Homily: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
Sisters and friends, as we celebrate this Word of God Sunday–instituted by our late Holy Father, Pope Francis–we are reminded of a beautiful truth that Pope Francis emphasized over and over again throughout his pontificate: we are called to take the Gospel out into the streets… to those living on the margins of society… so that, by an encounter with the Word of God, all people might find hope and the gift of life that faith unlocks for us.
The great prophecy of Isaiah, which we heard in the first reading–and which immediately makes us think of the Christmas liturgy, in which the same reading is proclaimed–points to this truth. In it, the prophet speaks of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the lands founded by two of the twelve tribes of Israel when they entered into and settled in the Promised Land after the Exodus. These lands were settled in the north of the Israelite territory, bordering the Sea of Galilee on the west and northwest. Because they bordered the sea and also (in the case of Naphtali) bordered the Gentile lands to the north, Zebulun and Naphtali were frequented by people from the non-Israelite nations to the north who entered their lands for trade. They didn’t have any major cities, nor were they known for having an educated upper class. This caused them to be somewhat looked down upon, in comparison to the more prominent tribes of the Israelites, like the tribes of Benjamin (which contains Jerusalem), Judah (which contains sites like Mt. Hebron/Sinai and Bethlehem, the birthplace of king David), and Manassah (which contained the capital of Samaria). Thus, Zebulun and Naphtali were looked down upon as more “backwater” tribes (kind of in the same way that people from population centers on the coasts here in the US think about people from the rural south). For example, just remember that, when Philip was inviting Nathanael to follow Jesus, and Nathanael found out that Jesus was from Nazareth (in the land of Zebulun), he said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
In Isaiah’s prophecy, we hear him proclaim this reality: “First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…” But the prophecy continues to declare that God has turned the fortunes of these lands that were considered misbegotten by the others and has brought them hope. “...but in the end”, Isaiah proclaimed, “he has glorified the seaward road, the land west of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles. Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” Or, to say it in another way: “The Lord permitted the land of Zebulun and Naphtali to be marginalized, forsaken, and forgotten, but now he has turned to them and has shown his favor to them.” What a joyful prophecy this must have been to the members of those ancestral tribes!
Then, in the Gospel reading, we heard how Jesus, after the arrest of John the Baptist, “left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali…” The Gospel writer, Matthew, doesn’t say that “Jesus said that he was doing this to fulfill what was prophesied by Isaiah”, but nonetheless, as the most “Jewish” of the Gospel writers, he makes the connection and declares this to be the consequence of Jesus making this move. There, Jesus begins to proclaim the Gospel: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” By any worldly standards (or, better yet, by Jewish standards), this message should have been proclaimed in Jerusalem, where the most prominent religious and political leaders of the Jews were. You know, like “Hey! I’m here! The one you were waiting for!” Instead, Jesus started at the margins… the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali… the lands “degraded by the Lord” at first and which “dwelled in darkness”... Jesus goes there and begins to proclaim his good news. Could you imagine what those people thought? “Wait, we’re the first to hear this news? Why wouldn’t he go to Jerusalem first? What a blessing for us!” Jesus, the Word of God, when declaring his good news, went to the most marginalized tribes first. In doing so, he not only fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of becoming “a great light” to “those who dwelt in darkness”, but he showed them… and all of the Israelites… and all of us… that the ones that society often forgets are not forgotten by him. Rather, they are shown to have a special place of importance to him; so much so, that he brings the good news to them, instead of expecting them to find a way to come and find it.
In light of our celebration of this “Word of God Sunday”, and along with the beautiful reflections of our Holy Father, Pope Leo, in his apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, we are being invited to recognize, to celebrate, and to give thanks once again for the mercy of God that draws close to us in his Word and brings us this good news: “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In doing so, we are reminded of our call to do as he did and to go out to the marginalized in our community–that is, to those who believe themselves to have been “degraded” by the Lord and so “dwell in darkness”–so as to shine forth “a great light” to them: this gospel message of the kingdom, a kingdom in which those from the margins live in communion with those whom society honors… and all in peace in the light of God’s presence.
This makes me think of the first apostles that Jesus called: Simon and Andrew, James and John. Jesus went to the margins and chose people from the margins (that is, people that the world would have otherwise ignored) to carry his message–the Word of God–to the ends of the world. Sisters, friends… take a look around. Who of us here can step back and say, “Well, it’s obvious why Jesus would choose me to be an apostle of his gospel. I have so much influence and a great network of influential people who can help me spread this good news.” No, all of us here are like Simon and Andrew, James and John, Mary of Magdela, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus… that is, ordinary folks to whom the Word of God has come to bring this message of hope, and who have been tasked with giving witness to this good news in our lives. May we never forget the tenderness that God showed us by drawing close to us in the margins of our hearts to share with us this good news: “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. It is a beautiful gift for which we are duty bound to give thanks every day.
My dear Sisters and friends, we have just such an opportunity to give thanks here in this Mass. Let us, therefore, be fervent in our thanksgiving for the Word of God that comes to us, that dwells with us, and that scatters the dark sadness of suffering that our still broken world causes us, through the light of the Gospel. Having done so–and having received strength from the holy food that we receive from this altar–may we let this light shine ever more brightly through us until the day that the kingdom of heaven becomes fully known: that day when Christ himself returns to take us all home to himself.
Given at the Monastery of the Poor Clares: Kokomo, IN - January 25th, 2026
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