From the Pastor&#039;s Desk: January 22, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk: January 22, 2023

Jesus begins His public ministry immediately after John the Baptist was arrested. Today’s readings teach us that Our Lord has come to bring us light, liberty, and unity.

In today’s First Reading, Isaiah speaks of the moment when Israel will be delivered from the prolonged darkness and oppression it has suffered as a result of its infidelity to God. The darkness of Israel was giving way to a great light, symbolizing the passage from sorrow and oppression to freedom and joy. That moment is described as like the joy of the harvest: a harvest is the end of a great deal of work, patience, and anxiety. You never know how the weather will fare, whether locusts are on the horizon, and so on. You work hard, but in the end, you need the Lord to bring the harvest to completion. Isaiah also makes it clear that the great light is also a liberation from oppression and slavery, evoking indirectly the joy the Israelites felt when they were led out of Egypt by Moses at the Lord’s command. In describing Midian, Isaiah is referring to the story of Gideon in the Book of Judges (see Judges 8-9). Gideon defeated the Midianites with a small, select force, and credited the Lord with the victory. Isaiah uses this story to show that it is the Lord who’ll deliver Israel from oppression, not their own strength or powers.

In the Second Reading, Paul shows that the Lord does not just liberate us. He also wants us to be united around Him and working with Him. Paul is chiding the Corinthians because they are claiming some special provenance based on whoever baptized them or whoever was the most eloquent preacher. Their evangelizers want them united in mind and purpose around Christ and His Gospel as Christians. They were baptized in Christ, not in Paul, Cephas, or Apollos. In doing that they are giving credit where credit is due: Paul rightly reminds them that it was Christ who was crucified for their sins, not him. If they don’t give credit where credit is due, people will not be led to Christ.

In the Gospel, Matthew reveals the Lord as that light of liberation and joy spoken of by Isaiah. The fulfillment of a prophecy is not always textbook; it doesn’t happen to the letter. Everything Our Lord said, did, and lived during his earthly mission has something to say, and, in this case, settling in Capernaum shows that light of liberation arriving to a people with a pagan past, an allusion to the darkness and oppression caused by their past infidelities. Our Lord also calls his first disciples today. His light draws others to him not only so that they can see the way, but so that they can someday light the way to Christ as well. (ref. epriest.com)

In order to be effective instruments in the hands of God and to continue Jesus’ mission of light, liberty and unity, first we need to repent of our sins daily and to renew our lives by relying on the power of God. Second, we need to be willing to allow Him to rule over our hearts and so spread the reality of His Kingdom to all nations.

I hope that over the last month since Christmas, you were able to break open the Holy Moments book, learn more about Holy Moments and allow yourself to dive deeper into a greater meaning and purpose in your life. “A Holy Moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to Him. You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what prayerfully God is calling you to do” (Holy Moments).

Have a blessed week everybody!

With prayers,

Fr. Andy