0:07
reading of the first letter of St John
0:10
dear friends whatever we ask we receive
0:12
from him because we keep his
0:14
Commandments and do what pleases him
0:16
this is his Commandment that we believe
0:19
in the name of his son Jesus Christ and
0:22
love one another according to the
0:24
Commandment he gave us whoever keeps his
0:26
Commandments remains with God and God
0:29
remains with him that he remains with us
0:32
we know by the spirit he gave us for
0:35
dear friends do not believe in any
0:37
Spirit but examine the spirits to see
0:39
whether they are from God for many false
0:42
prophets have come into the world this
0:44
is the Criterion for knowing whether an
0:46
inspiration comes from God every spirit
0:48
that leads to professing that Jesus
0:50
Christ came in the flesh is from God and
0:52
every spirit that does not profess faith
0:54
in Jesus is not of God it is the spirit
0:56
of antichrist you have heard that the
0:59
Antichrist will come well he's already
1:02
in the world Little Children You are of
1:05
God and you have overcome the Antichrist
1:08
for with you is one who is greater than
1:10
he who is in the world your adversaries
1:13
are from the world therefore they act
1:16
according to the world and the world
1:18
listens to them we are from God whoever
1:21
knows God listens to us those who are
1:24
not from God do not listen to us in this
1:27
we recognize the spirit of truth and the
1:30
word of the Lord thank
1:39
God proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
1:42
Christ according to St Matthew Glory To
1:46
You Lord at that time upon learning that
1:49
John had been arrested Jesus returned to
1:52
Galilee he left Nazareth and went to
1:54
live in keram which is on the shores of
1:56
the Sea of Galilee in the territory of
2:00
to fulfill what was said by the prophet
2:02
Isaiah land of zabulon land of nephal
2:05
way of the sea region of across the
2:07
Jordan River Galilee of the Heathen the
2:10
people who lived in darkness saw a great
2:12
light and to those who lived in the dark
2:14
region of death a light Shone from then
2:17
on Jesus began to preach saying repent
2:22
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
2:24
Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching
2:26
in their synagogues preaching the gospel
2:29
of the kingdom and and healing all kinds
2:30
of illnesses and diseases among the
2:32
people and his Fame spread throughout
2:35
Syria they took to him all the sick who
2:38
suffered various illnesses and torments
2:41
demoniacs epileptics and paralytics and
2:44
Jesus healed them numerous crowds
2:47
followed him coming from Galilee the
2:49
decapolis Jerusalem Judea and the region
2:53
beyond the Jordan word of Salvation
3:05
dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
3:08
repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
3:11
hand these words of Jesus which we hear
3:14
in today's Gospel echoed down the
3:16
centuries to us as urgent and relevant
3:18
today as they were when they were first
3:20
spoken on the shores of the Sea of
3:21
Galilee but before we dive into the
3:24
meaning of this Proclamation let's
3:26
consider the powerful context that our
3:28
first reading of John's letter offers us
3:31
John tells us something extraordinary
3:33
whatever we ask we will receive from him
3:36
because we keep his Commandments and do
3:38
what pleases him what an extraordinary
3:41
promise but take note it comes with a
3:44
condition it is not some kind of
3:46
spiritual blank check but it is
3:48
intrinsically linked to our obedience
3:50
and our desire to please God John is
3:53
telling us that there is a deep
3:54
connection between our moral life and
3:56
our prayer life and what is the
3:58
fundamental commandment that we must
4:00
keep John expresses it with Crystal
4:03
Clarity that we believe in the name of
4:05
his son Jesus Christ and love one
4:07
another notice how faith and love are
4:10
inseparably united we can't have one
4:13
without the other our faith in Christ
4:15
must manifest itself in concrete love
4:18
for others but John also warns us about
4:20
a real danger do not believe in every
4:23
Spirit but test the spirits to see
4:25
whether they are from God in our time of
4:28
fake news conspiracy y theories and
4:30
false prophets these words gain special
4:33
relevance how do we discern the truth
4:35
amidst so many conflicting voices John
4:39
gives us a clear Criterion every spirit
4:41
that confesses that Jesus Christ has
4:43
come in the flesh is from God in other
4:46
words true Christian spirituality always
4:48
recognizes the reality of the
4:51
Incarnation God becoming truly human in
4:53
Jesus Christ returning to the gospel we
4:57
see Jesus beginning his public Ministry
4:59
in circumstances that could seem
5:01
unfavorable John the Baptist had been
5:03
arrested a dark Omen of what awaited
5:06
Jesus but instead of retreating in fear
5:10
Jesus moves forward he leaves Nazareth
5:13
and goes to live in keram fulfilling
5:15
Isaiah's prophecy about a light shining
5:17
in the darkness the people who lay in
5:20
darkness have seen a great light to
5:22
those who lay in the shadow of death a
5:24
light is shown what a powerful image
5:27
Jesus is that light piercing the
5:30
darkness of our world of Our Lives of
5:33
our hearts and what is the first message
5:35
of this light repent for the Kingdom of
5:38
Heaven is at hand repentance is not just
5:41
feeling remorse for our sins the Greek
5:44
word metanoia means a complete change of
5:47
mind and heart a total reorientation of
5:49
Our Lives toward God Jesus ministry was
5:53
not limited to words Matthew tells us
5:56
that he went all over Galilee teaching
5:58
in the synagogues preaching the gospel
6:00
of the kingdom and curing all manner of
6:03
sickness and disease among the people
6:05
teaching Proclamation and healing these
6:08
three dimensions of jesus' ministry
6:10
continue to be the model for the mission
6:12
of the church today and the impact was
6:15
extraordinary people came from
6:17
everywhere From Galilee the decapolis
6:20
Jerusalem Judea and across the Jordan
6:23
the Light of Christ attracted people
6:25
from all directions Crossing Geographic
6:28
cultural and religious barriers what do
6:31
these readings mean for us today first
6:34
we are called to continuous discernment
6:37
in a world full of conflicting voices we
6:40
need to develop the ability to recognize
6:42
the voice of God and distinguish what is
6:44
truly of the spirit second we are
6:46
challenged to a faith that manifests
6:48
itself in concrete love it is not enough
6:51
to profess to believe in Jesus our faith
6:54
must translate into loving actions for
6:56
others third we are invited to genuine
7:00
not just feeling remorse for our sins
7:02
but reorienting our entire lives toward
7:05
God and his kingdom and finally we are
7:08
called to be light as Christ was light
7:11
in our workplaces in our families in our
7:14
communities we must reflect the Light of
7:16
Christ to those who lie in darkness may
7:19
the Lord give us the grace to discern
7:21
his voice amid the noise of the world
7:23
the courage to respond to his call to
7:25
repentance and the strength to be his
7:27
light in a world that so desperately
7:29
needs hope and may Mary the first and
7:32
most perfect disciple of Jesus intercede
7:35
for us on this journey
7:45
amen St Michael the Archangel defend Us
7:48
in battle be our protection against the
7:51
wickedness and snares of the devil may
7:54
God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
7:57
thou o Prince of the heaven H host by
8:00
the power of God cast into hell Satan
8:04
and all the evil spirits who prowl
8:06
throughout the world seeking the ruin of