Gospel – Matthew 4:12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,
he withdrew to Galilee.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,
in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Reflection on the Gospel

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

Calling the Equipped or Equipping the Called

It is safe to say that we have all faced difficult circumstances within our families, among our friends, with others and within ourselves. How easy it is, to be overwhelmed during these moments of darkness, to feel abandoned by others. Even more, how often do we feel abandoned by God Himself? Yet it is because of our very brokenness, distrust and struggles with faith that God so seeks to enter into our hearts to take control and guide us to light. In this week’s Gospel, the Lord called upon the first apostles to be fishers of men. So too the Lord calls us each and every day to know Him more so that we may spread the message of the Gospel…Love.

Although we are not expected to do this perfectly, how often do we worry about saying the “right” words to a friend in need to the point to the point that we become discouraged and say nothing? Do we trust in the Lord’s plan for our lives over our own?

During this week of prayer for Christian unity, May the Lord grant us the fortitude, humility and grace to conform our own wills to His. May we seek always to let the Lord into our restless hearts so that we may be moved with unified compassion for each other, especially those most in need.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” Mt. 7:7

Mr. Kyle Mena
Saint Raymond’s High School for Boys – Bronx, NY

Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.