3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A)
Scripture readings: Is. 8:23-9:3; 1 Cor. 1:10-13, 17; Mt. 4:12-23
This is a true of story of Sr. Rani Maria of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (India). She was working with landless labourers in the central part of India. She conducted camps informing them about government schemes and loans. The money lenders were upset with her activities and her support to the landless laboureres. They hired Samander Singh to kill Sr. Rani Maria. He stabbed her 54 times in the bus on 25 February 1995. He was caught in the forest after three days.
He was sentence to life imprisonment. His wife left him. His eldest son died. The people who hired him also abandoned him. He was living in guilt. He was plotting to kill those who pushed him in this murder. It was Sr. Rani Maria’s sister, Sr. Selmy Paul visited him on Raksha Bandan and made him her brother. She along with her family forgave him. This incident changed his life. Later the family pleaded before the Governor for his release. After completing 11 years in jail, he dedicated his life to social work. He started helping underprivileged families. He was present for the beautification of Sr. Rani Maria on Nov 4, 2017. He has become part of Sr. Rani Maria’s family. Repentance brought light into his life. He says everything that happens is God’s will. He knows that Jesus, the light of the world has dispelled the darkness from his life. He is a renewed person.
The readings of the day give us great insights into repentance preached by Jesus bring the light in our lives. In the first reading, Isaiah talks about the northern region of the promised land. The northern Israel sinned against God as a result they were brutally attacked by the Assyrian inventions in 721 BC. The two tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were situated in the extreme north. They experienced the gruesome persecution by Assyrians. They were taken into captivity to Assyria. Eventually, they lost their identity.
The city of Galilee is situated in the same place of Zebulun and Naphtali. Isaiah says that if the darkness came on the land of Zebulun and Naphtali by the Assyrians then they will the first to see the light in the darkness and they will live in light. Prophet Isiah makes a prophesy of hope hundreds of years before Christ.
Mathew, the evangelist who knew the Jewish history and the difference between the people of Galilee (northern kingdom) and the people of Jerusalem (southern kingdom) made a deliberate distinction to bring out the most important lesson i.e. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah. A closer look in the historical survey of Galilee in the days of Jesus would give us little more insights. Galilee was considered to be racially poor because they had a mixed population. They were mostly pagans. Galilee was geographically away from Jerusalem, the city of temple. It was theologically poor because the learned scribes lived in Jerusalem. Thus the Galileans were considered illiterates in religiosity. Their language was not refined, therefore, often they became the subject of jokes and taunts. They did not have the Hebrew culture so they were discriminated. They were economically rich due to fertile land and the lake; and therefore showed interest in money, therefore, showed less interest in God. Lastly, the Galilee was seen as a separate territory due to the political administration. In such circumstances, Jesus chose to settle down in Galilee. The land which was rejected by everyone from the time of Assyrians invasion. They saw the light of God in person of Jesus Christ. People from all four corners came to Jesus who had settled in Galilee. Jesus, the light of the world, dispelled the darkness in Galilee.
It is quite interesting to note that Jesus gave his first sermon of his life on repentance. Jesus gave utmost importance to the topic of repentance. Jesus says, “repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near” (Mt 4:17). The same text is found in other Gospels too. Why did Jesus choose to speak on the repentance? What is so important in the repentance? It is the key to enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is the door to enter into the kingdom of God. The reasons could be: 1) God does not want us to be eternally damned. 2) God does not want us to remain in pain and suffering. 3) God does not want us to remain in darkness. 4) God does not want us to go to hell. 5) God does not want us to live in sin and die in sin. In other words, God simply wants us in his bosom. As a matter of fact, John the Baptist also preached repentance, while baptizing people in the river Jordan (Mt. 3:2) Sts. Peter and Paul also preached on the repentance. Peter’s first sermon in the temple was on the repentance (Acts 2:38). St. Paul preached repentance in Antioch (Acts 20:21). All of them knew the importance of repentance in their lives.
Jesus calls us to repentance today. He calls us to come out of darkness to walk in his light. Peter, Andrew, John and James listened to his call of repentance. These men were like us, busy fishing, in their own life. They were busy earning for themselves. They worked day and night. God was not in their lives. They represent us. They repented over their sinful life. Their lives were filled with Jesus, the light.
Samander Singh, the murderer of Bl. Rani Maria lived in darkness. He repented over his sins. Jesus filled his life with his light. Jesus wants to dispel darkness from our lives too. Are we ready to repent like the four apostles and Samander Singh?
Fr. Alex D’Mello