
Today, in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, there is a parallel drawn between what was happening in that religious community to the status of the Church today. Rivalries have sprung up. There are divisions, factions, and conflict, many which have led to much violence and death throughout the centuries. All of these have their beginnings in the Human Condition and are rooted in selfish inclinations instead of the will of God. The Church is made up of people and, because of that, something that was perfect has become imperfect. To overcome this, there must be a constant renewal of the mind and an intense effort on spiritual renewal. The only people who want the Church divided are those who wish to destroy it. As Paul said,
“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 Church is stronger than any one person and the focus should be on Jesus Christ who founded the Church here on this earth. When we unite, we become a massive force of pure good that can never be overcome. When we focus on the true meaning of the Crucified Christ, then nothing can overcome the Church and that which is God’s in the first place.
Anything that is happening now and will happen in the future will ultimately lead to better things when the Light of Christ is realized. Living within the Light of Christ offers us a better way and better things. We walk together in a community of righteousness, billions strong, journeying together towards something greater than anything else in this universe.
Deacon Tom
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