Good News A9, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 4:12-23, children's liturgy devotional, reflection on Gospel

Good News A9

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 4:12-23 Bible Gateway New International Version

“I will make you fishers of men.”

If you have ever been fishing, you know it is not always easy to catch fish, even with a huge net. In this Gospel, Jesus asks Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him and he will make them fishers of men. They go with him right away. They didn’t say, “Come back and ask me tomorrow.” They didn’t say, “Wait until next year.” They followed him at once.

Jesus is probably not asking you to be a priest today. However, he is asking you to show other people that you are a child of God today. He is asking you to show others by your words and actions that you are a Christian. He wants you to forgive others, even if they hurt you seventy times seven times or 490 times a day.

When you show others by your words and actions that you believe in God, you are being fishers of men. He wants you to show honor to your Mother and Father. He asks you to love your neighbor as yourself. Other children and adults will follow your example. You will carry God’s light. You will show that you trust God to show you a clear path to his kingdom in heaven. When you follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, you show others which roads to take to get to heaven.

Words and acts of kindness touch not just one person, they touch the whole world. When something good happens to you, you treat people better. Then those people treat other people better. In this way, goodness spreads around the world and comes back to you ten fold. When you get to heaven and pull your net out of the sea of life, it will be full of people who decided to show others goodness and mercy because of your example. God will be very pleased with you!

Say the “Our Father” and ask God to help you to be kind to others. Kindness will catch others and lead them to follow the light of Jesus Christ.

“Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”