Gospel: Matthew 4:18-22

 

"He was walking along the Sea of Galilee." Jesus is just out of the desert, after 40 days of struggle against the devil. He emerged victorious, secure in His love of the Father, and came into Galilee and dwelt in Capernaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and of Nephthalim, bringing His great light and His salvation. 

 

Here He began to shout His message of joy and liberation: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand". He is God-with-us. He does not stay hidden. 

 

The verb "saw", repeated twice, first in reference to Andrew and his brother, then James and John, brings all the strength and intensity of a gaze that comes deep from the heart. Thus, the Lord sees us, to browse the pages of our lives, and who knows everything about us, everything He loves.

 

In this encounter with the Lord Jesus we find the word "brother" four times and the word "father" two times.  We discover that we too are sons and brothers. Jesus enters our reality in a most human way every day. He enters the flesh, in the heart, in our entire life, to make us born again.

 

"Follow me." These are His words, simple and clear. He asks us to set out, to move, to come to Him. "Follow me," says the Lord. Just accept the invitation, accept Him to know more, and just follow him as He opens the road.