26 January 2014, Sunday, Matthew 4:12-23 (Gospel and Homily)

Gospel, Matthew 4:12-23

12 Hearing that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee,

13 and leaving Nazara he went and settled in Capernaum, beside the lake, on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

15 Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea beyond Jordan. Galilee of the nations!

16 The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a country of shadow dark as death a light has dawned.

17 From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heavenis close at hand.'

18 As he was walking by the Lake of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast into the lake with their net, for they were fishermen.

19 And he said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.'

20 And at once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.

22 And at once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

23 He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people.

Homily

• If our dreams don't set in with reality, we leave them saying "It was never meant for me."

• Trials and challenges lead dreams to erode, thus easily giving up on those dreams.

• You can dream bigger than who you are.

• Limitations in life can sometimes be very very cruel. We want to go beyond our limitations, but not everyone can be successful.

• Everyday we have our own dreams, it is a part of our lives.

• Our day dreams are the closest desires and belongings to what God is offering us.

• if we try to look closely, our whole life is always hungry for something we do not know because some of that something we do not have. 

• Most authentic of our dreams - something that we do not know, something that we do not have and something that we cannot live without.

• In our dreams we are the greatest person, and it is not being selfish. 

• In our experiences, we end up suffocating ourselves. We change our big dreams to small but many dreams and yet it is still not enough to replace the big ones. Then we become sad and feel suffocated. 

• Repentance in the time of Jesus is not just being sorry, but to really change your ways. If it is possible, change your career and your whole life.

• If it is not working for you, go for something that God is offering you so that you can live a worthy life.

• You cannot find something that you do not have, something that we do not have a name for, something that you could not live without in places where you expect to find it.

• Be adventurous. Don't just go for the usual. Don't just go for the ordinary. God Himself loves adventures.

• God is most of the time in the unexpected of places and you will meet Him in the most unexpected persons in the most unexpected moments.

by Rev. Fr. Ramon N. Eloriaga

Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Joseph - Project 3, Quezon City

26 January 2014, Sunday - 9:00 AM Mass