Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 23, 2011

Jesus begins his Galilean ministry soon after John the Baptist has been handed over to prison and execution. Jesus makes a surprising move to take up his mission at an unsafe time. He plays it safe by moving to the outskirts. Success would be greater in the traditional places of Jerusalem or the desert, but as he is near Capernaum, he can escape by boat to the Decapolis if need be. Several distinct political jurisdictions offered the possibility of sanctuary.

The gospel arrives in a specific time and place. The geographic reference points refer to lands surrounded by Gentiles. Isaiah's promise of the liberation of these areas is fulfilled by Jesus' arrival. "The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light" are both the oppressed Israelites and the Gentile people who are to be included in the kingdom. The preaching of Jesus is a light of consolation to the suffering people.

In his preaching of the immanence of God's kingdom on heaven and on earth, he calls his circle of intimate friends together. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew are first, while James and John, sons of Zebedee are next. He calls brothers because he is interested in community life. Following Jesus means discipleship will sometimes disrupt family ties while he also hold the support of parents in their old age is essential.

Jesus may have expected a prompt, radical response from his followers in joining him, but this part of the story was probably compressed by the authors. In all likelihood, a follower would have had an opportunity to make such an important decision over time. Jesus would have respected the psychological development of the would-be follower. This is especially important with the fisher-disciples who left a quite prosperous fishing industry at the Galilean Sea. The lucrative family trade needed some careful planning to sustain the livelihood.

We would find it more helpful if we saw the disciples' calls as a development of a relationship with Jesus. Relationships take time to develop a level of trust. Relationships invite a person to a new possibility while respecting where the person is in life. Good friendships don't try to change the person. If we use this lens to view the disciples' call, we see that Jesus called upon them to use their already existing skills for a greater purpose. He capitalized upon who they already were rather than who he wanted them to be. He wanted them to be themselves. Their manner of being was not essentially changed.

In many regards, the call was more about a "how" than a "what." They were to preach the kingdom of God and to bring others into the catch. How they did this determined whether they were attractive enough to others to join their mission. When we stand open before Christ Jesus, he will honor and respect our gifts, but may tweak the way we use them. For if they are not used to glorify God, they are not used for their proper end. If we don't use them in love, then they don't satisfy. It is good for us to look at the way the relationship with Jesus transformed the way the disciples used their gifts. From all accounts, they were successful in bringing others to Jesus to hear his good news.

Themes for this Week’s Masses

First Reading: Hebrews asserts that Christ, who offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time to those who eagerly await him. In the face of the world's challenges, we are to hold unwavering to our confession that gives us hope. We are to consider how to raise one another to love. Do not throw away your confidence. It will have a great reward to hold onto it. Christ himself was looking forward to the city whose architect and creator was God.

Gospel: Scribes from Jerusalem say Jesus is possessed by Satan, but he responds by saying that Satan cannot act against himself. Jesus heads out to teach by the sea. Crowds come and he tells them a parable of a sower who goes out to plant seeds. Jesus is strengthening his disciples to withstand great pressures. He tells them to be a lamp lifted high on a lamp stand for all to see. The standards by which we measure will be the ones to which we are held accountable. Jesus returns to the parable to explain its significance to the Twelve. As the day comes to a close, Jesus crosses the sea to the other side. A terrible sea squall comes up and threatens their safety, but Jesus shows that he has power over nature and quells the storm. All are filled with awe.

Saints of the Week

Monday: Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor (1567-1622) was a brilliant scholar of canon and civil law who became the bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. He was an organizer of the Catholic Reformation by setting up new structures in the diocese, beginning a seminary, religious education units, and several schools. His "Introduction to the Devout Life" focused on human kindness as a way of seeing God's love. He co-founded the Sisters of the Visitation with Jane Frances de Chantal.

Tuesday: Conversion of Paul, apostle, was more of a call than a conversion, but it was one of the most significant turning points in history. He moved from a persecutor of Christians to become its greatest missionary to the Gentiles. Without Paul, Christianity may have remained a small sect within Palestine.

Wednesday: Timothy and Titus, bishops (first century), were Paul's devoted disciples. Paul writes to them in letters that are included in the New Testament canon. Timothy because the leader of Ephesus while Titus went to Crete. Both helped Paul form new churches in Asia Minor.

Thursday: Angelic Merici (1474-1540) founded the Ursuline order of nuns to educate the poor. Her order invoked the name of Ursula, patron of medieval universities. They began as a loose federation of lay women who did not live in community, take vows or wear a habit. They met to devote themselves to learn techniques to better educated the poor.

Friday: Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor (1225-1274) was educated in a Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino and eventually joined the newly-formed Dominican Order. He wrote great books on theology with his Summa Theologiae as his most complete summary of the faith. He also wrote liturgical hymns that conveyed his theology: Adoro Te Devote, Tantum Ergo, Pange Linqua. Much of the church's thought was shaped by the cogent arguments of Aquinas.

This Week in Jesuit History

• Jan 23, 1789. John Carroll gained the deed of land for the site that was to become Georgetown University.
• Jan 24, 1645. Fr. Henry Morse was led as a prisoner from Durham to Newgate, London. On hearing his execution was fixed for February 1, he exclaimed: "Welcome ropes, hurdles, gibbets, knives, butchery of an infamous death! Welcome for the love of Jesus, my Savior."
• Jan 25, 1707. Cardinal Tournon, Apostolic Visitor of the missions in China, forbade the use of the words 'Tien' or 'Xant' for God and ordered the discontinuance by the Christians of the Chinese Rites.
• Jan 26, 1611. The first Jesuit missionaries sailed from Europe for New France (Canada).
• Jan 27, 1870. The Austrian government endeavored to suppress the annual grant of 8,000 florins to the theological faculty of Innsbruck and to drive the Jesuit professors from the university, because of their support of the Papal Syllabus.
• Jan 28, 1853. Fr. General John Roothaan, wishing to resign his office, summoned a General Congregation, but died on May 8, before it assembled.
• Jan 29, 1923. Woodstock scholastics kept a fire vigil for several months to prevent the Ku Klux Klan from setting the college on fire.

Flood Donations in Australia

The Australian states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have been devastated by flooding over the last month, with many parts of the country still bracing themselves. Brisbane was the biggest urban centre hit by the floods, with many houses in riverside suburbs swamped with water. In Queensland, an area larger than Texas has been under water during the past month. A massive clean-up task awaits these communities.

To make a donation to ease the burdens of the flood victims, refer to the online sites below:

St Vincent de Paul: http://www.vinnies.org.au/qldfloodappeal

Queensland Premier’s Appeal: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html