Glory and praise to you, dearest God our Father! Thank you for your epiphany in Jesus Christ; thank you for appearing to us in many ways we so often fail to recognize because we have not been wise enough like those Magi from the east by truly searching you first before the things of the world.
Teach us to keep your commandments, Lord, by "believing in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us" (1 Jn.3:23).
Teach us also to "do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to you, O God" (1 Jn.4:1); let your Spirit lead us closer to Jesus your Son for we belong to you, loving God!
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.
Matthew 4:12-14
Whoever belongs to you, dear God recognizes and obeys your Son Jesus; give us the humility to repent our sins and be cleansed by your mercy and forgiveness in Christ so we may begin this new year fully in him. Amen.
