Isaiah 8.23b-9.3 | 1 Corinthians 1.10-13,17 | Matthew 4.12-23

We have reached the third Sunday of Ordinary Time, called the Sunday of the Word. This is an initiative proposed by Pope Francis in 2019, which began the following year.

Unfortunately, many Catholics do not give the importance that the Word of God deserves. We know this because many Catholics do not read It, do not meditate on It and, consequently, do not practice It or proclaim It. Many Catholics only have contact with the Word of God at Sunday Mass; during the week, they have no interest in the Word of God, which is widely disseminated through audio and video on TV, radio, the Internet, and social networks.

It is not possible to know God without knowing His Word. Our God is biblical, not a figment of our imagination, invented by us. It is essential to read the Word to know God, His love for us, His Will, and His promises.

Catholics should learn from Protestants, who value the Word, who memorize important biblical passages with their book, chapter and verse, and who transmit the Word to others.

Today the evangelist Matthew tells us about Jesus' journey from Nazareth to Capernaum, both cities in Galilee, relating this fact to the prophecy of Isaiah that said that a great light had shone upon the people who lived in darkness, in Galilee of the Gentiles.

Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, calling people to repentance and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven and Its nearness. On the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee, Jesus met the brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John, all fishermen. They readily accepted Jesus' invitation to become fishers of men. At the same time, Jesus healed people of diseases, paralysis, epilepsy, and cast out demons. And, as His fame spread, large crowds followed Jesus, coming from Galilee and other regions.

Just now, during the Christmas season, we celebrated the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus as the Savior of all peoples. He is the great light that guides the nations. Far from the light of Jesus, people suffer the consequences of their personal and social sins.

Let us accept Jesus' invitation to repentance. Let us listen attentively to His proclamations and teachings about the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us promptly respond to Jesus' invitation to become fishers of men and women through the evangelizing action of the Church. Let us allow Him to heal our diseases and cast out the demons from our lives. And let us follow Jesus with love and conviction. He is our light.

Today the prophet Isaiah speaks to us of a great light seen by the people of the region of Galilee who walked in darkness. The prophet speaks to us of the joy that grows with the end of oppression, with the destruction of the garments of war.

The Lord had allowed the humiliation of the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, because of the sins of their inhabitants. But, in His mercy, the Lord would be covering Galilee of the nations with glory.

According to the Christian faith, this prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in the person of Jesus, who came to illuminate Israel and remove it from the shadows of death, violence, and humiliation where it dwelt. May joy grow in us because of the divine intervention in Christ.

Today the apostle Paul speaks to us in his first letter to the Corinthians about Christ as the principle of the unity of Christians.

Internal division was a serious problem in the Corinthian community. The apostle said that the cause of the divisions was that the Corinthians were exchanging Christ for Apollos, for Cephas (Simon Peter), and even for Paul himself. The apostle then reminded the Corinthians that the foundation of faith was solely Christ, who accepted being crucified out of love.

Paul concluded by saying that he was called to preach the good news of salvation, without resorting to the resources of oratory, so as not to deprive the cross of Christ of its own power.

The Corinthians were accustomed to Greek Philosophy, to the exposition of truth through reason and logical discourse. However, the apostle chose the path of preaching the cross of Christ, with which many Corinthians identified, suffering from the abandonment of civil leadership in their needs.

It is natural for Christians to admire their religious leaders and to identify with their teachings. But it is necessary that we form communities so that they have Christ as the absolute foundation of unity. And, without renouncing Philosophy and Theological Science, let us value the cross of Christ in our preaching, which is not foolishness but the wisdom of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 1.18).

Today, January 25th, we remember the conversion of Saint Paul who, before becoming a Christian and the apostle to the Gentiles, was called Saul of Tarsus. He was a radical Jew and the terror of Christian communities for persecuting the disciples of Jesus and supporting their imprisonment and stoning to death. Let us pray for the conversion of sinners and for overcoming religious violence, committing ourselves to the courageous proclamation of Christ and the Gospel.