20260125 MAKING MISSIONARY DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST
25 January 2026, Sunday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time (Word of God)
First reading | Isaiah 8:23-9:3 |
In Galilee of the nations the people has seen a great light
In days past the Lord humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in days to come he will confer glory on the Way of the Sea on the far side of Jordan, province of the nations.
The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light;
on those who live in a land of deep shadow
a light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase;
they rejoice in your presence
as men rejoice at harvest time,
as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.
For the yoke that was weighing on him,
the bar across his shoulders,
the rod of his oppressor –
these you break as on the day of Midian.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14 |
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
The Lord is my light and my help.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
The Lord is my light and my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
The Lord is my light and my help.
Second reading |
1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17 |
Make up the differences between you instead of disagreeing among yourselves
I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice. From what Chloe’s people have been telling me, my dear brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you. What I mean are all these slogans that you have, like: ‘I am for Paul’, ‘I am for Apollos’, ‘I am for Cephas’, ‘I am for Christ.’ Has Christ been parcelled out? Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Mt4:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom
and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 4:12-23 |
He went and settled in Capernaum: in this way the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled
Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:
‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!
Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan,
Galilee of the nations!
The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light;
on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death
a light has dawned.’
From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.
He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people.
MAKING MISSIONARY DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 8:23-9:3; PS 27; 1 COR 1:10-13, 17; MT 4:12-23 (or >< 4:12-17)]
Today, the Universal Church celebrates Word of God Sunday. This Sunday is set aside to honour the Word of God so that we may appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in the Scriptures, through which God continues to engage us in constant dialogue. Devoting this Sunday to the Word of God opens for us the treasury of His Word, which serves to light our way in a world marked by darkness, ignorance, moral confusion, selfishness, and sin. The yoke and bondages of Israel–the bar across their shoulders and the rod of their oppressors–were not only external enemies but also internal ones: social injustice, dishonesty, fraud, discrimination, and the oppression of the poor and vulnerable. In our own day, these yokes and bondages take the form of divisions in the world and in society, a lack of compassion and care for the poor and marginalised, materialism and individualism, and the challenges of protecting the integrity of the family, strengthening marriages, and educating the young with wholesome values that are truly life-giving, empowering, and liberating for humble service and love.
Indeed, the Word of God given to the Church is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone.” St. Paul’s letter to Timothy reinforces this, stating, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). In the final analysis, the Word of God is Christ Himself, for He is the Word of the Father, the Word made flesh. Jesus is the prophet of God who proclaims the Good News to us. In the Gospel, St. Matthew recounts the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry by associating Him with the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy; as the Light of the World, He brings light to all humanity. By beginning His ministry in Capernaum–a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali–Jesus fulfils Isaiah’s prophecy: “the people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Jesus proclaims the Good News not just through words, but also through deeds. It is not enough to announce the Good News without accompanying actions and good works. St. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus “went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people.” Jesus comes to heal and restore lives; indeed, His healing ministry was an essential part of the proclamation of the Gospel. In fact, one-third of the Gospel accounts are devoted to healing miracles. These miracles were performed not for publicity’s sake, nor to stupefy people or gain popularity. Rather, Jesus worked miracles out of compassion, coming in the name of His Father to give life and to defeat sickness and death. This is why the Gospel of our Lord is called Good News: it enlightens us, reconciles us with God and one another, and restores us to wholeness and health.
However, the Good News is ours only when we repent: “From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.'” Repentance carries two meanings. Firstly, repentance is an invitation to believe that God reigns in our lives today; it is an acceptance of His rule and Lordship over us. The “newness” of Jesus’ message is that in Him, God has drawn near and reigns among us through the light of truth and love, proclaimed through the Word of God and the miracles at work in our lives. In Jesus, the true face of God is revealed as being near, in our midst, and full of mercy and compassion. Secondly, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God calls for repentance from whatever hinders us from being receptive to the light of truth and the love of God in Christ. This entails giving up our sins of selfishness and hatred for our fellow human beings. Repentance is, therefore, a turning away from sin and evil and a turning toward the Gospel and our Lord, so that we may live in true freedom.
Indeed, our great joy and freedom is to know that we do not walk alone, in darkness, or on the wrong path. Instead, with Christ, we are confident that we are safe and secure. As the psalmist says, “The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.” When we know that God is our stronghold, our light, and our help, we do not live in fear–especially in moments of difficulty and challenge. Spending time with the Lord, contemplating His love and mercy and His Word in the Scriptures, is the way we dwell in His house and He in our hearts.
Today, as we celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God, we are called to do the same. We must now share with others the joy we have found in Jesus–the Word of life and our Saviour. We are called to proclaim the Good News through our lives, both in our words and in our deeds. This calling from our Lord demands a decisive response, for it is a divine summons. As the Gospel tells us: “As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.”
God has chosen each one of us to follow Him according to our vocation in life. Regardless of that calling, we are called to announce the Good News in word and deed, wherever we are and in whatever we do. The Lord invites us to abandon our fears, insecurities, self-interests, and ambitions–symbolised by the nets–and to entrust ourselves to Him for a “new catch.” Indeed, our personal vocation is founded on God’s free choice, for as He told His disciples: “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name” (Jn 15:16). For us to do His work, we must allow Him to enter into our lives. Unless we have experienced the conversion of our hearts and received Christ as the Light of our lives, we cannot overcome the darkness within and around us, nor can we bring the light of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness to the world.
Because every vocation is unique and a call from God, we must work with and support one another. In the final analysis, we are united in a common mission. The Gospel cannot be proclaimed by just one person or in only one way; the Good News is multi-faceted and must be conveyed in different ways by different people. We must avoid all forms of self-referentiality in our service, remembering that we are all working for the Lord and the promotion of the Gospel. Instead of competing with each other, we must discern how God is calling us to serve Him according to our unique charisms and gifts–gifts that differ from those of others. Together, we complete each other so that His mission and Gospel may be proclaimed.
We must bear in mind the warning of St. Paul in today’s second reading: “I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice.” We must work together and find unity in our mission. Humility in service–always thinking of the greater good beyond our own interests–is the way to proclaim the Gospel. At the end of the day, whether it is Paul or Apollos or someone else, it does not matter so long as Christ is preached, and the people receive the Gospel for their salvation and happiness. As John the Baptist said, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3:29-30).
The message is clear: if we are to fulfil our vocation in life by “catching” people for the Kingdom of God and making disciples of all nations for our Lord, then we must never forget to allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine in and through us. Intimacy with our Lord, contemplation of His Word in the Scriptures, fellowship within the Christian community, and working together in unity–this is how Christ’s joy and light will shine out to the world.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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