3RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
January 25, 2026
REFLECTION ON TODAY'S READING
The Conversion of Saint Paul
Today you celebrate the conversion of Saint Paul, a witness to the transforming power of Christ’s love.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:5–6).
The light of Christ strikes Paul down and opens a new path before him.
Pray:
Lord, may your light also reach me, so that I may abandon my securities and follow you with freedom and joy. Offer your day for all those who are called to a profound conversion, that they may discover your mercy, praying the offering prayer.
Under the directive from the Diocese of Honolulu
St. Joseph Church has set up an egiving program to allow parishioners and guests an easier way to give. It will also allow the donors to: 1. Give from anywhere using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. 2. No need to find a check or stop by the ATM. 3. Use your Checking/Savings Account or your Debit/Credit Card. 4. Schedule gifts to occur automatically. Click on the give now link or on your phone using my parish app. “All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 16:17
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Saint Joseph Church Makawao - Bulletin
The Gospel Reading, Matthew 4:12-23
Jesus begins to preach in Galilee and calls his first disciples
Today’s Gospel describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (called the Synoptic Gospels), Jesus’ public ministry begins after his baptism by John the Baptist and after his retreat to the desert where he was tempted by the devil. When Jesus returns from the desert, he hears that John has been arrested.
The first part of today’s Gospel places Jesus’ ministry in the context of the writings of the prophet, Isaiah. Matthew wants to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies given to the people of Israel, and he refers to Isaiah to do so. Isaiah says that the Messiah will begin his ministry in Galilee, the land of the Gentiles. When Jesus begins to preach in Galilee, Matthew points to his ministry as a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, proof that Jesus is the Messiah.
When Jesus called his first disciples, the Gospel tells us that the fishermen (Peter and Andrew, James and John) dropped everything to follow Jesus immediately. Yet this Gospel tells us little about the prior experience that the fishermen had of Jesus. Did they know him? Had they heard him preach? What kind of person must Jesus have been to invoke such a response? We can imagine that Jesus was a powerful presence to elicit a response as immediate and complete as these first disciples gave.
The Gospel concludes with a description of the ministry that Jesus begins in Galilee. Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God with his work. He teaches in the synagogue and preaches the kingdom. His ability to cure people’s diseases and illness is a sign of the kingdom. In Jesus’ ministry, we already begin to see the Kingdom of God among us.
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(https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection )
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A STEWARDSHIP MOMENT
In today’s gospel we hear Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him. Following Jesus was a difficult journey for these first disciples. It is difficult for us today. Jesus wants to teach us his way of thinking, acting and encountering the world. But it is not easy for us to embrace his teaching. Good stewards of Jesus’ teachings realize they are on a spiritual journey, and must learn from their experiences of being open or resistant to the gospel. They realize the need to be liberated from those actions that keep them from enjoying a closer friendship with Jesus. What is it in our lives that we need to reform? What keeps us from revealing God’s glory to others?
—— (https://catholicstewardship.com/)
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
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