"WE CAN BELIEVE WHAT WE CHOOSE.

WE ARE ANSWERABLE FOR WHAT WE CHOOSE TO BELIEVE."

- Saint John Neumann

 

St. John Neumann, bishop

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1 John 3:22-4:6

Then, whatever we ask,

We shall receive, since we keep his commands and do what pleases him. His command is,

that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that, we love one another, as he has commanded us.

 

Whoever keeps his commands remains in God and God in him.

It is by the Spirit God has given us, that we know he lives in us.

Do not trust every inspiration My beloved, do not trust every inspiration.

Test the spirits, to see, whether they come from God,

because many false prophets are now in the world.

 

How will you recognize the Spirit of God? Any spirit recognizing Jesus as the Christ, who has taken our flesh, is of God.

But any spirit that does not recognize Jesus, is not from God, it is the spirit of the antichrist.

You have heard of his coming, and even, now, he is in the world.

You, my dear children, are of God, and you have already overcome these people, because the one who is in you,

is more powerful than he who is in the world.

 

They are of the world and the world inspires them, and those of the world listen to them.

We are of God, and those who know God, listen to us, but those who are not of God, ignore us.

This is how we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of falsehood as well.

 

Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a

I will give you ll the nations for an inheritance.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊

Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum,

a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way, the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled:

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea;

 

and you, who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans:

The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light;

on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim his message,

"Change your ways: the kingdom of heaven is near."

 

Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,

proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing all kinds 

of sickness and disease among the people.

The news about him spread through the whole of Syria; and the people brought all their sick to him,

and all those who suffered: the possessed, the deranged, the paralyzed; and he healed them all.

Large crowds followed him from Galilee and the Ten Cities, from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

 It was not yet his time.

he news of John's arrest prompted Jesus to take a detour.

Jesus retreated not out of cowardice, but rather as a wise decision,

recognizing that it was not yet his time. When we encounter tension and crises in life,

it is often wiser to step back rather than confront them immediately.

 

This approach allows us time to discern, act reasonably,

and avoid being overly emotional in our decisions and actions. Sometimes,

crises can redirect us to a more fulfilling path and a meaningful purpose.

Lord, help me make the right decision in challenging times. Amen.