3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Sunday, January 22, 2023
First Reading:  Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalm #27    R: The Lord is my light and my salvation
Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17-18
Acc. Verse: Jesus proclaimed the good news of the kingdom curing every sickness among the people.
Gospel:  Matthew 4:12-23
Theme:  Jesus begins to call his disciples to follow him.

Commentary  by Jane Prini

Have you ever gone fishing? Did you catch anything?

It does not matter if you are young or old, you can be good at fishing at any age. Have you noticed that you can not just scoop up fish with your hands like a grizzly bear? You need to be prepared. You need a sturdy rod, and line and other supplies. There are two other things that you need to be a successful fisherman. You need to know where and when the fish are biting, and you need to wait patiently. 

Our gospel today has something to do with fishing too. One day Jesus was at the seashore when he saw two bothers named Simon and Andrew. They were fishermen from the nearby village of Capernaum. Jesus called out to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people!” Do you know what they did? They left their boat, nets, homes and families and followed Jesus! 

Jesus was such an extraordinary person that people who had never met him before were ready to leave whatever they were doing to follow him. When people met Jesus they somehow knew he cared for them and they wanted to learn more about him. 

Jesus wants you and me to fish for people too. He wants us to tell other people about what Jesus has done for us and what he can do for them. However, just like fishing for fish, we need to be prepared. 

There are a few ways to prepare ourselves. We need to learn what Jesus taught by reading the scriptures in the Bible, and we can look to the Church to guide us when we have questions. Catholics have a great book that is called The Catechism of the Catholic Church. It answers a lot of questions about what Jesus taught and what the people who have passed on the faith over the last 2020 years have learned about living like a disciple of Jesus. Next we need to learn how to tell others our story of what Jesus has done for us. We find ways to talk about Jesus because we are his disciples and want others to know him too. Lastly we must be patient. Some people need more time to decide to meet and get know Jesus. 

Doing these things can really make us fishers for people like Jesus wants us to be. If you have ever gone fishing, you know how exciting it is when you do catch a fish. Imagine how excited you will be when you can bring someone to know Jesus! 

Prayer for Families: 

Heavenly Father, help us to become fisher of all people. Help us tell others what you have done for us and what you want to do for them. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who reigns with you in the unity the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

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