Third Sunday in Ordinary Time s1

Contributed by Brother John Cline, C.R. John Cline is a Brother with the Congregation of the Resurrection since 1969 and has previously ministered in high school, parish, and most recently hospital, from which he retired after twenty six years in Spiritual Care. He currently resides at Resurrection Manor, in Waterloo. He keeps active volunteering with St. John’s Kitchen and maintaining our community cottage.

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME January 22, 2017

GATHERING TIME (10-15 minutes) Introduction to the Word:

A few weeks ago we celebrated a festive season and many of us made New Year resolutions. Every Christmas we long for and pray for peace—peace on earth and peace in our communities. And regularly we renew our hopes, our intentions and start over again as we experience the weaknesses of the human condition. Humans long to belong, we hunger for harmony, and yet we are funny creatures, as at times we avoid divisions and the pain they may present. Fear, mistrust, old hurts, or alienation may discourage us from addressing disunity. Our readings today encourage us to hope, to strive for unity, and to recall our ultimate source of power for reconciliation. And these following words too, I believe, are an example and inspiration for all of us to adopt and follow. “I can think of only one word to say: to come close … My hope and expectation is that coming closer to my brothers and sisters does all of us good. Distance, on the other hand, makes us bitter … When we are distant from one another we close within ourselves and we become individual entities, incapable of encountering each other. We are held back by fears … We, too, must look with love and honesty at our past, recognizing error and seeking forgiveness … We need to learn ‘to transcend ourselves’ to encounter others … Even Christians become sick because of our divisions … My expectation is that of being able to take a step of closeness, of being closer to my brothers and sisters in Sweden.”

(Pope Francis on the historic gathering between the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church, Oct. 2016)

1 Warm-up Activity (about 8–10 minutes): We may readily recall the Berlin Wall in Germany or apartheid in Africa. But what divisions, not made of bricks or another country’s policies, affect you and me? What aspects of broken relationships close to home and parish and family can you identify as ingredients of disharmony today?

The Table of the Word This week is designated as a time of Prayer for Christian Unity. Jesus left us with a prayer that they all may be one, yet the Christian world has been divided into Protestants and Catholics for 500 years. Ministers and priests share social times and even exchange pulpits occasionally; the hierarchies issue joint statements on public issues of mutual concern; church leaders travel and dialogue; theologians work away at finding points of agreement and removing misunderstandings. Progress is being made. So while we accompany these efforts with our prayer, let us also pray for the graces we need for unity in our families and communities. May we be communicators, bridge builders and healers of relationships

Lord Jesus, you announce the presence of the Kingdom of God, Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you are calling all your disciples daily to follow you, Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you love us and invite us by your Word and Spirit, Lord, have mercy.

Let us pray (together): Loving God, you have promised to be with us whenever we gather in your name. Persistent God, you continue to issue your invitation to see you, hear you, and respond to your invitation to new life through the Word and Spirit of your own Son. Awaken our minds and hearts to the sound of your call and give us courage always to follow. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION TIME (45 minutes)

The people of Judah have become despondent as they suffer oppression after their defeat by Assyria. They, along with King Ahaz, reject the Word of God and in chapter 8 we read that the Lord hides his face from the house of Jacob. In chapter 9, the prophet Isaiah makes a sharp contrast offering consolation, new light and joy. This will come in the form of the defeat of their oppressor, breaking their yoke and burden. He proclaims that the Lord will make a glorious way by the sea beyond the Jordan. And Mathew in his gospel accommodates the prophecy by placing Jesus in the territory of Naphtali, and understanding the sea as the Sea of Galilee.

FIRST READING (Isaiah 9:1–4) There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 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. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.

2 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING (1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17–18) 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. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL (Matthew 4:12–23) A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. You are invited to pause for a few moments of silence, then identify a word or phrase or thought that comes to you.

