The infancy narrative of Matthew ends with the sojourn of the Holy Family in Nazareth after their return from Egypt. In this remote town, Jesus grew up an adult. At age 30, Jesus transitioned from a quiet citizen of Nazareth to become an itinerant teacher in the region of Galilee. His choice of this northernmost province of Palestine, despised as “heathen Galilee” is significant. Despite its ill reputation among the religious leaders in Jerusalem as a province inhabited by both Jews and Gentiles, a mixed and, hence, “impure” people, Jesus makes Galilee as the nerve center of his mission. Not far from his thought will be the ancient prophecy that the Messiah will make his appearance in “Galilee of the Gentiles”—to people “sitting in darkness” precisely because of pagan presence and practices when the Assyrians settled other people there (Is 8:23—9:5). Jesus focuses on a threefold mission of preaching, teaching, and forming his core group of disciples. He carries on John the Baptist’s call for repentance and reform of life, and proclaims that the Kingdom has drawn nearer to them than ever before. He teaches crowds everywhere using homespun language and examples. He enthralls them with parables or stories regarding God’s Kingdom—on the seashore, on the mountain, out in the field, and inside the synagogue. His teaching is also accompanied by miracles, and the disciples who are witnesses to Jesus’ power receives training from him. Thus, Jesus’ fame spreads among the Jews and pagans alike in Galilee.

First Reading • 1 Jn 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.

Gospel • Mt 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.

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.