3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time-Cycle A-2017
FIRST READING Isaiah 8:23—9:3
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.
SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
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.
GOSPEL Matthew 4:12-23
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 sisters and brothers in the Lord,
The first reading today is from the Prophet Isaiah and is the same one that is used at Midnight Mass for Christmas. We can hear the prophecy of the Savior to come. Great joy can be present in our world because God has sent a Savior and has freed us from all bondage and sin.
The second reading comes from the First Letter to the Corinthians and encourages us to work together. If Christ has come to free us from all bondage and sin, then we must all belong to Christ and there should be no divisions among us. Yet as we look about in our world today, we Christians have all kinds of divisions. Yes, in many ways we have less divisions and hatred among us than we had perhaps a 100 years ago or even 60 years ago, but we are still terribly divided. Saint Paul wants there to be no divisions among us, but that we be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
Part of the challenge of this Sunday is to work against divisions among us Christians, both with those who belong to other Christian denominations and with those who are alienated without our own Catholic Church.
The Gospel of Matthew today is at the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew cites the portion of the Prophet Isaiah which we read as the first reading today and tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy. Many times we Christians forget that Jesus is the fulfillment of the whole of the Old Testament, the whole of Jewish Scripture. The more that we can understand the Old Testament, the more we can understand Jesus Himself.
Matthew tells us today of the call of Peter and Andrew and then the call of James and John. We can only imagine the call of Jesus. Why would these fishermen respond so readily to the call of Jesus? Why don’t we respond as strongly to His call? He will free us from all bondage to sin if we let Him! He will help be united with one another and with all Christians, if we let Him.
My sisters and brothers, we are in Ordinary Time once more and we are ordinary followers of Christ. Jesus Himself invites us to become extraordinary and to give our lives completely to Him. This whole world can be transformed in the place of salvation if only we walk in the ways of Christ.
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip