I came (veni), I saw (vidi), I called (vocavi)

Reflections for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Isaiah 8:23 - 9:3, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17 & Matthew 4:12-23)

In his letter to the Roman Senate (47 AD), Julius Caesar describes his swift military victory against Greek king Pharnaces II of Pontus using three words: veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered), a phrase that has become a classical reference in literature (eg. Victor Hugo’s Veni, vidi, vixi). In this Sunday’s Gospel, we see a similar pattern at work with a slight difference: Jesus came (veni) to Capernaum and was walking by the Sea of Galilee, when He saw (vidi) Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and called (vocavi) them to make them fishers of men. Here is a pattern for our reflection: veni, vidi, vocavi (I came, I saw, I called).

Veni (I came):

Isaiah, in the first reading, prophesizes about Zebulun and Naphtali, two northeastern provinces of Israel. These were the first two of the 10 tribes invaded by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser iii in 732 BC. Since these regions were (and are) the most fertile region of Palestine, they were understandably populated by a large number of traders, travellers, and immigrants from other nations. The influence of foreign people, cultures and philosophies, however, became a reason for derision from other provinces since they lost touch with their ancestral faith and traditions. This explains certain prerogative descriptions that Isaiah employs in the first reading to describe this part of the world, “a place of darkness, the land of gloom and death, the district of the Gentiles, burdened by yokes and the rods of their taskmasters”.

750 years later, Matthew makes use of this historical detail to set the background for the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In his time, Zebulun and Naphtali were referred to as “Galilee of the Gentiles”, a not-so-respectful reference to their mixed population and pagan influence. Jesus leaves Judea and moves from Nazareth (in Zebulun) to Capernaum (in Naphtali). Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled as Jesus comes (veni) to a “land of darkness and gloom” as a “great light” and brings along “abundant joy and great rejoicing”. Seven centuries after their fall to the Assyrians, a new beginning is dawning in the skies of Zebulun and Naphtali. The public ministry of the Sun/Son of God shines not on Jerusalem but in the gloomy skies of Zebulun and Naphtali. Jesus resolutely chooses to come and live among the obscure ‘outsiders’. His coming redefines the borders that demark “us” from “others”.

Vidi (I saw):

As Jesus enters Zebulun and Naphtali, he begins to preach and proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. In his person and in his ministry, the Kingdom of God becomes a visible reality, a close and personal presence. God visits His people, sees (vidi) their condition, and transforms their reality by inaugurating a new order of living. We see this new order at work in the Gospel as Jesus “went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people”.

The ministry of Jesus becomes the entry point to our rendez-vous (appointment) with God. Christianity is not a religion of the book, but of a person, the Word made flesh in a person, who preaches, heals, and renders himself visible to us. Christ breaks into the lives of four simple fishermen mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee. He walks into their boat and changes the course of their future forever. God continues to break into our lives, boats, and our history. Do we recognize this great light that shines on our concrete life realities? Unfortunately, our gazes are sometimes held captive by our smartphones and televisions. Let us raise our gaze from our screens to recognize the dawn that is at hand to visit us!

Vocavi (I called):

Walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sets his eyes on his first disciples, recognizes their destiny to become future apostles, and calls (vocavi) them to follow Him. Thus, he inaugurates the new Israel. The ten lost tribes of Israel (Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, and Ephraim) which constituted the Northern Kingdom disappeared in history after their fall and exile to Assyria.

After seven centuries, in the calling of the first disciples, Jesus inaugurates a community, that will become the people of God and a priestly nation. This community is marked not by exclusivity, purity of identity, or narrow nationalism. As Paul insists in the second reading, this new Israel is inclusive, plural, and marked by unity (not uniformity). This Sunday, let us open ourselves to the coming (veni) of Christ; allow his piercing look (vidi) to penetrate our true selves; and respond to His call (vocavi) to constitute the new Israel.