COMMENTARY: The prophetic text of Isaiah serves not only to offer hope and freedom to his people from their burdens and oppression, but also speaks to us for our challenges. The prophet’s voice beckons to be heard today with the same passion as long ago. Isaiah’s words of invitation are today’s words, to ‘see a great light’ bringing hope and renewal of our spirit.

Paul confronts the disunity in the Corinthian community. Rivalries and individual opinions are detracting from the gospel and Paul stresses the focus is not to be on himself or other ‘heroes’ but on the message of the Cross. The suffering, dying and resurrection of Christ is the saving power of God. The Paschal Mystery is the revelation of God’s love.

3 Today’s gospel is about Jesus beginning his mission, calling his first disciples, and beginning to travel from place to place, to proclaim that the kingdom of God was close at hand. John had been arrested, so that was the end of his ministry. Instead of going to Nazareth (in other words, instead of going home), Jesus went to Capernaum and so began his active ministry. As it happened, the prophet had foretold that this would come about. But rather than being influenced by the prophets, I think Jesus was led by the Spirit, and that led him into the fulfilling of all the prophecies: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land where death cast its shadow, a light has shone.” Jesus would later refer to himself as the light of the world; and, in commissioning his apostles, he would tell them that they, now, were to be a light to the world. The life of Jesus offers us a great understanding of God and his attitude towards us. God’s love for us is evident in Jesus’ gathering people together: he formed a community and he called disciples of his to share a ministry. The assembly of a group of people who are called to live in faith and trust and love is a sign of God’s effective love breaking down the barriers of ignorance, suspicion, hatred and fear that often characterize our relationships with each other. It enables us to go forth from our isolation. In God there is the communion of the Three Divine Persons and they are bound together through the Spirit. In the ministry of Jesus that unity is given to us through the Spirit, but is not an automatic gift—we have to co-operate with it. In the letter of Paul, we see the experience of the early Christians, their failures and successes in co-operating with the Spirit. On the human level, the communion we are called to—the vocation to love as the Father loves—is impossible; yet the strength of the Word, the preaching of the Cross and the effectiveness of the sacraments encourage us. The dynamic force that binds us together is of God. One might explain that this call to love works itself out in the everyday things of the family (the “little church”!), in the various contacts that we make with people, in the services that we give or receive. Through all of these we are Christ in our world, and we continue to show forth his ministry and, in our way, we share in the Church as sacrament of salvation and light of the nations.

I find it interesting the kinds of people Jesus chose to be apostles: a waffling fishermen, unpopular tax collectors, wimpy brothers who had their mother beg their case to Jesus. They were all flawed in some way but Jesus called them for the persons he knew they would grow into and become. And we know from their life stories that there was one primary reason for the success of Jesus’ followers: they were convinced from the outset that they were always in the fine company of God’s personal presence and energized by His Own Spirit. And we too can respond to the offer of Jesus and avail ourselves of all that he gained for us, as the Spirit within us makes that possible.

John the Baptist knew that he had to decrease if Jesus were to increase. Instead of trying to take over, we should consciously make every effort to keep getting out of the way. Mary didn't do anything extraordinary. She yielded to the Spirit, and gave him a complete free hand to use her in any way he chose. She MAGNIFIED the Lord, rather than magnifying herself. She is our Role Model par excellence when it comes to being open to the Spirit, and allowing the Spirit do all that the Spirit was sent to do. Such is the mysterious way of the Spirit to reach those where they were. And God touches us where we are in the ordinary events of our daily life and they are all as much of God’s plan as if they were predicted in the Scriptures.

4 It is an on-going process of surrender to the Spirit, the Spirit who helps us transcend ourselves. St Thérèse of Lisieux was so transformed that she could write… “I feel the vocation of the Warrior, the Priest, the Apostle, the Doctor, the Martyr, I feel the need and the desire of carrying out the most heroic of deeds for You, O Jesus…” (from her autobiography, The Story of a Soul) (Allow about 5 – 10 minutes for the participants to react to the Commentary to identify a newly discovered insight or an idea.)

