3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on January 14,1990
Readings: Isaiah 8:23-9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
We are the light of Jesus in the world today. We are each called to bring that light, through our own unique gifts and talents, to make this world the Kingdom of God. In this Gospel, Jesus reaches out to the fishermen, Simon and Andrew, to be fishers of men and women. Jesus didn’t go to those in power. Instead, he went to the ordinary people, like us, to bring forth His message, just as we are now called. In the second reading, however, we are reminded that in being the light, we must not get caught up in our inevitable squabbles that have more to do with us than in following Jesus. Paul reminds us that we cannot give ourselves over to jealousness and mean spiritedness. Paul did mean uniformity, but rather unity around Christ’s message to be His light in the world.
Weekly Homilies 