Sunday, January 21, 2024
After Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan at Bethany by John the Baptist, He returned to Galilee. Galilee, specifically Nazareth in Galilee, was the home of Joseph, Mary and Jesus after they left Egypt. Jesus began his Galilean Ministry by preaching in the synagogue of Capernaum and proclaiming the gospel of God. The “gospel”, a Greek word familiar to us, means “Good News”. It refers to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The gospel of God was promised through God’s prophets in holy Scriptures because man cannot save himself. For God to take the form of a man and to die while innocent of any sins illustrates the magnitude of God’s love for us. This is God’s promise and our source of hope and peace. In the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, God delivered on this promise.
Jesus proclaimed the gospel of God saying: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). When Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is at hand, He was not referring to Galilee or a specific place. The Kingdom of God is where Christ the King reigns. When we are living in communion with God and He rules over our lives, we are in His Kingdom. When we do the will of God, we are taking part in bringing His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is here, now, dwelling among us and is spread from person to person. Christ called his apostles, who called the people of the world, and in turn, we call others to His Kingdom.
Today’s Gospel also points to Jesus’ invitation to repentance and a calling of “Follow Me”. Repentance is not a price we pay for our sins. Jesus already did that. It is what we do when we submit to God’s authority. Repentance should be followed by change. It is turning away from something and returning to or embracing something else. “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his grace.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1997, para. 1431).
Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to become his disciples. It was an invitation for them to leave their fishing nets behind and to follow Him, promising to make them fishers of people. This call to discipleship is not limited to the four men. Each one of us is called to discipleship. Following Jesus will likely require us to leave behind our old ways and will open us to the family of the church and all peoples. It often takes something we hear from someone else to broaden our perspectives, to open us up to truths and areas of life that we would never otherwise have embarked upon. This is a call for us to follow in the footsteps of the disciples and bring the Kingdom of God to the world.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.