A Homily on Matthew 4:12-23:  God Begins in Galilee (25-1-26)

A reflective Meditation on Matthew 4:12–23, showing how God begins His work in forgotten places, ordinary lives, and faithful hearts. (25-1-26)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

When John Mary Vianney became a priest, many people did not expect much from him. Learning had always been difficult for him, and even during his training, some wondered whether he would succeed. Still, God had His own plan. One day, the bishop sent him to a small village called Ars. John Mary Vianney did not know where it was. When he asked people for directions, they pointed to a small road and went on with their work. The village was quiet when he arrived. The church was small and poorly cared for. Dust covered the benches, and no one seemed interested in prayer. The tabernacle was there, but it felt as though it had been forgotten. The young priest stood silently, holding his prayer book, feeling small and weak. For a moment, fear touched his heart. He quietly wondered whether he could do anything good in such a place.

That evening, he lit a candle and knelt before the tabernacle. He spoke to Jesus in his own simple words. The next day, he rang the church bell. No one came. Yet he did not lose heart. He rang the bell again the next day, and the next. He prayed, visited homes, and loved the people as they were. Slowly, very slowly, things began to change. People started coming to church. Hearts became softer. Lives were touched. What looked like a forgotten village became a place of grace. The world would later call this simple priest Saint John Mary Vianney. God had begun something great in a very small and ordinary place.

This is exactly how God works, not only in history but also in the Gospel. In Matthew 4:12–23, Jesus does not begin His ministry in Jerusalem, the centre of religious power and recognition. Instead, “leaving Nazareth, He went and made His home in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali” (Matthew 4:13). Galilee was ordinary, often forgotten, and even looked down upon, yet Saint Matthew reminds us that it was precisely here that the ancient promise came alive: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16). God does not wait for perfect conditions or impressive places. He chooses places that demand courage, hearts that are open, and faith that is willing to begin even when the future is unclear.

Along the shores of Galilee, Jesus called fishermen who were deeply rooted in ordinary life. Their days were shaped by nets, water, and weariness. Their dreams were small, shaped by survival rather than greatness. Jesus did not wait for scholars or the confident. He simply said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people” (Matthew 4:19). They did not know where the path would lead. They did not know the storms, the misunderstandings, or the cross that awaited them. Yet they took the first step, leaving what was familiar, and that single act of courage slowly changed their lives and, through them, the world.

Even after the Resurrection, Jesus leads His disciples back to Galilee. The angel tells the women, “He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him” (Matthew 28:7). The place of the first call becomes the place of healing and renewal. Peter, burdened by denial, meets the Risen Lord there. The disciples, confused and fragile, rediscover hope there. God begins again, not in splendour, but in familiarity. Galilee becomes the space where failure is forgiven, faith is rebuilt, and love is restored.

This pattern is not limited to the Gospel. It is repeated in the life of the Church. When John Mary Vianney was sent as a young priest to the village of Ars, it was his Galilee. The village was small, forgotten, and spiritually dry. The church was neglected, and faith was weak. He himself felt unprepared and small. Yet he remained, he prayed, he rang the bell even when no one came. Slowly, without noise or recognition, grace began to work. Ars, like Galilee, became a place where God’s light shone brightly, not because of greatness, but because of faithfulness.

Galilee is not only a place in Scripture or history. Galilee is our home, our family, our daily routine. It is where love is tested by repetition, where patience is stretched by misunderstanding, and where forgiveness is often difficult. Parents carry silent worries. Couples struggle to listen deeply. Children long to be understood. Religious life too has its Galilee moments, days that feel ordinary, hidden, and demanding. Yet it is precisely here that God chooses to begin His work, quietly shaping hearts that are willing to stay and trust.

If God began His saving work in Galilee, if He renewed broken disciples there after the Resurrection, and if He transformed a forgotten village through a humble priest, then He can begin His work in our lives today. All He asks is not perfection, but presence. Not success, but courage. Not certainty, but the grace to take the first step.

Lord Jesus, help  me to meet you in my Galilee. Amen

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