Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sunday Mass - Jan 26, 2020 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr. James Wallace
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Homily Video

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Homily Transcript

Land of Zebulon and land of Naphtali, the galley of the Gentiles, the prophet Isaiah and then St. Matthew picks up this unique phrase, the galley of the Gentiles and he does so on purpose. So you see Galilee was a melting pot in many ways, kind of like Chicago actually, and definitely like Corinth to whom St. Paul is writing. So Galilee, of course we all are familiar with is the region where Jesus does his ministry, most of his ministry. He is reared in Nazareth, he’s born in Bethlehem. But then he does most of his three years in this place, the region of Galilee. Galilee was filled with all different sorts of people, ethnically, religiously, socioeconomically. So you had Jews, you had pagans, you had Syrians, you had tax collectors, sinners, Roman soldiers, synagogue officials. All different kinds of people poor, rich, middle class. And there’s a reason Jesus wanted to spend his ministry in Galilee and not Jerusalem. Jerusalem was more, more the same. It was, it was a city, it was more Jewish, maybe upper class. He wanted to be in a region that was tumultuous. An area with all different types of people. Again, kind of like our city. And also I would say, kind of like our own souls, right? We have good days. We have bad days. We are virtuous. we are sinners. All different kinds of people. That’s who Jesus wants to be with. That’s who he wants to do his ministry among. So he spends his three years in Galilee. And as if we continue on with this particular gospel will hear then Jesus gets into the boat of St. Peter, the, the fishermen. Peter and Andrew, James and john, who are also four very different sorts of figures and these will be Jesus’ apostles. But not just fishermen, we also have tax collectors, say Matthew who’ll also be one of his apostles. And also, some, some zealots like Simon Jewish figures as well, all right? so friends, the key is I think, in the spiritual life, two things. Jesus wants to be, like I said, amongst a variety of people. So how can we invite the Lord into our city, into our families, into our neighborhood. Our cities, our families, our neighborhoods. Just all different kinds, filled with different sorts of people. So how can we let Jesus get into that area as well and do his ministry. So that’s the first thing in the spiritual life. Okay, the mission add extra if you will, that out to the world. But then the second mission in the spiritual life, or the second desire of Jesus is how can we let him into our souls the mission add intra, okay? All of us we are not homogenous, we all are different sorts of people. Our souls like I said, our, mix a melting pot of sin and a virtue. That’s where Jesus wants to be with us as well. So how can we be a Galilee that invites Jesus into our hearts to do ministry? We all are the boat or the back of Peter. Let him Jesus Christ climb aboard. Amen.

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