This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, January 22nd is from Matthew 4:12-23. “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali . . . From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’. . . He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.”
Reflection: “The first disciples Jesus called—Simon and Andrew, James and John—were all fishermen, one of the most stable occupations of first-century Galilee. Yet they immediately left their way of life to follow Jesus into the great unknown. As they traveled around Galilee, they were rewarded by seeing firsthand the wonders that Jesus did.” SOURCE: Pastoral Patterns, Winter 2022-2023 v
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Hebrews 9:15, 24-28; Mark 3:22-30
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children – “Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us.” (Pope Francis)
Tuesday Hebrews 10:1-10; Mark 3:31-35
Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “After earning doctorates in canon and civil law, Francis rejected a civil career to enter religious life. Ordained and named bishop of Geneva, he was a principal leader of the Catholic Reformation. Together with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, he founded the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.”
Wednesday Acts of the Apostles 22:3-16; Mark 16:15-18
The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle (Feast) – “Paul’s conversion was a turning point in the history of the early Church. It was cause for celebration that a persecutor became a follower of Christ and later a teacher of the nations.”
Thursday 2 Timothy 1:1-8; Mark 4:21-25
Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Memorial) – “These two men were disciples of St. Paul, and Paul’s letters to them are part of the New Testament. Each worked with Paul and became a leader of a Pauline community: Timothy, bishop of Ephesus, and Titus, bishop of Crete.”
Friday Hebrews 10:32-39; Mark 4:26-34
Saturday Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Mark 4:35-41
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “He wrote many books on Scripture and theology. He was also a man of simple devotion, whose hymns such as Pange Lingua, Tantum Ergo, and Adoro Te Devote are still sung today.”
SOURCE: Living With Christ, January 2023