Readings and meditation on the Word of God on the third Sunday in ordinary time, January 25th, 2026

Delivered by Stella, Michella, and Dwi Setyo from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Isaiah 8: 23b - 9: 3; Rs psalm 27: 1.4.13-14; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13.17; Matthew 4: 12-17.UNITY BUILT FROMCAPERNAUM The title for our meditation on this 3rdSunday in Ordinary Time is: Unity Built From Capernaum. In his days of publicministry, Jesus Christ made Capernaum His city. All the teaching activities,miracles, selection of the disciples began and developed there. This place wassafe for Jesus to work to the fullness. After John the Baptist was arrested, Hemoved from Nazareth to this town, and that meant he left the place that was fullof pressure and threats. Usually it came from civil and religious authority.  Capernaum was a city to be longed for. According tothe book of Isaiah in the first reading and the Gospel of Matthew today, thecity was located across the Jordan River. Everything that was obtained and madeacross the Jordan was special, and this had been th story since ancient timeswhen the Israelites had already crossed the Jordan. To across the Jordan is asign of a new life. In that new life, Jesus Christ did His duty to build unityand bridge relationship.  The power to unite people to be with Him and in theKingdom of God comes from the heavenly Father who sent Him. Jesus' words andactions aimed to build the true fellowship of those whom he called and chose tobe part of the Kingdom of God. He began to plant the seed of unity from thecalling of the first disciples. In due time they were made the twelve apostleswho became the pillars of the Church. Together with Our Lady at the Pentecostday, they embodied the foundation of the Church as a sign of true communion oftrue faith in the world.  Love is the central teaching of Jesus Christ and themost important law of God. Love unites and not seeks differences or evendivides. Although these differences are the basic nature of life in this world,love always works to make existing differences find a way to build unity. Itwas from Capernaum that the Lord Jesus initiated that unity to bring together allhis apostles with each one’s personal differences. In fact, they found in theirtheir Lord and Master a unifying power and love. In today's second reading, Saint Paul reflects on thespirit of unity comes from Jesus Christ. The community of God's people built byPaul and his companions was expected to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, who putlove above all differences. To them Paul counseled them to live in harmony, andthat there should be no division among them. This reflection was particularlypoignant, referring Paul's own experience with Peter and the other apostlesduring the first apostolic works of the early Church. We all have differences,but in one Lord Jesus, we are united. Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, may thisSunday worship strengthen the unity among us and make us Your witnesses inbuilding and maintaining this unity among us Your beloved people. Glory to theFather and to the Son and to the the Holy Spirit... In the name of the Father...