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| “Calling St. Peter” by Hans Süss von Kulmbach, 1514-16 |
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.
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Commentary on Is 8:23-9:3
This prophetic selection is quoted in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:15-16) by Jesus. It is part of the section of the Book of the prophet Isaiah known as the “Immanuel Prophecies,” in which the oracle of Isaiah addresses the coming of Christ, the Messiah. In this instance it speaks of redemption of the pagan territory near the road to Damascus, and the great blessings that come upon the people and the land as a result.
"Some scholars believe that the entire oracle (1-6) is a liturgical piece excerpted from the ceremony of a royal accession. Every time that a Davidic king came to the throne and was hailed as an adopted son of God there was cause for rejoicing. On this occasion, the promises of an eternal covenant with David were reaffirmed and hopes were raised for that ideal king of the future who would perfectly realize the dynastic ideal. Therefore, the oracle does not concern any historical king, such as Ahaz or Hezekiah, but the ideal king who would introduce the definitive era of peace and justice. Once again, the prophetic perspective is focused not on a king of the present but on the ideal Davidic king, the Emmanuel of Isaiah 7:14." [6]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. (1a) 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.
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Commentary on Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14
Psalm 27 is an individual lament. Here, the singer expresses faith in God, who is the refuge of the faithful longing to find ultimate safety and the bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom. This passage from the psalm captures the two major themes: hope in God’s mercy, and complete trust in his goodness. In these strophes, David longs for the Lord’s protection and the gift of life which flows from God's salvation.
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Reading II: 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
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.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17
This selection follows the introduction to the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. St. Paul address the first problem on his list, that of the community being divided in loyalties. Although modern scholarship has not been able to completely reconstruct the situation in Corinth, it is clear that some of the members of the faith communities had developed allegiances to the various teachers who helped found the community (e.g., Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter, “the Rock” apparently passed through)). The statement, “I am for Christ,” was probably used ironically since his intent is to remind the community that it is in Christ they are all baptized. Having stated the reasons for his actions, the apostle now introduces a new topic, the huge difference between the "wisdom" of the world and the Wisdom of God.
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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.
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Commentary on Mt 4:12-23
The events in this Gospel passage take place just following Jesus’ trial in the desert. St. John the Baptist has accomplished his mission in baptizing Jesus and has been arrested. Jesus now takes up his mission, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He begins by quoting Isaiah 8:22-9:1.The key elements of the mission are laid out as he reveals God’s love.
Following the statement of the mission, the Gospel takes up the call of Peter, Andrew, James and John, all fishermen. Three of these four are considered to be very close to the Lord throughout his ministry. Their response is instructive in that they must give up family and their former way of life to follow the Lord. They go forward from the call, teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing. The summary provided serves as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount which follows in the next section.
“A sense of profound intentionality pervades the passage: Christ knows exactly what he is about. ᴨεϱιπατώυ…εϊδευ: ‘walking about …he caught sight’. The aorist form of the verb implies prolonged and not momentary seeing. The scene by the Sea of Galilee is reminiscent of the Lord walking about the Garden of Eden looking for Adam and Eve after our first parents had sinned. As he begins his redemptive mission, Jesus appears to be on a search to undo the rebellion that had been perpetrated in Eden. Human beings had sinned then, and it must be human beings who obey now.” [8]
CCC: Mt 4:17 1720, 1989; Mt 4:19 878; Mt 4:21 878
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Or
Shorter Form: Matthew 4:12-17
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.”
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Commentary on Mt 4:12-17
This shorter version of the Gospel omits the call of the first four disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John (Zebedee’s sons). With this omission, the focus of the Gospel is tightened from one of call and response, to call to repentance based upon the prophetic Isaiah 8:22-9:1 quoted here. John the Baptist, “the Voice” has completed his public ministry and now Jesus begins his. In quoting the prophet Isaiah, the Lord announces that he is the “suffering servant” of Isaiah’s prophecy. He chooses as his first words, to reiterate the Baptist’s call. The kingdom of heaven draws near, the Messiah has arrived.
