Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – 25th January 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s Gospel begins in an unexpected way: with a departure. “When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.” God begins the work of salvation not in a moment of glory, but in a moment of rupture, injustice, and forced silence. John, the prophet, is silenced. And precisely then, Jesus begins to speak.
There is a deep truth here: God does not wait for the world to be in order before He comes. He does not wait for ideal times. He enters history exactly where there is pain, fear, and loss. Galilee was not the religious centre, not the “pure” place, not the capital of faith. It was a mixed region, looked upon with suspicion – a margin. And Jesus chooses the margin.
The evangelist says: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” It does not say that the darkness disappeared. It does not say that the problems were solved. It simply says that a light appeared. God does not promise us a life without night, but a presence that illuminates the night.
Perhaps many of us today are living in our own Galilee: a place in life where not everything is clear, where there is weariness, doubt, maybe even failure. The Gospel does not condemn us for this. On the contrary, it says that this is exactly where Jesus comes. This is where He begins to preach.
And the first word He speaks is: “Repent.” But this word is not a threat. It is not a reproach. It means: change direction, turn around, lift up your gaze. Not because you are bad, but because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Not far away. Not reserved for the perfect. Close – so close that it can be missed if we are not attentive.
The Kingdom is not an idea. It is a presence. It is Jesus Himself passing through our lives.