3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A

 Isaiah 8:32 – 9:3

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 deep darkness 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.

Psalm 27: 1. 4. 13-14

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Questions:

- It is written in the book of Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.” – Are there moments in my life when I feel as if I am walking in darkness? What do I do in that situation? How do I find my joy again?

- It is written in the First Letter to the Corinthians: “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.” – Does God really expect all of us in the Church to always have exactly the same opinions, or are there rather general principles and rules we all should accept, as versus subjects where each of us can form his/her opinion? How it is possible to preserve unity when people have different opinions?

- It is written in the Gospel: “[Jesus] said to [the disciples]: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”” – What do I think of the people who leave everything to serve God and the Church as priests, monks, nuns? What can be done so that there will be more people (in our communities and in the world) who answer God’s call, and follow Christ and his disciples to serve God and His Church in these vocations ?

Questions for children:

- It is written in the book of Isaiah: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.” – What does it mean today that someone lives or walks in a mental, spiritual darkness? Is such a person happy? What can be done to bring him light?

- It is written in the First Letter to the Corinthians: “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.” – Why is it important to a family or community that all its members find ways they can agree on to live their everyday life? How can I help to maintain unity in my family and community?

- It is written in the Gospel: “[Jesus] said to [the disciples]: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”” – What does it mean when Jesus says he will make his disciples fishers of men? Does God call people also today to leave all and follow Christ, as the first disciples did? Do I know such people?