Sunday After Theophany
Ephesians 4:7-13 and Matthew 4:12-17
On this Sunday after Theophany, the Church continues to celebrate the revelation of Christ, who has come into the world for our salvation. In the Gospel, we hear that after John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). This call to repentance is at the heart of Christ’s mission on earth. Christ came to
set us free from slavery to sin and death, leading us to the knowledge of truth and the way of salvation. His call to repentance is an invitation to reverse the effects of the fall through a cooperation with Him, by conforming our lives to the truth and following the new way of life to which He has called us: a way made possible by His Incarnation, death and Resurrection and the gifts of supernatural virtue: faith, hope, and charity.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks of the grace given to each one of us through Christ, who has ascended on high and given gifts to His Church (Ephesians 4:7–8). These gifts are not given to us for our own glory, but for the edification of the Church and the glory of God. We are each called by God to build up the body of Christ according to our vocation or state in life, which for most of us means fulfilling the duties of our married vocation. Fulfilling our marital duties in conformity with the way, truth and life that Chrit has established for us has a positive synergistic effect on the Body of Christ and enables us to grow together in holiness.
Our growth in Christ is both an individual endeavor and a communal one. As Saint John Chrysostom emphasizes, the unity of faith and the knowledge of Christ are achieved when each member of the body of Christ fulfills their role with humility and love. Through this unity, we come to maturity in Christ, sharing in His divine life as members of the Church militant. We are in this battle together, so both our virtues and our sins affect one another.
In today’s Gospel, Christ’s proclamation of the kingdom and His call to repentance remind us that this unity and maturity begin with our own response to His grace. Repentance is not merely a sorrow for sin but a surrendering of our will in obedience to the way of life that He has revealed to us. Saint Basil the Great calls it “a transformation of the heart,” where we renounce the works of the enemy and live our life in conformity with the truth of Christ.
As we continue to celebrate Our Lord’s Theophany, His revealing of Himself to us, let us hear anew Christ’s call to deeper conversion and reflect on the responsibilities He has entrusted to us. Let us ask ourselves: are my actions strengthening or weakening the Church? Am I living in conformity to the truth of the Gospel in every area of my life or have I conformed certain areas of my life to the ways of the world?
May the graces of Theophany strengthen us to fulfill our duties and may the light of Christ dispel the darkness around us and draw us into deeper unity with Him. To Him be glory forever.