THE PRESENCE OF THE WORD OF GOD

SUNDAY, THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME  

Isa 8:23-9:3 Ps 27:1,4,13-14; 1 Cor 1:10-13,17; Mt 4:12-23

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is Close

The Church celebrates the Word of God this Sunday as the source of our salvation. It calls for great rejoicing for the Church to realise in Jesus Christ the Incarnation of the Eternal Word of God. Again, we remind ourselves of the mystery involved in the Incarnation of the Word. The mystery lies in the fact that our human mind can never fully comprehend the depth and breadth of the significance of the Incarnation. The content of the mystery can only make a gradual and slow entrance into our minds and hearts if we start now to dispose ourselves for its reception. The content of the mystery will constitute our beatific vision. Hence, Saint John, the Evangelist and Theologian, writes that we do not know now what we shall be when we come to him, though God has made us children now by sending his Son to us. But what we are certain of is that when he is revealed, we shall be like him. Cf. 1 Jn 3:2. We are already being transformed into him, and the root cause of the transformation is that we see and receive him now, though cloaked in mystery. As Saint Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see him now as through a dark mirror; then we shall see him face to face. So, the Word is present to us now as hidden in mystery, requiring the vision of faith to penetrate the cloud of mystery to reach the real Presence of the Eternal Word.

The cloud of mystery which covers the real Presence of the Word among us does not remove in any way from His divinity. The mission of the Word of God among us is real and makes God present to us; the only thing being that he is hidden from our everyday, sensual perceptions. Because the Father sends the Word to cause our faith to sprout and grow, we can access his presence among us now only through faith. His presence, though dimmed to the senses, is not less real and powerful in any way than when he was in human form. The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the greatest gift that the land of Galilee would receive long before it came to fulfilment. The prophecy is significant because of the greatness of the gift. “In days past the Lord humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in days to come he will confer glory on the Way of the Sea on the far side of Jordan, province of the nations.” This prophecy was long before the people were exiled; they intermingled with the peoples of other nations. These came back and settled in the province of Galilee mentioned. Because Joseph settled with his family in Nazareth due to fear of Herod’s son, the Son of Man made his home there, in accordance with the prophecy. His presence among them, which was accidental by man’s reckoning, fulfilled the word of God. It is prophesied as the greatest thing that would ever happen to the people and the province. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their gladness greater, you have made their joy increase; they rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.”

The Word of God among us is the cause of the greatest harvest we can ever have; His victory over our enemies provides us with the unthinkable spoils. The Psalmist anticipates this victory, saying: “The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?” The Word of God comes among us to fight our battles and win an everlasting victory for us, his poor ones. His presence is given to faith. Hence, only the believers enjoy the victory he wins for all humanity. Those who are mature in their faith vision understand that the victory is for all peoples. But those with little faith consider the victory and the light of his presence a parochial gain or heritage. Those without faith do not see the light and the victory at all; they continue to wallow in the darkness of sin and ignorance of the truth. Saint Paul, therefore, urged the Corinthians to grow up in their faith. “I appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice.” Partisan spirit is an indicator of shadows in our reception of the Gospel light. By his Incarnation, the Word has inherited everything on our behalf.

Blessed indeed were the eyes that beheld him walk the province of Zebulun and Naphtali; the ears that heard his blessed words calling all to repentance, to the possession of the kingdom of heaven which is now with us. “From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” The two sets of brothers who heard his summons and left everything to follow him must have been enlightened internally to understand the gift God was offering them, a gift beyond comprehension and words. “As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.” It is true that James and John were the first cousins of Jesus Christ, their mother being Salome, the sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but leaving their father and occupation to follow Jesus was a decision of faith. “Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.” These two pairs of brothers demonstrate to us what should be our response to the presence of the Word among us. We must prioritise our attention to Him, for he prioritised our salvation by his Incarnation. This is what repentance means.

Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.