Our Great Journey

Our weekly post offers prayer resources, a glimpse of the upcoming Sunday Gospel with short commentary, discussion/reflection questions and suggestions for living the Gospel.

This week our theme is “Drop Everything.” based on Matthew 4:12-23:/ Mateo 4:12-23

We gather together at Church on January 27 & 28. Due to the weather, we cancelled January 25 and will meet February 1. We will present Empowering God’s Children to K-12 during all sessions.

Opening Prayer:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to the Apostles, “Come, follow me.” You say the same words to us today. Help us to follow you, to walk the way of your commandments, to help those who are struggling, and to love all people as you love them. May we rejoice in your presence with us as we work to build up the Kingdom of God, where you live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayer for January is the The Nicene Creed. (The Nicene Creed is a profession of faith that expanded and clarified The Apostle’s Creed. It was decided at the Council of Nicaea in 325. The Nicene Creed is prayed at Mass) It is a good prayer to remember when people ask what we believe as Catholics; about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Church.se Please pray this prayer daily to learn. Click to learn more about the differences between the Apostle’s & Nicene Creeds.)

Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.

Things to talk about:

What does it mean when we say Christ is our Light?
Who has shared God’s love and the Light of Christ with you?
What does “repent” mean? Does God forgive us every time we ask for forgiveness?
Who spoke of repentance to prepare the way for Jesus?
How can you respond to Jesus’ command to repent?
What amazes you about the call of the first Apostles? What if you were there? What would you do?
Why do you think James and John leave their previous life behind and follow Jesus?
How would you like to proclaim the Good News to others and let the Light of Christ shine in your life?

Things to do:

Brainstorm and reflect how you can follow Jesus, just like the first apostles.
In the early Church, the fish was a secret symbol of Christianity. Look around the church and vestibule to see if you can find any fish in the art, décor, windows, or books.
Have a movie night and pick an ocean-themed movie (“Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Dolphin Tale,” etc.) complete with lights off and a snack! ( Goldfish Cracker Mix: 1 bag Parmesan Goldfish Crackers, 1 bag Pretzel Goldfish Crackers, 1 bag Cheddar Goldfish Crackers, Optional: 1 can honey roasted peanuts, Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve. Enjoy! )

Closing Prayer

Lord, we thank You for the extraordinary life of grace You have called us to live. Help us to respond to Your invitation to follow you. We pray that we might become fishers of men, proclaiming your Good News and bringing others to you. Amen.

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Catholic Insight

The first part of this Gospel places Jesus’ ministry in the context of the writings of the prophet, Isaiah. Matthew wants to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies given to the people of Israel, and he refers to Isaiah.

The phrase “see the light” has long been used to describe moments of conversion and transformation when we come to a new awareness or make a change that lifts a burden.

In this Gospel we remember that Christ is our “Light.” This beautiful image is one that gives hope and joy. Jesus’ ministry begins with the same words that John used: “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It is a call to change our lives so the light of the Kingdom of heaven can shine through us onto the whole world. As Christians, we see the light when we answer Jesus’ call to repentance. Drop everything and follow Jesus!

The Gospel continues with Jesus calling his first disciples, the Gospel tells us that the fishermen (Peter and Andrew, James and John) dropped everything to follow Jesus immediately. What kind of person must Jesus have been to invoke such a response?

The Gospel concludes with a description of the ministry that Jesus begins in Galilee; teaching in the synagogue and curing people’s diseases. We already begin to see the Kingdom of God among us.

Additional key concepts for this week:

Kingdom of Heaven– The terms “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Kingdom of God” appear many times in Scripture. The two terms mean the same thing. Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven” throughout his Gospel. Mark and Luke use the term “Kingdom of God” in their writings when referring to the same idea. This central theme of Christ’s message appears over 100 times in the New Testament.

The Kingdom of Heaven is a Kingdom that exists within and among the people of God. Think of the Kingdom of Heaven as God’s intentions for the universe. Citizens of this kingdom are called to live the way that Christ lived and think the way that Christ thought. It’s both a present reality, seen in the Church and acts of love, and a future hope, achieved through submission to Jesus and a change of heart, with ultimate fulfillment after death.

Did you know?… In 2019, Pope Francis declared the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time as Sunday of the Word of God. This day reminds us to read the Bible regularly and reminds us of the connection between the Bible and the sacraments.

Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection

January 25, 2026 – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time