Daily Gospel Reflection for January 22, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Leslie Lynch

Today's Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

A lot goes on in today’s Gospel from Matthew. Jesus has just returned from His forty days in the desert and hears of John the Baptist’s arrest. He withdraws into Galilee, leaves Nazareth, goes to Capernaum, fulfills a prophecy of Isaiah about a great light in the darkness, calls His first four disciples, and proclaims the gospel of the kingdom. Oh, and He heals disease and infirmity.

Whew!

It’s almost too much to contemplate.

Yet hidden in these verses is a wonderful template for our lives.

1. Prayer Deeply troubled by his cousin’s arrest, Jesus withdrew to regain His composure and to pray. He sought intimate friendship with the Father, from Whom He gained clarity and courage. In our trials and tragedies, we can follow His example. Withdrawal yields the fruit of healing only through prayer. Yet we are not meant to remain isolated, even in prayer.

2. Community After prayer, Jesus called His disciples, creating community. Jesus did not go it alone. Nor should we. We must seek out those who will understand our struggle and help us remain close to God, whether it’s a focused support group, a spiritual advisor, or an unrelated gathering of like-minded souls who care for us.

3. Ministry Then Jesus began His ministry: teaching, proclaiming the kingdom, calling for repentance, curing disease and illnesses. We, too, proclaim the kingdom with acts of spiritual and corporal mercy. Those are fancy words for caring for the people (young and old) God has placed in our lives. Humbled and consoled in prayer, strengthened by the community of believers, we offer our unique gifts to those around us.

Through this simple, practical template, we can increase our intimate friendship with God, and become the light of Christ to the world.

Ponder:

Do I take my wounds to God in prayer, seek the support of believers, see the light of Christ in others, and become the light of Christ to others?

Pray:

Dearest Jesus, I love You and want to follow in Your footsteps. Please grant me the grace to seek Your friendship in every circumstance and to allow Your light to shine through me.

Deeply troubled by his cousin’s arrest, Jesus withdrew . . . He sought intimate friendship with the Father, from Whom He gained clarity and courage. In our trials and tragedies, we can follow His example. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Leslie Lynch

Leslie Lynch lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and a rescued, feral-turned-sweetheart cat. She’s written three full-length novels: Hijacked, Unholy Bonds, and Opal’s Jubilee; and two novellas: Christmas Hope and Christmas Grace. She is an occasional contributor to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’s newspaper, The Criterion, and holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University. Learn more at www.leslielynch.com.