1st John 3:22-4:6, Psalm 2 and Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Jesus is the light of the world. The great movement of salvation has begun. He continued in the very words of John the Baptist ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Jesus wants us to repent. To repent is to “ change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions. Paul declares in Acts 26:20 “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” Again, repentance is a movement from the world to the Lord. We may be in the world but John says in the first reading we are not of the world but of God. Beloved, why not come to Jesus now? Rom. 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
Let us pray
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
