Saint Andrew Russian Greek Catholic Church

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The Gospel read today echoes that for the Feast of the Theophany last Tuesday.  Hearing of the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus leaves the region of the Jordan, returns to Galilee, and stays in Capernaum. Thus, the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali is fulfilled:  "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.”   This reminds us that the Feast of the Theophany is the “feast of lights.”

In the Epistle reading today, Saint Paul teaches that “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ….” 

But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is he who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."