DAILY- HOMILY

January 14, 2019 – MONDAY, 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Green.

Heb 1: 1- 6 / Mk 1: 14 – 20

From the 1st Reading:    Heb 1: 1 – 3

God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times he has spoken definitively to us through his Son.

He is the one God appointed heir of all things, since through him he unfolded the stages of the world. He is the radiance of God's Glory and bears the stamp of God's hidden being, so that his powerful word upholds the universe. And after taking away sin, he took his place at the right hand of the divine Majesty in heaven.

Gospel Reading:               Mk 1:14 – 20

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, "The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News."

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people."

At once, they abandoned their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

REFLECTION

Jesus went about his mission of proclaiming the Good News. He encouraged his listeners to change their ways and believe in the Good News. Because he needed help to fulfill his mission, he recruited the first four people to assist him: Simon, Andrew, James and John.

William Barclay, in The Gospel of Mark, suggests that possibly the four men had already been listening to Jesus preach in the area so they probably had been mulling over what Jesus had been saying. They responded when Jesus personally invited them. Notice that the four men left behind what was very important to them before they encountered Jesus – family and occupation.. There seems to be a lot of "leaving 

behind" as we follow Jesus.

The letter to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the very image of God. As we see Jesus, we are seeing God. As we get to know Jesus, we get to know God. As we follow Jesus, we are following God. As we observe how Jesus loves the people he met, we also get to understand how God loves us.

Let us reflect: Is Jesus inviting me to help fulfil his mission to bring about justice, mercy, love and hope? He may not be asking me to leave behind my family and my occupation but what is he asking me to share for the sake of his mission -- my knowledge? my skills? my presence? my compassion? my time? With which larger community would he want me to share my resources? He waits for my response.

FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED OUR PRAYERS AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS THE MOST. 

Have a good day!

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