3rd Sunday A, 2008 Print print this page                 

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The first reading begins with a prophesy of the glorious days to come for the province of Galilee. 700 years after the prophesy was written Jesus appeared from Galilee and most of the apostles were from there as well. Jesus settled in Capernaum. Peter was living there and he came from a near-by town, Bethsaida, as well as Andrew, John and James. While living in Capemaum Jesus healed many sick people and performed many miracles. The people there accepted his gift of healing and listened to his teaching but did not believe in him. Jesus had harsh words for them saying, that even Sodom would have repented if they had him among them as long as Capernaum and Bethsida did.
Still Galilee is famous to this day for Jesus and his disciples were called Galileans.

Many people followed Jesus but he selected his 12 apostles. We know little of their background only that they were ordinary men and there seemed to be nothing special about them as far as religion was concerned. Yet they must have been ready to receive the call to follow Jesus. Deep down they may have been saying for a long time, I believe in God, I want to do something special with my faith; I don’t know what but just something. Some of them already gathered around John the Baptist, and when he bore witness to Jesus saying he is the Chosen One, they follow him. They did not know what they were letting themselves in for. They could not have anticipated the hardships nor the sanctity and fame that were to follow. We are the same as them; we get calls from Jesus, many calls. If we respond and follow directions, we face some hardships, encounter a few surprises, and get sanctity. With more sanctity comes a better view of the world.

St. Paul urged the Corinthians to keep Jesus in the centre of their religion; his call, his example and his sacrifice are what matters. We need to live simply, help the needy, teach what we know, pray and suffer many little crucifixions as his disciples. The rewards are great, in uncertainty we experience security; in solitude we know the friendship of Jesus and in unknowing we understand.

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