CCC: Mt 4:17 1720, 1989
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Reflection:
We are invited to turn away from the things of this world that demand our attention, and look once more to Christ’s mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. We are reminded that this singular calling must take precedence over the other tasks we are called to fulfill – proclamation of the Kingdom is more important. We are shown today that in this call, we are all equal, called from our baptism to the same Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We imagine what the Kingdom of God, established on earth, would be like. If we all behaved as Christ taught us, if we all practiced completely and perfectly what we profess to believe, the commandments of God and Jesus, what would the world be like?
First we think of our personal relationships. Those of us who are single would have close friends in the community of faith and those friends could be trusted completely. Because they have that filial love for us, they would share completely in our joys and sorrows and our joy would be amplified; it would become praise for God who is the author of our joy. Our sorrows would be remarkably softened, as the consolation of Christ’s mercy was expressed through our friends as well. For those of us called to share the sacrament of matrimony, this sharing would be even more complete as two become constantly one in Christ. They would truly be beacons of love as they exemplify to everyone the love Christ has for his bride, the Church.
We think what it would be like to have a vocation, a job in such a community where each day all our efforts, whether menial or intellectual, would be accomplished for the greater glory of God, and that the greatest satisfaction we could derive from our day’s work would be, not a paycheck, but that the Lord was praised and what he accomplished through us was celebrated. We would rejoice, especially in those menial tasks, because our minds and lips would be free to give praise and glory constantly.
Our lives would be stress-free because all the obstacles we encounter would be immediately given over to the Lord, and while we used the gifts, he gave us to overcome them, we would know that he was with us, supporting us, and guiding us through his Holy Spirit.
Finally, we think about what our time of solitude would be like. It would be a continuation of the praise that had been on our lips all day but more intense as we opened our silence to hear God’s voice. And there we would hear echoed the love we had been experiencing from our brothers and sisters through their words and actions throughout our day.
Yes, the place described is Utopian, the dream of an idealist. But is that not what all Christ’s disciples should be, idealists? Is not the kind of world, the Kingdom of God on earth, exactly what we should be working toward each day?
Today we marvel once more at the great love God has for us in his Son. We hear in his call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, the Lord’s voice calling us to become “fishers of men.” We pray for the strength to answer that call and the discipline to work toward the Kingdom of God on earth.
Pax
[1] ‘…At the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I proposed setting aside “a Sunday given over entirely to the word of God, so as to appreciate the inexhaustible riches contained in that constant dialogue between the Lord and his people”. Devoting a specific Sunday of the liturgical year to the word of God can enable the Church to experience anew how the risen Lord opens up for us the treasury of his word and enables us to proclaim its unfathomable riches before the world…
‘Consequently, I hereby declare that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God. This Sunday of the Word of God will thus be a fitting part of that time of the year when we are encouraged to strengthen our bonds with the Jewish people and to pray for Christian unity. This is more than a temporal coincidence: the celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God has ecumenical value, since the Scriptures point out, for those who listen, the path to authentic and firm unity.
‘The various communities will find their own ways to mark this Sunday with a certain solemnity. It is important, however, that in the Eucharistic celebration the sacred text be enthroned, in order to focus the attention of the assembly on the normative value of God’s word. On this Sunday, it would be particularly appropriate to highlight the proclamation of the word of the Lord and to emphasize in the homily the honour that it is due. Bishops could celebrate the Rite of Installation of Lectors or a similar commissioning of readers, in order to bring out the importance of the proclamation of God’s word in the liturgy. In this regard, renewed efforts should be made to provide members of the faithful with the training needed to be genuine proclaimers of the word, as is already the practice in the case of acolytes or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Pastors can also find ways of giving a Bible, or one of its books, to the entire assembly as a way of showing the importance of learning how to read, appreciate and pray daily with sacred Scripture, especially through the practice of lectio divina.’
The Apostolic Letter "Aperuit Illis" of Pope Francis
Given in Rome, at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, on 30 September 2019, the liturgical Memorial of Saint Jerome, on the inauguration of the 1600th anniversary of his death.
[2] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[3] The Picture used today is “Calling St. Peter” by Hans Süss von Kulmbach, 1514-16
[4] S.S. Commemoratio
[5] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[6] Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 16:21, p. 272.
[7] Letters of St. Paul , The Navarre Bible, Four Courts Press, 2003, p. 189.
[8] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 159.
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