The readings for this third week of Ordinary Time deliver a promise of hope, joy and light to those living in darkness.
The prophet Isaiah reflects on how the Lord brought hope and unity to places of profound and enduring conflict. The joy his love brings is abundant and contagious. (First Reading)
The themes of light and salvation underpin the Psalm. We are reassured that if we remain firmly fixed on the Lord, we have nothing to fear.
Paul (Second Reading) echoes this message to the community in Corinth. He urges them to address the divisive hierarchies and cliques that have emerged and reminds them that God invites every person to be united in his love.
In the Gospel, Matthew recounts the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry and the appointment of his first disciples. We witness the simplicity of his methods: he meets us where we are at; sees and values us for who we really are; and invites us to abandon old habits and ways that weigh us down so that we can truly follow him.
As this new year begins, we ask for God’s grace and guidance to celebrate and reconcile our differences so that we may share in his abundant love.