1st Reading – Isaiah 8:23-9:3
First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali;
but in the end 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.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder,
and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
Our first reading is an Isaian prophecy that speaks to a people who have experienced oppression, gloom, and uncertainty, promising that God will bring a great light that transforms their suffering into joy.
First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali;
The passage opens by recalling the suffering of the northern tribes of Israel.
Zebulun and Naphtali, named after two of Jacob’s twelve sons, occupied the northernmost territories and were the first to bear the brunt of Assyrian invasions (733-732 BC). Isaiah portrays the devastation of these lands as a consequence of political turmoil and military defeat.
but in the end he has glorified the seaward road, the land West of the Jordan, the District of the Gentiles.
Despite their current humiliation, Isaiah promises that God will restore these regions. The prophet envisions a future in which God transforms the devastated lands into a place of honor and light.
The reference to the “District of the Gentiles” hints at God’s intention to extend salvation beyond Israel, a theme that will later find fuller expression in the ministry of Jesus.
Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness; for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.
The people’s suffering was profound. The Assyrian invasion brought deportations, social disruption, and political collapse, leaving the communities in despair.
Isaiah uses the metaphor of darkness (hōshek) to capture the weight of the devastation the people were experiencing.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
God’s intervention brings a dramatic reversal: salvation dispels the darkness and bursts upon the land with the brightness of a shining light.
This signals not only political or military relief but the broader restoration of life, hope, and covenant faithfulness.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing,
Isaiah now addresses God, acknowledging that the people did not bring this joy upon themselves; they are the recipients of God’s grace.
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as men make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed,
Isaiah portrays the joyous effects of God’s deliverance through metaphors:
- The joy and excitement of harvest time, which included the deep satisfaction of accomplishment, the savoring of luscious fruits, and the assurance of new life,
- The headiness of victory in battle, including the privilege of dividing the spoils that go to the vanquisher, and
- The relief of being freed from Assyrian oppression, seen in the image of shackled oxen, a fairly common image of enslavement. God has intervened and destroyed the instruments of their servitude.
There is a tremendous sense of relief that the hardships are over. God opens up a new future for the humble where gloom had previously existed.
as on the day of Midian.
The reference recalls God’s deliverance of Israel from Midianite oppression (Judges 6-7), emphasizing that God alone can overturn seemingly insurmountable forces. Just as God acted decisively in the past, so too will God act to bring light, joy, and freedom to the afflicted.
In today’s gospel reading, Matthew will reinterpret Isaiah’s words in the light of Jesus’ saving actions. Through Jesus, the words of the prophet have been fulfilled in a far more marvelous way than even the prophet himself understood.
2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,
by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
I mean that each of you is saying,
“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”
or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,
so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
As mentioned last week, each year in the early weeks of Ordinary Time before Lent, the Church reflects on Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.
Paul established the Christian community at Corinth during his second missionary journey, remaining there for about eighteen months (50-52 AD) and preaching the gospel with the assistance of Silas and Timothy. After Paul’s departure, other missionaries visited the city, most notably Apollos, an eloquent Jewish Christian from Alexandria whose preaching strengthened the community and brought new converts (Acts 18:24–28).
Corinth’s cultural diversity, social stratification, and competitive spirit soon found their way into the life of the Church. Differences in background and temperament, especially admiration for particular leaders, began to harden into rival factions. From Ephesus, Paul received troubling reports of these divisions. This letter, written around 57 AD, is his response.
I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
The appeals in Paul’s letter are grounded not in personal authority but in their shared confession of faith.
that all of you agree in what you say,
Literally hina to auto legēte pantes: “that all of you say the same thing”.
This was a well-known Greek idiom commonly used in Greek political and rhetorical contexts to express the need to be of one mind in public witness. It often appeared in discussions of civic unity and political concord.
Paul is drawing on civic language his audience would recognize, especially appropriate in Corinth, a city deeply shaped by Greek political culture.
and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
To be united implies mutual adjustment and humility: a willingness to yield for the sake of communion.
For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.
Chloe is not further identified in the text of his letter, but she seems to have been the head of a household in Corinth. Some of her servants probably visited Paul and described the situation to him.
This early evidence of conflict dispels any notion of a flawless “golden age” of the Church, which later broke down. Christian unity has always been something that believers must continually pursue.
I mean that each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”
Paul and Apollos had both played important roles in Corinth (cf. Acts 18), but allegiance to their personalities had begun to eclipse allegiance to Christ.
or “I belong to Kephas,”
Kephas is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic Kepha, which means “Rock.” He is referring to Peter (Matthew 16:18), who may have passed through Corinth and baptized some members of the community.
As with Paul and Apollos, there is no evidence that Peter was personally responsible for the group that rallied around his name.
or “I belong to Christ.”
Many scholars view this as sharp sarcasm from Paul.
If this group really existed, their fault would not consist in their saying that they belonged to Christ, but in their implying that Christ belonged uniquely to them. (Such people still exist!)
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
“Whenever Paul uses rhetorical questions, as he does here, he implies that the whole argument is absurd.” —Saint John Chrysostom (392 AD), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians 3,5
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,
The reference to baptism and the contrast with preaching the gospel suggest that some Corinthians were paying special allegiance to the individuals who initiated them into the community.
There is only one Savior, Christ, who died on the cross, into whom men are incorporated by baptism, no matter who administers it.
and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.
Following individual leaders based on the rhetorical showmanship prized in Corinthian culture is in conflict with the gospel and the cross.
Gospel – Matthew 4:12-23
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.”
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
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.
