Reflections of Caritas

THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

GOSPEL: MATTHEW 4:12-23 

Dear friends,

As Jesus began his public ministry his first act was to gather some disciples who would share his work and his mission. They are not the Pharisees or Scribes, not scholars or influential members of the community, but fishermen who may have been quite illiterate. It is significant that the call takes place right in their working place and the initiative for the call comes from Jesus. Jesus had obviously been watching them at work. Jesus begins by calling the two set of fishermen brothers — Simon (later renamed Peter) & Andrew and James & James. Jesus tells them they will be fishers of men. Their ordinary work, drawing sustenance from the darkness of the sea, becomes a sign of a deeper reality, drawing men and women from the darkness of sin and death.

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“Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!” – Nehemiah 8:10

One of the great lies of our time is that saints are sad. People see their pious faces in statues or stained-glass windows and wrongly assume that holiness means being unhappy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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