Word to the Wise
Monday, January 7, 2019 - Monday after Epiphany, or Jan. 7
[1 John 3:22-4:6 and Matt 4:12-17, 23-25]When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea....From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." 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. [Matthew]
The lectionary of scriptures can sometimes confuse because the Sunday cycles (A, B, and C) are on a different schedule than the weekday cycles (I and II). At present we are in a C-I cycle. Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany when the magi visit an infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Today we encounter an adult Jesus who is beginning his public ministry after his baptism by John, an event we will celebrate in the Sunday cycle next Sunday! However, we are in one of the major "seasons" (Christmas/Epiphany"as contrasted with "ordinary time") and this can interrupt matters because of the importance of the celebrations that occur. It's a good thing we have misalets to keep us focused!
The Gospel According to Matthew shows Jesus as a methodical preacher who carefully chooses his base of operations. Capernaum was a fishing center, which explains why Jesus' first disciples were fishermen. There would have been a fair amount of commercial activity as a result. From that base Jesus could work his way around neighboring villages in Galilee, which Matthew saw as the fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah! The message was a simple one, accompanied by practical action such as healing: "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." In the season of Christmas/Epiphany, when the emphasis is on God intervening in human history by becoming a human person, Jesus' action in beginning his ministry becomes a "new Epiphany" and his reputation as a healer begins to attract attention, some positive and some negative. After the celebration, next Sunday, of the baptism of the Lord, we will resume "ordinary time" until Ash Wednesday, when the drama will build to a climax with Holy Week. Until that time, we follow the career of the preacher/healer who is God-made-Man! AMEN