For Sunday,
January 22, 2017, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, Year A, Readings: Isaiah
9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 5-13, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18,
Matthew 4:12-23
Matthew 4:12-23
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness ~ on them light has shined. [Isaiah 9:2]
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then should I fear...Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me. [Psalm 27:1a, 10]
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. [1 Corinithians 1:10]
As [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers...casting a net into the sea ~ for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ...Jesus went throughout Galilee...proclaiming the good news of the kingdom... [Matthew 4:18-19, 23]
Sometimes, even the smallest amount of good news feels like a
small ray of light in the darkness that fosters the hope that things will get
better. Sometimes, even that tiny beam of light is very difficult to find and
only on faith ~ shaky as it can be ~ will we find the ability to keep moving
forward into the always unknown. Isaiah and the Psalmist remind us that the
Light is always there even when we feel lost in the shadows.
Paul is speaking to us in our own time
through his letter to the Church in Corinth: be in agreement...no
divisions among us...be united in the same mind and the same
purpose and even more appropriate to now, he warns us not to divide
Christ. How many Christian denominations out shout one another as the only
source for the "true" message of Jesus? How incredibly difficult is
it to heal divisions in political opinion let alone in religious? In these
often dark and dreary times, in a world seemingly gone mad with violence in
action and in words, we are called to put aside our ideological differences and
follow the message of Christ's Gospel: love God, love our neighbors as
ourselves, proclaim his Gospel, his good news of the kingdom, in
all we do and say.
Jesus called the soon-to-be disciples away
from their fishing boats and nets to follow him and become fishers of people.
What does that mean for us? The fisher-folk that I know often start in the
darkness of the early morning and insist on being quiet as they wait on the
shore, wade into a stream, or move across the water in a small boat waiting for
the bait to attract and catch the fish. Even in the darkest moments of life,
let us each seek the Light within ourselves however faint and distant it seems.
Let us allow ourselves to be reeled into the net that Jesus has set for us, as
only when we ourselves are caught can we inhabit the Word, and begin to attract
others to the splendid shore of Salvation. Oh, and we can be quiet yet open ~
we'll catch more, or lose more, by our ways and attitudes; we do not need to be
eloquent, just sincere. Time again to follow Jesus, our Captain, with the help
of the Holy Spirit, our Navigator. Time to go fish!
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Jesus, our Light and our Salvation, grant us the desire to be
proclaimers of Your Good News, to beckon the world to Your Shore, and to be
among those caught up in the nets of Your Saving Grace and Glory.
Hear us, O Lord
RESPONSE: Have mercy and answer us
~
Jesus, our Light and our Salvation,
inspire and transform the wills of all who govern the peoples of this World,
this Country, and this Community, to ensure the care of our planet and the
well-being of all humanity through peace, equality, and sustenance. We pray especially for:
add your own petitions
Hear
us, O Lord
Have mercy and answer
us
~ Jesus, our Light and our Salvation, heal the hearts, minds, and bodies
of all who are ill, weary, or frightened, and give comfort to all who offer
care. We now
join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
Hear
us, O Lord
Have mercy and answer
us
~
Jesus, our Light and our Salvation,
banish the gloom of bereavement for all who mourn, as You joyfully embrace
those who live again in Your glorious and eternal paradise. We pray especially for:
Hear
us, O Lord
Have mercy and answer
us
~
Jesus, our Light and our Salvation,
we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently…
Hear
us, O Lord
Have mercy and answer
us
~
Jesus, our Light and our Salvation,
excite again the spirits of all who lead us in Your Church and exhort us to
live in and carry forward the power of Your Cross in our lives. We pray especially for:
Hear
us, O Lord
Have mercy and answer
us
The Celebrant adds: O God our Refuge and our Strength, endow us in our
own day with faithfulness and fortitude to be united with one purpose and one mind as
devoted messengers of Your Word and Sacrifice. We ask through Jesus, the
Captain of our ship, and the Holy Spirit, our Navigator, who with You are our One
God, now and forever. Amen.
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