As we begin Ordinary Time in Year A, the Church turns to the Gospel according to Matthew, which will provide our Sunday Gospel readings throughout this liturgical year. Traditionally associated with the apostle Matthew and written for a community of Jewish Christians, this Gospel presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s Scriptures: the promised Messiah who brings the Law and the Prophets to completion.
Today’s reading marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Matthew places this passage immediately after Jesus’ temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11, which will be our gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent).
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.
John’s arrest by Herod Antipas marks the close of John’s public ministry and the decisive beginning of Jesus’ own. Matthew later recounts the circumstances of John’s imprisonment and death (14:1-12), but here the emphasis is theological rather than historical: the forerunner’s mission gives way to the Messiah’s.
At first glance, Galilee may seem an unlikely place to begin a public ministry. It was distant from Jerusalem’s religious elite and regarded by some as religiously compromised due to its mixed population and proximity to Gentile territories.
Yet Galilee was, in fact, a perfect place to begin. Major trade routes passed through the region, connecting it to Syria, Phoenicia, and beyond. Its towns were densely populated and culturally diverse. Beginning his ministry here also anticipates — though the disciples do not yet grasp it — the universal scope of Jesus’ saving mission.
He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali
Jesus’ relocation to Capernaum signals a decisive break from his hidden life in Nazareth and the beginning of his public ministry. Capernaum becomes his base of operations and is closely associated with his teaching and miracles.
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.”
Matthew quotes Isaiah 8:23-9:1, the same verses from our first reading.
Because Jesus’ ministry unfolds in Galilee — particularly in regions traditionally associated with Zebulun and Naphtali, including Capernaum — Matthew sees Isaiah’s prophecy of light dawning upon these lands as now fulfilled. Jesus himself is the great light Isaiah foretold, the light promised to dispel the darkness of sin and death.
Significantly, the lands first to be humbled are the first to witness restoration.
From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
With this proclamation, Jesus formally begins his ministry. Like John the Baptist, he calls for repentance, but whereas John pointed forward in expectation, Jesus announces fulfillment: God’s reign is now breaking into history through his own presence.
The “kingdom of heaven” is Matthew’s reverent Jewish expression for the kingdom of God, using “heaven” as a respectful substitute for God’s name. This isn’t a description of a place or political system, but God’s active and saving reign breaking into human history. It will become the central theme of Jesus’ preaching: a reign already present in his words and actions, yet awaiting its full fulfillment.
As Jesus’ ministry unfolds, he gradually corrects common misconceptions about the kingdom, revealing it as a reign of mercy, holiness, and self-giving love rather than nationalistic power.
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
Jesus immediately calls disciples to share in his mission. This was unusual in a rabbinic context where students normally sought out a teacher. His call establishes not merely a school, but the foundation of a new community gathered around his person.
He did not choose religious professionals, but tax collectors, zealots, itinerants… and salty fishermen. Their selection underscores that participation in God’s saving work does not depend on social or religious status.
He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus calls his disciples not only to follow but to be sent. The image of fishing suggests gathering people into the life of God’s kingdom through proclamation and witness.
At once they left their nets and followed him.
The immediacy of their response highlights the radical nature of discipleship. They relinquish security, livelihood, and familiar patterns of life in obedience to Jesus’ call — an obedience that mirrors the urgency of the kingdom he proclaims.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
James and John’s call further emphasizes the cost of discipleship. Allegiance to Jesus takes precedence even over loyalty to one’s father, a bond deeply rooted in the Law and social life of Israel.
This does not negate familial responsibility; elsewhere, Jesus strongly condemns the neglect of one’s parents (15:4-6). Rather, discipleship reorders all relationships under obedience to God.
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.
Matthew concludes with a summary of Jesus’ ministry, which has three facets: teaching, proclaiming the kingdom, and healing those suffering from disease and illness.
These works are signs that the promised age of salvation has begun (Isaiah 35:5-7; 61:1). Alleluia!
Connections and Themes
From darkness to light. In the first reading, Isaiah prophesies to a people who know darkness well: lands once humiliated, communities weighed down by fear, and hearts accustomed to division. He speaks into this reality with a promise: God does not abandon wounded places. A great light will rise where gloom once prevailed. In the gospel reading, that promise is fulfilled as Jesus steps into Galilee and begins his public ministry. Light does not arrive as an abstraction, but as a person who calls, heals, and restores. Saint Paul’s words to the Corinthians echo the same movement: divisions fracture the community when they lose sight of Christ, but unity is restored when they return to the light that first called them. Salvation, in every case, is a passage from darkness into the radiance of God’s presence.
The kingdom breaks in. This light breaking into the darkness signals the arrival of God’s kingdom, which Jesus announces with the first words of his ministry. Isaiah anticipated this moment as a reversal of oppression and despair, a joy like harvest after long famine. Paul confronts the Corinthians precisely because the kingdom has consequences: if God truly reigns, then rivalry, pride, and division no longer make sense. The kingdom reshapes priorities, relationships, and communities — conforming them to God’s self-giving love.
Called together, not divided. As the kingdom takes root, it forms a people. Jesus does not proclaim the good news alone; he immediately calls disciples, inviting ordinary men into a shared way of life shaped by his presence. Isaiah envisioned a people walking together in the light, and Paul insists that this vision must be lived concretely within the Church as a united community.
We, too, have been called. Ordinary Time is the season in which the Church lingers over that call, week by week, learning what it means to follow Jesus faithfully, to live in communion, and to let our shared discipleship bear visible witness to the kingdom already among us.
Sunday Readings 