1 John 3:22-4:6, Psalm 2 and Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; for those who sat in the region and the shadow of death light has dawned.” Jesus is the light of the world. The great movement towards 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 heart and actions.” 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. Why not come to Jesus now? Rom. 13:12 says; “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 God, whose eternal Word adorns the face of the heavens yet accepted from the Virgin Mary the frailty of our flesh, grant, we pray, that he who appeared among us as the splendor of truth may go forth in the fullness of power for the redemption of the world. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
