First Reading
A reading from the prophet Isaiah 8:23-9:3
In days past the Lord humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in
days to come he will confer glory on the Way of the Sea on the far side of Jordan,
province of the nations.
The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land
of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their gladness greater, you have
made their joy increase; they rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as
men are happy when they are dividing the spoils. For the yoke that was weighing on
him, the bar across his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor, these you break as on the
day of Midian.
Responsorial Psalm
The Lord is my light and my help.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
Second Reading
A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1:10-13.17
I do appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make up the
differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united
again in your belief and practice. From what Chloe's people have been telling me, my
dear brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you.
What I mean are all these slogans that you have, like: "I am for Paul", "I am for
Apollos", "I am for Cephas," "I am for Christ." Has Christ been parcelled out? Was it
Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul? For Christ did
not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the
terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed.
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 4:12-23
Glory to you, Lord. Hearing that John had been arrested Jesus went back to Galilee,
and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the
borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:
Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee
of the nations! The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who
dwell in the land and shadow of death a light has dawned. From that moment Jesus
began his preaching with the message,
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand." As he was walking by the Sea of
Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he
said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." And they left their nets
at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James
son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee,
mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they
followed him. He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and
sickness among the people.
