Gospel Matthew 4:12-17 He went and settled in Capernaum: in this way the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled: ‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations! The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned.’ From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’ Reflection Jesus begins his public ministry not in Jerusalem's temple or among the elite, but in Galilee—a region looked down upon, a place of mixed peoples and darkness. Yet it is precisely here that the light dawns. This reminds us that God's kingdom breaks into our world not where we expect ...

Gospel Mark 3:20-21 Jesus' relatives were convinced he was out of his mind Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind. Reflection This striking passage reveals the human cost of Jesus' radical ministry. Even those closest to him—his own family—misunderstood his mission so profoundly that they thought he'd lost his sanity. Jesus was so consumed with compassion for the crowds that he neglected basic needs like eating, behavior that seemed irrational to his relatives. This moment reminds us that genuine discipleship often appears foolish to the world, and sometimes even to those who love us most. Following God's call may lead us to choices that others find incomprehensible. Jesus himself experienced the loneliness of being misunderstood, even by his own household. Yet he persisted in his mission, demonstrating t...

Gospel Mark 3:13-19 He appointed twelve to be his companions Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him. Reflection In this passage, Jesus intentionally chooses twelve ordinary men from diverse backgrounds—fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot—to form his inner circle. He doesn't select based on status or skill but on his sovereign will, equipping them not just as companions but as empowered messengers to preach and drive out demons. This reminds us that God's calling transforms the u...

Gospel Mark 3:7-12 He warned them not to make him known as the Son of God Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and great crowds from Galilee followed him. From Judaea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, Transjordania and the region of Tyre and Sidon, great numbers who had heard of all he was doing came to him. And he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, to keep him from being crushed. For he had cured so many that all who were afflicted in any way were crowding forward to touch him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he warned them strongly not to make him known. Reflection Jesus performs remarkable healings that draw massive crowds, yet he consistently silences those who proclaim his true identity. This paradox reveals something profound about his mission. The unclean spirits recognize who he is, but Jesus wants people to discover his identity not through super...

Gospel Mark 3:1-6 Is it against the law on the sabbath day to save life? Jesus went into a synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they were watching him to see if he would cure him on the sabbath day, hoping for something to use against him. He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up out in the middle!’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it against the law on the sabbath day to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to kill?’ But they said nothing. Then, grieved to find them so obstinate, he looked angrily round at them, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was better. The Pharisees went out and at once began to plot with the Herodians against him, discussing how to destroy him. Reflection Jesus challenges a rigid interpretation of religious law that prioritizes rules over human dignity and compassion. In this encounter, he exposes the absurdity of a system that would forbid healing on the Sabbath while...

Gospel Mark 2:23-28 The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’     And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’ Reflection Jesus challenges a rigid interpretation of religious law by reminding us of its true purpose. The Sabbath was given as a gift—a day of rest and renewal for human flourishing, not as a burden that ignores genuine human nee...