Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, January 26, 2020

Homily Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, January 26, 2020

Readings:   
Is 8:23 - 9:3; 

Psalm: 26:1, 4, 13-14   "The Lord is my light and my salvation"

1 Cor 1:10-13, 17; 

Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 4:23  "Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus preached the good news of the Kingdom. And healed all who were sick."

Mt 4:12-23

Shutterstock Licensed: stock photo ID: 1453090532. fisherman net with sunset in the sea. By Aran Charanyananda.
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, January 26, 2020, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-202-third-sunday-of-ordinary-time-year-a/s-O9hq9  (EPISODE: 202)
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If we thought that the infant church was more filled with the Spirit.,… more united…… more idyllic than ours today….. The second reading quickly brings us back to reality…

The Corinthian community back in new testament times had just as many misunderstandings, conflicts, personality clashes and power plays and ego clashes as one can see in modern society. The Corinthian community was, art the time of Paul's letter to them, quite divided…. It was bickering and fragmenting…. Ambition, pride, political wrangling, and misunderstanding was damaging the community… and the second reading tells us that people were taking sides along the lines of various personalities in the community. Instead of the message of Jesus' Gospel… but Saint Paul implored the community members to remember their unity in Jesus…I n order that we put our service in the hands of Jesus' good news, St Paul reminds us that fostering a sense of unity – that is, seeing ourselves as all on about one and the same mission, one single project with different aspects, - this mindset is absolutely essential.

The calling of the disciples is both a wonderful example to us of the response of a disciple as well as having a deeper metaphorical meaning….  Jesus called his disciples and they dropped everything and followed him immediately, leaving everything behind.  They did this literally and also figuratively…  They left their previous life behind and its attachments and also they – in a sense – forgot themselves and their own plans and ambitions and followed a new path of being on about Christ's vision.

Saint Paul in the second reading continues this theme of self-forgetting and Christ-focusing!   If there is to be any ambition at all (as St Paul puts it elsewhere in his writings)….it must only be the ambition to support each other and all others - In Christ - with all our hearts... If there is to be any competition in the Christian community… it is only to be trying to excel in truly showing each-other, mutually,  the kindness and compassion of Christ and by striving with all our effort at working together with our vision looking outward and forward, towards the goal Our Lord himself has set…..... St Paul, when he says this, knew that this was not always easy... In fact, it requires sacrifice, humility and real dedication... (division can occur for different reasons.. people may genuinely disagree on how to achieve a goal or a value… but as St Paul says in another letter, the answer to such dilemmas goes down to the fundamental debt we have to one another….….(this time to the Roman community of believers)… 

The only thing we owe each-other is this….-  the debt of mutual love …… And everything we do, everything we say, must be for the furtherance of Christ's gospel and at the service of the establishment of God's Kingdom and never merely our own needs and ambitions. We are all "for Christ" and not for anything else or anyone else.  

Jesus is the light... In baptism, we are called to carry this 'light of Christ to others.....

Jesus shone his own divine light to others by forgiving, healing, welcoming, sharing, inviting and giving.....we think about the many ways we are invited to bring Christ's light to others... And especially in all we do and say ….to make the light of Christ shine brighter in us, through us, and be seen at work in the community....... On this Australia Day long weekend, we give thanks for all the wonderful gifts we have received in this country... The gifts we have, are given to share...... Striving to be united in one purpose and heart.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Barclay, W. (1975). The Gospel of Matthew. Part I.  2nd ed. Edinburgh: St. Andrew Press.

Image: Shutterstock Licensed: stock photo ID: 1453090532. fisherman net with sunset in the sea. By Aran Charanyananda.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

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Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, revised - 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA).

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins Publishers. 

Prayers of the Faithful - from "Together we pray". by Robert Borg'. © 1993. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers.

{Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. Including The Gloria. Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org} 

"Faith, Hope and Love" hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music Paul W. Kelly. © 1996. Updated lyrics by Paul Kelly and Stefan Kelk, arranged and sung by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Please visit homilycatholic.blogspot.com

Production - Kelly Enterprises Resources.            May God bless and keep you. 

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A
(Sunday, January 26, 2020)

(EPISODE: 202 )

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{May Our Lord's courage, uphold you.}}

Coming together as Gods family, let us call to mind our sins.?
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy//
May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation

2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

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Sundays Ordinary II

Eucharistic Prayer II

Communion side. pwk: LH
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{I pray this week brings you an ever-deeper experience of his compassion and love. }

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.