January 05, 2015
Monday After Epiphany
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22–4:6
Gospel: Mt 4:12–17, 23–25
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to settle down in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.
In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live by the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans, listen: 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 shone.
From that time on Jesus began to proclaim his message, “Change your ways: the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah as the light shining upon those who live under the shadow of death. He said, “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 shone.” When this light came, people easily noticed it because there were no other lights powerful enough to compete with it.
Today Jesus continues to shine in our midst but people hardly notice Him because there are just too many competing lights human beings have invented. Not that these artificial lights are more powerful than the light of Jesus! The problem is not in the inherent power of these artificial lights but in human beings’ inordinate preoccupation with them. Humans are too caught up with their inventions making them less aware of their need for God. As one’s need for God diminishes, God’s presence becomes irrelevant. Hardly will anyone notice Him. Even if some do, they will not pay attention to Him. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be! A simple experiment in a very noisy marketplace had confirmed this. It was found out that despite the drowning noise people still noticed the dropping of a coin. The same was not observed when noise from other objects was introduced.
All is not lost. It is still possible to discern God’s light amidst competing artificial lights by creating a thirst for God deep in everyone’s heart. Let us create that longing for God deep within our hearts so that despite the many artificial lights distracting us from the light of Jesus, we may promptly recognize God’s light as the only source pure joy. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.
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