Daily Gospel reflection January 26, 2014

The Lord needed some fishermen to leave their nets and follow him, to proclaim his love and salvation. When we are called to “give up everything” and to “follow him”, it doesn’t only require us to leave our material possessions and still remaining in the things that we like to do most: gossiping, slandering, and envying others. The Lord is calling us to follow him and be at peace among each other, to cultivate love rather than hate, kindness rather than greed, forgiveness rather than grudge. And yet it is not easy to be conscious of these things because these have all become ordinary in our day to day existence. It has become too venial to ever concern us. Following the Lord isn’t just as easy and convenient as “preaching” about him and the dos and donts that he has enumerated in the Bible. Following the Lord is on the other hand as challenging and as specific as what love requires.

Reading 1, Isaiah 8:23--9:3

²³ For is not everything dark as night for a country in distress? As the past humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, so the future will glorify the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, the territory of the nations.

¹ The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death light has blazed forth.

² You have enlarged the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest time, as they exult when they are dividing the spoils.

³ For the yoke that weighed on it, the bar across its shoulders, the rod of its oppressor, these you have broken as on the day of Midian.

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Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 27:1, 4, 13-14

¹ [Of David] Yahweh is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear? Yahweh is the fortress of my life, whom should I dread?

⁴ One thing I ask of Yahweh, one thing I seek: to dwell in Yahweh's house all the days of my life, to enjoy the sweetness of Yahweh, to seek out his temple.

¹³ This I believe: I shall see the goodness of Yahweh, in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Put your hope in Yahweh, be strong, let your heart be bold, put your hope in Yahweh.

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Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23

¹² Hearing that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee,

¹³ and leaving Nazara he went and settled in Capernaum, beside the lake, on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

¹⁴ This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations!

¹⁶ The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.

¹⁷ From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.'

¹⁸ As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen.

¹⁹ And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.'

²⁰ And at once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

²² And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

²³ He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the goodnews of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people.

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Reading 2, First Corinthians 1:10-13, 17

¹⁰ Brothers, I urge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to have factions among yourselves but all to be in agreement in what you profess; so that you are perfectly united in your beliefs and judgements.

¹¹ From what Chloe's people have been telling me about you, brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you.

¹² What I mean is this: every one of you is declaring, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ.'

¹³ Has Christ been split up? Was it Paul that was crucified for you, or was it in Paul's name that you were baptised?

¹⁷ After all, Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel; and not by means ofwisdom of language, wise words which would make the cross of Christ pointless.