Monday Following Epiphany

(Optional Memorial for the Most Holy Name of Jesus)
 
Proper Readings for the Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
 
Additional information about the Most Holy Name of Jesus
 

“Christ preaching on the Sea of Galilee,”
by Jan Bruegel the Elder (1568–1625)

Readings for Monday following Epiphany [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
In locations where the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on January 6^th, texts are taken from January 3 Christmas Weekday.
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: 1 John 3:22–4:6
 
Beloved:
We receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us
is from the Spirit whom he gave us.
Beloved, do not trust every spirit
but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can know the Spirit of God:
every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh
belongs to God,
and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
does not belong to God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist
who, as you heard, is to come,
but in fact is already in the world.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them,
for the one who is in you
is greater than the one who is in the world.
They belong to the world;
accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world,
and the world listens to them.
We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us,
while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us.
This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
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Commentary on 1 Jn 3:22–4:6
 
The ending of Chapter 3 from St. John’s first epistle speaks of Christians living a life of faith in Jesus, and how, in that faith, they are assured, through mutual love, that we are in the Lord and the Lord also resides in us. When we adhere to this most important of his commandments, the Lord becomes indwelling. As a consequence of our obedience, the love of Christ and love of each other naturally follows.

The beginning of Chapter 4 (“Beloved, do not trust every spirit”) returns to the central theme of St. John’s letter, “false teachers.” “Deception is possible in spiritual phenomena and may be tested by its relation to Christian doctrine (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3): those who fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ in the flesh are false prophets and belong to the antichrist. Even though these false prophets are well received in the world, the Christian who belongs to God has a greater power in the truth.” [4]
 
CCC: 1 Jn 3:19-24 2845; 1 Jn 3:22 2631; 1 Jn 4 2822; 1 Jn 4:2-3 465; 1 Jn 4:2 423, 463; 1 Jn 4:3 672
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 2:7bc-8, 10-12a
 
R. (8ab) I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.”
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.
R. I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.
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Commentary on Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a
 
Psalm 2 is one of the Royal Psalms. In this passage we are reminded that God has adopted us as his sons and daughters. The language used is the formal adoption language of the time. The second strophe gives force to the service to God required by that adoption.
 
CCC:  Ps 2:7-8 2606; Ps 2:7 441, 653, 2836
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Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
 
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,
that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen.
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.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
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Commentary on Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
 
The events in this Gospel passage take place just following Jesus’ trial in the desert. St. John the Baptist has accomplished his mission in baptizing Jesus and has been arrested. Jesus must now do the work he was sent to do.  He turns his back on his persecutors and makes his home in Capernaum. He then takes up his mission, proclaiming the kingdom of God. The Gospel quotes Isaiah (Isaiah 8:22-9:1) to emphasize that the messianic mission and prophecy are being fulfilled. The key elements of the mission are laid out as he reveals God’s love. These elements are teaching, proclaiming the gospel (the Good News of the kingdom of God), and healing.

The summary provided serves as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount which follows in the next section. Omitted from this part of the Gospel, in verses 18-22, is the call of the first disciples.
 
CCC: Mt 4:17 1720, 1989; Mt 4:24 1503
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Reflection:
 
We have, to be somewhat clichéd, “seen the light.”  The guiding star, that morning star that never sets, has led the magi to the manger. Light has burst upon the world as the Savior is worshiped by the contingent of Gentile leaders representing the entire non-Jewish world.
 
The Scripture provided today catapults us forward in time to the period immediately following the Lord’s trial in the desert, which in turn followed his baptism by the Baptist in the Jordan.  We are told that John the Baptist was arrested.  In all of the Gospels, this is like a starter’s pistol going off.  From that moment, the Lord begins his spectacular, but short, public ministry.  For those reading this story for the first time, the fate of John the Baptist would feel like a warning of things to come for Jesus, and they would be right.  Some of the same forces that snatched John away from his ministry of calling the people to repentance would later be marshaled against Jesus himself. 
 
Jesus recognizes the meaning of the arrest of John the Baptist by Herod Antipas.  The prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:22-23) and God’s plan come together. He understands his ministry must be fulfilled and so, turns his back on his persecutors fleeing to the north and the result is the light comes to those regions. As we will see so many times, the enemy’s attempt to destroy the light only results in its spread.
 
What message do we take away from this flow of events?  We are still rejoicing in the warmth of Christmas and recharged in the Epiphany.  The season is not over yet.  The Baptism of the Lord which we will celebrate next Sunday actually launches us into Ordinary (extraordinary) Time.
 
Perhaps we would best look at St. John’s first letter for a more pragmatic instruction.  He makes it clear that our call is to be faithful to the first and greatest commandment of Jesus: Love God and love one another.  Anyone who tells us that this is not the most important imperative of our lives is leading us down dark paths.  And in this season of joy, St. John once more reminds us that the one who came from the virgin’s womb came so that the love of God might be revealed through him.  In that love, demonstrated so clearly in the mission summarized by Saint Matthew, we see not only our call but our hope. 
 
Today let us rededicate ourselves to the mission of Christ who came to show the love of God to the world.  Let us be instruments of that love and echo the Lord’s divine revelation to all we meet.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Christ preaching on the Sea of Galilee,” by Jan Bruegel the Elder (1568–1625).
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] NAB footnote on 1 John 4:1-6.