Reflection for Sunday 25th January, 2026

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday of the Word of God)

Call of the first Apostles (Matt 4:12-23)

Hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus decided that it was time to commence his mission. He let it be known that his mission was to establish the kingdom of God in place of the reign of Satan. In the three temptations of Jesus, he had rejected the wiles of the evil one. Then he began his preaching with the message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” To repent literally means to think again … think in a new way, and act in a new way by letting go of the old, sinful way of life.

Instead of the nightmare of constant wars, may we be brothers and sisters in the one family of God.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.”

Let bitterness and retaliation be replaced by a love that refuses to be poisoned by the wrongs of another and even prays for the oppressor. Turn the other cheek and show that your love is greater than the anger of your oppressor. Be generous by feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
In the dark world of murky deeds, he wanted all life to be a clear reflection of the light of heaven. Jesus told us to pray that the will of the Father would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Let go of the old hatreds … put on a new mind … enter a new set of values … be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of heaven means the reign of God in our hearts, our minds, and our actions. The plan for this kingdom is contained in the Sermon on the Mount which we will meet in the next few Sundays.
We are challenged to think again about how we live, to change from the dark ways of the past, and to commit ourselves to the ideals of Jesus.

Taskforce of the Kingdom

A plan is not worthwhile without a taskforce for its implementation. In today’s Gospel we listen to the call of the first Apostles. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were casting their nets. The brothers James and John who were mending their nets were also called.
It is significant that of the first four to receive the call, two were casting nets and two were mending nets: mission and maintenance, the twin arms of the apostolate. Mission goes out to those not yet in Christ’s net. Maintenance involves the routine tasks of serving those who already are disciples. Catholic evangelization has been compared to a fisherman waiting for a fish to jump into a boat! Mind you, it can happen. One day on Sheephaven Bay I had sea trout hooked. Coming close to the boat the fish made a wonderful leap, escaped from the hook … and landed at my feet!
The world today is becoming increasingly secular. Sadly, there are many who are nominally Christian but are far from the ideals of the gospel. On the other hand, there are people who belong to no particular Church, but are deeply committed to justice, peace, caring for the sick and sharing with the poor. As Saint Augustine expressed it, there are many in the Church who do not belong to the kingdom, while there are many in the kingdom who do not belong to the Church.
Pope Francis said that Jesus wants evangelisers who proclaim the Good News not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God’s presence. The charity of works is the unmistakable proof of the charity of words.