Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.
Have seen a great light
1. Regions of death. Jesus desires to enter your life today and revive those parts of you that have faded away, that appear to be dead—qualities that once defined you but have since disappeared. Perhaps you lost your self-confidence after experiencing failures, leading to a lack of trust in yourself. Now, you may find yourself allowing others to make decisions for you, as you no longer take initiative. Or maybe your faith diminished due to anger at God over the loss of a loved one, or because of a disagreement with a priest during your time in a parish group. There may be many aspects of yourself that feel lifeless right now, and you might be hesitant to acknowledge them. It’s important to reflect on how you’ve changed, and why your life has come to revolve around feelings that are dull, troubled, negative, or even harmful.
2. Conversion. Everyone has something to change; that much is obvious. The challenge of change begins with admitting that some things in your life aren’t going well and recognizing that you’re not giving your best effort. It’s similar to someone struggling with addiction—they begin to change only when they accept their situation and allow themselves to be helped. The same applies to you: notice what needs to change, whether it’s eating healthily, taking care of yourself, or making time for God. Take action and make those changes, so you don’t end up having your life changed for you.
3. The calling. Reflect on why God has called you and what your purpose is today. Think about what you are meant to do. Christianity is an invitation to eternal life, and you are called to embrace a particular way of living, always exercising your freedom of choice. Today, consider your calling and the people for whom you are called. Remember, you are chosen by God.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
