Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 7, 2019
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.”
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.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
As I reflected upon today’s readings, I was struck by passages from both the first reading and the Gospel.
In the first reading, Paul urges his readers to hold firm to both God’s message and presence, as those are what truly endures. The human world is temporal and consumed in sin. In our world, we are bombarded constantly by distractions and messages of all kinds. How can we possibly discern the truth in everything that comes at us? Some messages sound like the right idea, some follow the currently trending message in American society. It is very easy to simply go along with the message of the times; the pressure to do so is enormous. When we dare to raise a dissenting voice against the tidal wave of popular opinion, we can easily be vilified. We can often be judged for expressing sentiments based upon Christ’s teachings.
How do I shut out the noise of the world and its false prophets? To whom do I go? What can I do? These are questions I ask God virtually every day. Amid these struggles, God is steadfast and “remains in us,” as Paul says.
In today’s Gospel, Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah’s proclamation that the people sitting in darkness saw a great light. As Jesus travels through Galilee, he calls the people of each town to turn towards the light in repentance. People in the darkness of despair or discouragement were drawn to the light of Jesus’ presence. They chose to follow Jesus, as his presence offered a glimmer of hope in the darkness of the complicated, daunting world that enveloped them.
With Jesus as our center, we, too, can find hope in the light of his presence, which outshines the false prophets of our world.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you sent your Son as a Light to all people living in darkness and under the shadow of death. Open our minds and hearts so that we might hear and answer Jesus’ call to conversion in our lives. May we know the healing and mercy that Jesus came to bring, and may we take up our part in proclaiming the Good News of your kingdom to everyone we meet. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Raymond of Penafort is patron saint of lawyers. He led and expanded the Dominican order just after the death of its founder, but made his mark on the world through his relentless teaching and preaching.
Raymond was born 1175 in Spain of royal lineage, and was a brilliant student—he began teaching philosophy at 20 years of age. He taught pro bono, and earned a good reputation as a teacher. At age 30 he went on to earn his doctorate in civil and canon law. He was ordained a deacon and assisted the bishop of Barcelona, and was a great model to clergy with his zeal, prayerfulness, and concern for the poor.
He was nearly 50 years old when he gave up a position of great status to join the Dominican order in Barcelona—St. Dominic himself had just died eight months prior. Most of the other novices were much younger than he, but Raymond led them in obedience and humility.
The Dominicans used his learning well—he was tasked with writing a guide to help moral theologians and priests hearing confessions, the first of its kind. Raymond’s real passion was caring for people’s souls, however. He preached, taught, and heard confessions constantly, and showed people how to conquer sin in themselves. In a time of political turmoil, he effected a grassroots change in Spain with his pastoral care and catechesis.
In 1230, the pope called Raymond to Rome to help with various administrative duties. He also asked Raymond to serve as his confessor. One of Raymond’s tasks was to gather all of the scattered writings and decrees of the Church. His compilation was so well organized that it was frequently cited, even until 1917, when canon law was revised.
The pope named Raymond archbishop of a capital in Spain, but he was consumed with anxiety and fell ill, and so was excused. Raymond traveled back home to recover his health. As he got stronger, he resumed preaching and hearing confessions.
In 1238, he was elected superior of the Dominican order, and went about organizing and codifying the regulations of the community, which served the Dominicans for generations after. Under his direction, Dominican life honed its focus on solitude, studies, and pastoral ministry. In all of this, he remained humble and prayerful—he would even make his rounds visiting Dominican communities throughout Spain traveling by foot.
After two years, he resigned from this post and began to engage and counter Islamic forces in Spain. He encouraged St. Thomas Aquinas to produce arguments for the faith for unbelievers, and encouraged the study of Arabic and Hebrew in Dominican schools.
When he fell ill in his 100th year, two kings visited him to receive a final blessing, and several royal families attended the funeral. His tomb became known for miracles, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
The engraving of books and a gavel and cross above stand as symbols of St. Raymond of Penafort on the exterior of the Eck Hall of Law. He is patron saint of lawyers and those who work with medical records.
St. Raymond of Penafort, you changed the world with your learning and the Church with your holiness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Raymond of Penafort is in the public domain. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
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