3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
- 2026 -
Year A
The following are prayerful resources rather than a liturgy.
- The gospel for the day
- Some optional questions for reflection
- Prayers of Intercession
- Cluster Prayer
- The gospel of the week ahead with questions for reflection
Having used our prayer resources, you might want simply to reflect yourself on them and how that might flow into your coming week.
Some people have found it very helpful to meet with others and share their thoughts. If you are interested in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word please email us: cluster.alpha@outlook.com
Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)
The gospel passage this week looks strangely disjointed – and that’s because it is! After the reference to an extract in Isaiah, Matthew moves to the choosing of his first followers Peter and Andrew, James and John. These two apparently unrelated parts are joined in verse 17 by the phrase “From then onwards Jesus began his proclamation…”
This verse marks the end of the first section in Matthew dealing with Jesus’ birth, his baptism and his temptations by the devil. In the next section Jesus begins his mission with an exact repetition of John’s message of repentance: 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.' That is where the similarity ends.
John was the lone voice – a voice crying in the wilderness. In contrast Jesus will choose close-knit followers (both men and women) and his base in Capernaum lies along the busy trading route between the East and the Mediterranean. People came to John in the desert whereas Jesus travels widely to meet people where they are. John was the classic Jewish prophet, calling on his people to turn away from their sins and return to the covenant between God and Abraham. In contrast, Jesus starts speaking in synagogues but his words and his acts of healing quickly spread to Jews and Gentiles alike. The verses following our reading emphasise how wide Jesus was casting his net in terms of nationalities, religious beliefs and geographical regions. Appropriately then perhaps, he chooses four fishermen to join him in his mission.
John’s mission was over, Jesus’ mission was beginning and it is still going. Before Jesus returns to the Father, he commissions his followers to make disciples of all nations. That remains our task as well. We don’t have the luxury of hearing Jesus speak to us as his first followers did but we have something equally powerful and persuasive: we have the word of God read to us each weekend.
On this Sunday, dedicated to highlighting the importance of the scriptures the theme this year is: ‘The word of Christ dwells among you’ (Colossians 3, 16).
We have the word of God easily accessible to us in books or online and Jesus still speaks loud and clear to his missionary disciples through them. Each of us will respond differently but through prayer and with guidance, we must find ways to answer that call.
Q1. As a missionary disciple, how well do you know the message of the gospels? If you are interested in finding out more you can always contact the Alpha team.
Q2. To whom could you “preach” the gospel of Jesus Christ this week with actions rather than words?*
* All second questions
© The Pastoral Center
Prayers of Intercession
For Pope Leo and all ambassadors of peace. May the light of Christ guide them in their teaching and preaching and so help to bring an end to violence, soften hardened hearts and open the way to mediation so that love, peace and justice may flourish.
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
For world leaders and all who have power to make a difference.
May they be moved to compassion by the plight of so many, and use their power and authority to promote justice, uphold human rights and care for those most dispossessed.
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
For those whose lives are broken and driven to acts of violence and destruction. May the light and love of Christ break through the darkness, pierce their hearts and and lead them to a place of reconciliation and healing.
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
For ourselves, that the word of God will be a lamp to our feet guiding us in the way of truth… call us out of our comfort and complacency and give us courage to live as missionary disciples.
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
We pray for all who are struggling with poor health, either at home, in care homes or in hospital, and those named on the Prayer Foundation list. May they be comforted and healed by our prayers and the compassion of those who care for them.
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
For all who have died recently, especially: Miroslawa Kruczynska, Irene Turnbull, Alesandra Inglis, Mary Brogan, Chris Hampton. and all those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, may they know God’s presence, and experience the love and compassion of others
Light of the world… Hear our prayer
We will now say together the prayer to be missionary disciples.
Cluster prayer
Lord continue to bless our community in this time of transition.
Help us on our journey to grow from a maintenance church to a missionary church.
Give us the courage to be missionary disciples.
Make our doors wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship; narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and prejudice.
Kindle in us the fire of your love that all who come here will find joy, peace and love.
Make this a house of prayer and a gateway to your kingdom.
AMEN
Gospel for the day - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A
Matthew 4:12-23
‘Jesus went to Capernaum so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.’
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles — the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
This is the gospel of the Lord. Commentary