Opening Prayer – Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

God, our creator, You give us the breath of life.
Jesus, our mentor, You call us to follow you.
Spirit, our companion, You are with us always.
You show us the path and teach us to be disciples.
May we always walk in Your light and share Your love.

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 8:23-9:3
• Where do you see darkness in the world today? Do you think God can dispel this darkness? Are there things YOU can do to bring light to these dark places?
• Anguish and gloom have hovered over the people in the Old Testament. Think about a time when you could relate to feeling this way. What brought you out of this dark time?

1Corinthians 1:10-13,17
• What causes people to quarrel? What is the disagreement in this reading? What makes people have to learn for themselves and not learn from others mistakes?
• Can positive things come from disagreements? Where have you seen good or growth come from conflict?

Matthew 4:12-23
• Two sets of brothers dropped everything and immediately followed Jesus. What do you think they saw in Jesus that would make them do that? Do you think they had regrets?
• Could you drop everything in your life and leave? What would you have a hard time leaving behind?

General Questions for Journaling
• Identify any darkness which occupies your soul. What creates the darkness? How can you work to bring light into the darkness?
• Describe the feeling you have when you see a light in the distance though the darkness. Compare it to your spirituality.
• Who are people in our world today who are “beacons of light”? We celebrate public figures who make contributions to society such as Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King JR. Name some of the people whom you look to for inspiration? Whom you revere or respect? What qualities do they possess which you want to emulate?
• If you saw Jesus “strolling” along the Sea of Galilee, would you approach Him? Sit and meditate. Let the scene play out in your mind. Allow Jesus to talk with you.
• What do you desire? What do you long for? How do you work to satisfy this desire or longing?
• When you daydream, what do you dream about? Do you give these daydreams any attention in your “everyday life”? Do you share these dreams with God or others?
• Could you like John the Baptist stand up for what is right even if it meant you would have to suffer? What would be worth the sacrifice?

Closing Prayer – Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14

ALL: The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?
One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek;
to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord
and contemplate his temple.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord
in the land of the living, wait for the Lord with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.

Challenge for the Week: Go deeper into your meditation this week and consider your path of discipleship. Jesus said, “Come and follow me”, “Leave behind your nets”, “ I will make you fishers of men”, “Your lives will never be the same”. He still calls each of us in this way…by name. Have you left behind your nets? What are some of the things we still hang onto? What does it mean to be “fishers of men”? Are you working to bring others to Christ? Do you seek out those in need and share God’s love and mercy with them? How has following God changed your life?