Sunday the 25th of January 2026 - The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 9:1b-4/ Ps 27(26)/ 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17/ Matthew 4:12-17

We live in a world powered by electricity. We flip a switch, and there is light. We adjust a thermostat, and warmth fills our homes. We plug in our devices, and we are connected to the world. We take this power for granted, until suddenly, we do not have it anymore. The recent storm reminded us of this reality in a dramatic way. When the power went out, some of our homes and businesses sat in darkness for days. The contrast was stark. Everything we normally do with ease became difficult or impossible. In these winter months, when darkness falls early and the days are grey and damp, we need light even in the daytime. Without it, we are stumbling around, unable to see clearly, unable to function properly.

Today’s readings reveal a deeper truth, that we need another kind of power even more than we need electricity, the power of God's light to dispel the darkness of sin in our lives and in our world. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. This is a prophecy about the coming of Jesus. Isaiah was looking forward across the centuries to when God Himself would break into human history and drive back the darkness that had enslaved humanity since the fall. In the Gospel, we see this prophecy fulfilled. Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee, and Matthew tells us that this fulfils Isaiah’s prophesy. The light has come, the darkness is being pushed back. Jesus calls us to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. The Kingdom of God is not some distant concept we have to wait for, it is at hand. It is close, available to us now. Jesus has brought the light of redemption to people living in the darkness of sin. He is offering us a way out of the gloom and into the full light of God's love and mercy.

Just as we had to do something when the power went out, find a torch, light candles, make adjustments, we also have to do something in response to Jesus. We have to repent. We have to turn away from the darkness and turn toward the light. This means we must stop doing in the darkness what we would be ashamed to do in the light. It means we must examine our lives honestly and ask, are there areas where we are choosing darkness over light? Are there sins we cling to? Are there habits or attitudes or behaviours that belong to the darkness rather than to the light of Christ? The call to repentance is not meant to discourage us, it should liberate us. Jesus is inviting us to step out of the darkness and into the glorious light of the Kingdom of God, offering us freedom, healing, and a new life.

We hear also how Jesus called His first disciples, simple fishermen who would become the foundation of His Church. These were not educated religious experts. They were ordinary people who said “yes” to an extraordinary call. Through the power of the Holy Spirit working in them, they changed the world. That same call extends to us through our Baptism and Confirmation. We have been commissioned to continue the mission that Jesus began in Galilee. We are called to preach, to teach, to heal, to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of our world. This is not a call just for special committed Christians, this is the calling of every baptised Christian. The Holy Spirit who empowered those first disciples seeks to empower us. The same Spirit who worked through simple, uneducated fishermen is ready to work through us to transform lives, families, communities, and the world.

Paul's letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we must be united in our mission. The Corinthians were dividing themselves, following different leaders, creating factions, a situation familiar in our world today. Paul calls them and us to be united in Christ. Our loyalty is to Jesus, not to any human personality or faction. This message is desperately needed today. Christianity is tragically divided into many denominations. Even within the Catholic Church, we see the scandalous divisions and rivalries that damage our witness and weaken our mission. Jesus prayed that we should all be one, and we have a responsibility to work towards that unity. Our faith must transcend personalities and preferences. It must be rooted in Jesus and in the teaching authority He established in His Church. People change, trends come and go, but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must anchor ourselves in Him and in the unchanging truth He has given us through His Church.

The sacraments are the pathway through this journey of discipleship. Baptism brings us into God's family. Confirmation strengthens us for mission. The Eucharist nourishes us for the journey. Confession heals us when we stumble. Marriage and Holy Orders give us our particular vocations. Anointing of the Sick prepares us for our final journey. These are not just rituals, they are encounters with the living God who pours His grace and power into our lives. How many baptised Catholics never receive Confirmation? How many abandon their calling before they even begin? If we truly understood the gift we have been given, the privilege of being called by Jesus to be His disciples, we would never let it go.

The world desperately needs the light that only Jesus can bring. Our families need it, our workplaces need it, our communities need it. People are stumbling in darkness, searching for meaning, for purpose, for hope. We have the answer, Jesus, the Light of the World. To give this light to others we must strengthen our own relationship with Jesus through personal prayer, reading Scripture, participating fully in the sacraments, studying the teachings of the Church. We need to let the Holy Spirit work in us before He can work through us. This is living in the light of the Gospel. Allowing God's truth to illuminate every corner of our lives, not hiding anything in darkness, bringing everything into the light of Christ's love and mercy. We can then shine His light into the world around us.

Let us pray today for strength and perseverance, asking God to help us answer the call of Jesus with courage and faithfulness. Let us cooperate with His grace so that His light can shine through us into every dark corner of our world. Jesus called us by name, just as He called His first disciples. He is calling us to follow Him, to bring His light to others. Will we say yes? Will we step out of the darkness and into His wonderful light? The Kingdom of God is at hand, the light has come. Let us repent, believe, follow, so we can shine with the light of Christ for all the world to see.

God Bless Brendan