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION: 1. (Matthew) “He said to them, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” The disciples were able to hear and follow the Spirit. To be attentive presumes a relationship with Jesus, and as prayer is the basis to enrich this, it is important to establish space and a place for this time out. Prayer has many forms—formal prayers, spontaneous ones, and just being in God’s presence. Henri Nouwen says of prayer: “it’s a way of being empty and useless in the presence of God … Wasting time for God is an act of ministry…” (Nouwen, The Living Reminder) a) How would you reconcile a ‘prayer time out’ with the need to responsibly fulfill your role as family member, employee, or member of society wanting to ‘give back’? b) What insights or discoveries in regard to your Christian faith have you come to better appreciate in recent years? 2. “Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of people” “I understood it was love alone that made the Church’s members act … I understood that love comprised all vocations … O Jesus, my love … My vocation, at last I have found it…my vocation is love!” (St. Thérèse, ibid) a) Looking back over your week (or ahead to the coming week), was there (or will there be) an invitation or challenge for you to be Jesus’ disciple? b) St Paul reminds us of his faith: “When I am weak, it is then that I am strong”. Richard Rohr promises “… that God rushes to fill any emptiness, longing, or desire that we offer…” (On the Threshold of Transformation: Daily Meditations for Men). We are all called to a vocation. With what gift has the Spirit blessed you? What gifts do you see in the members of your faith group? c) We all experience resistance to being ‘a light to the world’ in a given situation. “…Leave…go to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Discipleship sometimes requires a leap of faith. Is the Light of the World stretching you, and how so? CARING/PRAYING TIME 1. Word for the week: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage” Ps 27

2. Suggestion for the week: Prayerfulness does not always remove the pain in our lives but may open up new vistas that lead to a “softening of our soul.” When this occurs, amazing things can happen in our own lives as well as those of our families, friends and even casual acquaintances. (R. J. Wicks, Prayerfulness)

3. Intercessions: (Response: Lord, hear our prayer) Leader: The Lord Jesus Christ graces us in his light and invites us to be of one mind and heart for the whole human family.

5 For all religions, divided and often ignorant of each other; may we work to move beyond the barriers, misunderstandings and quarrels of the past, we pray…

You, Lord, have given each of us gifts and talents and call us to be light for our world; help us to rise above all that undermines our calling, we pray…

You invite us each day to recognize our union with you; strengthen us to be unifiers and mirror your compassion to one another, we pray…

You knew rejection and derision as you ministered; give us the desire to serve all and the grace to be at peace when we cannot please everyone, we pray…

Spirit of God, love is your gift to us and the gift you desire from us; receive our desire and poor efforts to offer our lives to you today, we pray…

For those whom the Lord calls to be fishers of people; may they respond as the first disciples did, eagerly and generously, we pray…

For our lectors and homilists: may their words open our hearts to the power of God in the message of the cross, we pray…

For all who belonged to Christ in life and have gone before us in death; may the light of Christ scatter the darkness for them and for all who mourn their passing, we pray…

How can we help you in prayer this week? Let us pray (together): O God, You have established your church, on the faith of the apostles and on the example of their response, immediate and complete. Let your word dawn in splendour upon our community to dispel the shadows of division and the gloom of discord. United in the bond of your love, may we become a radiant light of salvation and hope for all who journey from darkness toward the light of your new day. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever. Amen. With hands and hearts united in gratitude for God’s favors on us today, we pray that all those in our influence be moved to be open to your Word and your Spirit, and we pray united as one, OUR FATHER…

Celebrating the Word, Resurrection Ministries of the Congregation of the Resurrection Ontario- Kentucky Province (including the former Resurrection Centre), 265 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G7. (Celebrating the Word was founded by Father Frank Ruetz, C.R., now deceased). For information or subscriptions: Toll Free: 1-877-242-7935. Email: [email protected]: website: www.resurrectionists.ca The Scripture version used in this commentary is the New Revised Standard Version (copyrighted by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA).