The gospel text of today from Matthew narrates to us the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus in Capernaum. It was one of the principal towns around the lake of Galilee. It was on the trade route between the southern nations (that included even Egypt) and the northern lands of Syria and even Turkey. The Romans had established a customs office at Capernaum and a garrison managed by a centurion. Traders had to give a large rate of tax for unprocessed goods like grain and olives. Therefore, it is possible that besides the fishing industry Capernaum had a lot of processing units where grains were milled into flours and olives pressed to extract oil. The number of millstones and olive presses, lying all over Capernaum today, stand as witness to this once flourishing town. It is interesting to note that it is this bubbling town that Jesus chooses as the headquarters for his three-year public ministry.

Today we begin the ordinary season of the year. Today's readings tell us about the identity of Jesus, who he is and what his mission is. We need to know who Jesus is and understand his mission if we want to be his true disciples. A disciple is one who knows and understands the master and follows him closely. Every good disciple is also an apostle who proclaims the good news of the master. In the Gospel of today we have John the Baptist fulfilling his role as a witness and proclaiming to people that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

As a priest while administering the sacrament of baptism to groups of infants back in India and in USA, I have often noted with much curiosity the variety of infant-reaction to the ceremony of the baptism itself. There are basically three types of behavior as infants react to, the priest, the water, the oil, the white cloth, the light, and the crowd itself that is around during the celebration of the sacrament of baptism:

Today’s feast, my dear friends, commemorates thepublic manifestation of God in the person of Jesus. Thestory in today’s Gospel passage tells us of three wise menfrom the East who undertook a tedious journey to beholdthis God-made-visible. This journey is the journey of everyhuman person. It is our journey. The journey towards thefulfilment of our heart’s desire. It is the fulfilment of what StAugustine encapsulated so beautifully, “You have made usfor yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in you?” It is the story of the human heart as it longs for the Eternal beloved, as St John of the Cross sings, “Wherehave you hidden, Beloved, and left me moaning? You fledlike the stag after wounding me; I went out calling you, butyou were gone.”