A Reflection on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Year A
The
prophet Isaiah speaks to a people crushed by despair, living in a land of
"gloom" and "deep darkness." But then comes his stunning
promise: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
When Matthew tells us about Jesus beginning his ministry in Galilee, he's
showing us that this ancient promise is now happening before our eyes. Jesus
doesn't start his work in the religious center of Jerusalem, but in Galilee of
the Gentiles, a place many considered spiritually backwards and unimportant. This
tells us something beautiful about God's way of working: He enters into our
darkness right where we are, not where we think we should be. The light doesn't
wait for us to find it; it comes searching for us in our confusion, our
divisions, and our deepest struggles.
When Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John, they leave everything
immediately to follow him. This radical response shows us what happens when
that divine light breaks into an ordinary life. These weren't scholars or
priests, just fishermen doing their daily work, yet Jesus saw in them something
extraordinary. He invited them into a new kind of fishing, a new purpose that
would bring life to countless souls. This is the same invitation extended to
each of us when we Pray the Rosary, especially in the Luminous Mysteries when
we contemplate Jesus's Baptism and the beginning of his public ministry. As we
pray those decades, holding each bead, we're reminded that Jesus is still
calling ordinary people to extraordinary missions. The repetition of the
prayers isn't mindless; it's the rhythm of discipleship, training our hearts to
say "yes" again and again, just as those first disciples did.
But Saint Paul's letter to the Corinthians reveals a painful truth:
even those who have seen the light can fall back into darkness through
division. The community Paul founded in Jesus's name had already begun tearing
itself apart with arguments about whose teacher was best, whose baptism
mattered more. Paul's anguish leaps off the page as he asks, "Is Jesus
divided?" This question echoes through every age of the Church. When we
create factions, when we let pride or preference divide us from our brothers
and sisters, we're actually dimming the very light that called us out of
darkness. The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary invite us to walk with Mary
through Jesus's Passion, remembering that he suffered and died to make us one
family. Our divisions aren't just disagreements; they wound the Body of Jesus
himself, the same body that was broken so we might be whole.
Today's readings together paint a complete picture of the Christian life: we
are called out of darkness into light, invited to follow Jesus with everything
we have, and challenged to maintain the unity that makes the Gospel credible to
a watching world. The Rosary becomes our companion on this journey, weaving
together all these mysteries. In the Joyful Mysteries, we see God entering our
darkness as a child. In the Luminous Mysteries, we watch Jesus reveal himself
as the Light of the World. In the Sorrowful Mysteries, we witness the cost of
our redemption. In the Glorious Mysteries, we celebrate the victory of light
over darkness forever. And in all of this, Mary shows us how to say yes, how to
ponder these truths in our hearts, and how to remain faithful even when we
don't understand. Like those first fishermen, we too are called to drop our
nets and follow, trusting that Jesus knows the way even when the path seems
uncertain.
Questions
to Ponder:
·
When
Jesus called the fishermen, they left their nets immediately. What
"nets" in my life, comforts, securities, or routines, might Jesus be
asking me to release so I can follow him more freely?
·
Saint
Paul was heartbroken by divisions among people who all claimed to follow Jesus.
In what ways do I contribute to unity or division in my parish, my family, or
the broader Church? How can I be a peacemaker this week?
·
The
fishermen were doing ordinary work when Jesus called them. How might Jesus be
speaking to me right now in the midst of my normal, everyday responsibilities?
Am I listening for his voice in the ordinary moments?
·
Isaiah
promised light to people in deep darkness. Who in my life right now is walking
in darkness and needs me to be a bearer of Jesus's light to them? What
practical step can I take to reach out?
·
As
I pray the Rosary this week, how can I let Mary teach me her way of pondering
God's word in my heart, especially when the path of discipleship feels
difficult or unclear?
©2026 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
