No. 12         January 23, 2011           (Cycle A)   III SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Jesus is the true light that enlightens everyone   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON   Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Truth and beauty surround him, he lives in holiness and glory. (Ps 95:1,6)   PENITENTIAL RITE   ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.’ This is how St Matthew describes the impact of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ light shines on every baptized person. That light frees us from the slavery of sin and darkness, and lights up the road to heaven for us, in the midst of the drudgery of this life. Jesus’ light brings healing not wounds, freedom not oppression, life not death. Those who obey his teachings will always have the light of life. By living in it, we become sources of light to others, a lamp for their paths. As we begin this Eucharistic Celebration, we need to acknowledge our darkness and our need for light; let us be open to the divine light, by repenting for our many sins. (Pause). I confess... Glory to God...   OPENING PRAYER   All-powerful and ever-living God, direct your love that is within us, that our efforts in the name of your Son may bring humankind to unity and peace. We ask this…   FIRST READING   (This is another prophecy of Isaiah concerning the messianic days. It describes the new era of liberty and joy, which the future Messiah will usher in.)   A reading from the Book of Isaiah     (9:1-4)   In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Midian. This is the Word of the Lord    PSALM   (26)   Response: The Lord is my light and my help.   The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? R./ There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple. R./ I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord. R./   SECOND READING   (This is a passionate appeal of St Paul for unity in the Christian community at Corinth.)   A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians     (1:10-13,17)   I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarrelling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. This is the Word of the Lord   ACCLAMATION   Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom and healed every disease among the people. Alleluia! (Mt 4:23)   GOSPEL   (St Matthew recalls Isaiah’s prophecy, that ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light’; he also describes the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.)   A  reading  from  the  Holy  Gospel  according  to     St  Matthew   (4:12-23)   When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As he walked by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Imme-diately they left the boat and their father and followed him. And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. This is the Gospel of the Lord   I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/ the holy catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/ the resurrection of the body,/ and the life everlasting./ Amen.   PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL   Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus invites each of us saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”. With Christ’s light shining on us, let us present our petitions before God, saying:   Response: Lord, graciously hear our prayer.   1. We pray for all the ordained ministers of the Church: that entrusted with the privilege of sharing the Good News of Christ, through the office of preaching God’s Word, they may always be true to their mission. R./ 2. We pray for all Christians: that they treasure, uphold and share the Good News that they have received from Christ. R./ 3. We pray for all the leaders of the world: that the light of Christ may guide their nations in the way of peace and justice. R./ 4. We pray for all missionaries: that they may strive to walk in the light of truth and goodness and that they may be blessed in their ministry. R./ 5. We pray for those sincerely searching for truth: that they may faithfully respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs)   Cel: Lord God, we praise and thank you for the gift of the Good News brought by Jesus Christ. May your word light up our hearts, and bring us safely to our homeland of everlasting light. We ask this…   PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS   Lord, receive our gifts. Let our offerings make us holy and bring us salvation. Grant this…    PREFACE    (P 30)   Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Out of love for sinful man, he humbled himself to be born of the Virgin. By suffering on the cross he freed us from unending death, and by rising from the dead he gave us eternal life. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise:   All: Holy, holy, holy…   COMMUNION ANTIPHON   Look up at the Lord with gladness and smile; your face will never be ashamed. (Ps 33:6)   PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION   God, all-powerful Father, may the new life you give us increase our love and keep us in the joy of your kingdom. We ask this…     LITURGY AND LIFE In today’s Gospel passage, St Matthew compares the arrival of Jesus on earth, to the coming of a great light to a people who had been living in deep darkness. He saw Jesus as fulfilling the great prophecy of Isaiah: ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined’ (First Reading). Blessed Teresa of Kolkata gives us a beautiful example of a man who was brought out of darkness into the light. One day in Melbourne, Australia, she visited a poor man whose existence nobody knew. The room, in which he was living, was in a terrible state of untidiness and neglect. There was no light in the room. The man hardly ever opened the blinds. He hadn’t a friend in the world. Mother Teresa started to clean and tidy the room. At first he protested, saying, “Leave it alone. It’s all right as it is.” But she went ahead anyway. Under a pile of rubbish she found a beautiful oil lamp but it was covered with dust. She cleaned and polished it. Then she asked him, “How come you never light this lamp?” “Why should I light it?” he replied. “No one ever comes to see me. I never see anybody.” “Will you promise to light it if one of my sisters comes to see you?” “Yes,” he replied. “If I hear a human voice I’ll light the lamp.” Two of Mother Teresa’s nuns began to visit him on a regular basis. Things gradually improved for him. Then one day he said to the nuns, “Sisters, I’ll be able to manage on my own from now on. But do me a favour. Tell that first sister, who came to see me, that the light, she lit in my life, is still burning.” At first he didn’t like the light. He felt threatened by it. It made him uncomfortable. Why? Because it showed up the misery in which he was living; first of all the physical misery, then the spiritual misery. But gradually he came to see it as a friend, which comforted him and brought hope into his dark existence. Thus he slowly changed his life. ‘The light had saved him.’ Of course, it wasn’t the lamp itself that had done this, but the kindness and goodness it symbolized, first in Mother Teresa, then in her sisters. This is why Jesus began his preaching with the message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ To repent, is to admit the darkness, in which we are living and to open ourselves to the light. We show our repentance by a new way of living. To be saved is to have come out of darkness into the light. Each of us has areas of darkness in our lives—fear, illness, pain, sin, guilt, loneliness, and so on. Society too has its dark areas. Hence our need of the light of Christ. Though the light comes as a friend, it also disturbs because it shows up what is wrong. There are still many people who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. We need the light of Jesus now more than ever. Jesus shed light through his teaching, but more especially through the way he treated people. The teaching of Jesus was truly a source of light to all who accepted him, and even now to those, who follow him. Each of us can be a source of light to a darkened world. Indeed each of us is called to fulfil that task. But unless our own lamp is burning, we won’t be able to enlighten anyone else. —Fr Flor McCarthy, sdb   January 2011    READINGS OF THE WEEK Psalter  Week  3 24 Mon (W) St Francis de Sales, Heb 9:15.24-28/ Ps 97:1.2-3ab.3cd-4.5-6/ Mk 3:22-30 25 Tue (W) Conversion of St Paul,Ap,Fst, Acts 22:3-16(or Acts 9:1-22)/ Ps 116:1bc.2/ Mk 16:15-18 26 Wed (W) Sts Timothy and Titus, 2 Tm 1:1-8 (or Ti 1:1-5)/ Ps 95:1-2a.2b-3.7-8a.10/ Lk 10:1-9 27 Thu (W) St Angela Merici, Heb 10:19-25/ Ps 23:1-2.3-4ab.5-6/ Mk 4:21-25 28 Fri (W) St Thomas Aquinas, Heb 10:32-39/ Ps 36:3-4.5-6.23-24.39-40/ Mk 4:26-34 29 Sat (G) Heb 11:1-2.8-19/ Psalm Lk 1:69-70.71-72.73-75/ Mk 4:35-41