Scripture:
Isaiah 8:23-9:3
Psalm 27
1 Cor. 1:10-13, 17
Matt 4:12-23
First Reading Is 8:23-9:3
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
In Galilee of the Gentiles, the people have seen a great light.
First the LORD degraded the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,
the land west of the Jordan,
the District of the Gentiles.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:
for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
(R.) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
(R.) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
(R.) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
(R.) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Second Reading 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
That all of you may agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you.
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
“I belong to Paul, ” or “I belong to Apollos, ”
or “I belong to Cephas, ” or “I belong to Christ.”
Is Christ 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 preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Gospel Mt 4:12-23
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Jesus went to Capernaum, so that what had been said through Isaiah might be fulfilled.
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.
Discipleship Questions:
1. “Have you personally heard Jesus’ call upon your life?”
Let me ask that same question in a number of different ways so that we’re all on the same page. These questions may sound alike and that’s because they are. They’re trying to get at the same thing. Here we go:
Are you a real disciple of Jesus Christ?
Has He actually and personally called YOU?
Have you heard his personal call upon your life?
Was thre a point in your life when you knew that Jesus was calling you to His side: to follow Him?
Do you actually love and follow Jesus . . . (I should add) . . . most of the time?
Is He the only one you follow as a disciple?
Who or what was and is the dominant force in the formation of your soul?
Are you a reasonably good disciple of Jesus Christ?
2. Please read the reading from Matthew and reflect upon these questions.
3. The Greek word for “follow” is agoloutheo and it means “to follow or accompany someone who take the lead.”
4. This Is what a disciple does – he or she follows someone who take the lead!
5. This is what a disciple does! He or she follows someone who is taking the lead.
6. How could this happen? Do you think they may have already heard about Jesus and were so taken by Him that when they were personally invited they just jumped at His offer?
7. That’s pretty dramatic stuff don’t you think?
8. Could you imagine this ever happening in reality today? Could you imagine it ever happening to you?
9. What sort of person would it take to elicit such a dramatic and self-abandoning response from you?
10. Try to imagine the sort of person it would take to get this sort of instantaneous and dramatic response from you!
11. Can you imagine a scene in which Peter and Andrew came home that night and told their parents and their wives what they had decided to do?
12. What sort of response do you think they received?
13. Try to imagine the sort of person it would take to get this sort of instantaneous and dramatic response from you!
14. Can you imagine a scene in which Peter and Andrew came home that night and told their parents and their wives what they had decided to do?
15. What sort of response do you think they received?
16. What do you think it was that Jesus said, did or was that so moved these men to leave all the comfort of home to follow Him?
17. AND WHAT WAS IT IN THEM THAT SO RESONATED WITH JESUS?
18. Let me quote now from an Irish author and mystic by the name of John O’Donohue who once wrote “something in us senses and knows how perfectly the contours of the soul fit the divine embrace.” You know what I mean? When you embrace your beloved you just seem to fit together perfectly!The shape of our souls were made for one embrace and one embrace only – the embrace of God! Yes, we were made restless until we rest in God! We were made in His image. We were made for communion with God. The contours of our souls were made to fit perfectly God’s divine embrace! Jesus chose these men because they were made ready and through them He would continue to offer His holy embrace to all of humankind!
19.Now let’s return to my opening questions:
Has Jesus personally called YOU?
Have you heard his personal call upon your life?
Was there a point in your life when you knew that Jesus was calling you to His side: to follow Him?
Do you actually love and follow Jesus . . . most of the time?
Is He the only one you follow as a disciple?
19. Let’s pray
