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Gospel Reading for January 25, 2026 – Matthew 4: 12-17
REPENTANCE
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death
light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
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When God created us, he intended us to be with him forever. However, this original harmony was broken when sin entered the world through Satan. Yet God never abandoned his plan. He remained determined to draw humankind back to himself, patiently preparing the way through patriarchs, prophets, and kings, until the appointed time when he would send his only Son—one who could never be overpowered by the devil and who would decisively conquer sin.
John the Baptist preached REPENTANCE as a way of preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. When Jesus, the Messiah, arrived, he too proclaimed REPENTANCE, declaring that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” meant that salvation for humankind—foretold by the prophets—had finally arrived. Isaiah 25:8 proclaims: “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Similarly, Revelation 21:4 declares: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) beautifully illustrates what transpired between God and humankind. The father provided everything his son needed, yet the son chose to leave, squandering the inheritance he prematurely demanded. Separated from his father, he lost everything. In his misery, he recognized his wrongdoing and REPENTED of what he had done. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and ran to meet him. The homecoming was so complete that the father restored him fully to his sonship—as though he had never sinned. Through the father’s great love, the son was restored to who he was meant to be.
REPENTANCE is therefore the prerequisite—the key—to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. It is not self-improvement as a technique, but METANOIA: a profound change of heart that enables us to become what we were originally created to be.
Lord Jesus, teach us to become what we were meant to be from the beginning!
