Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the  Gospel of this Sunday, January 25, 2026,   entitled:  “Those who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

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Isaiah 8:23-9:3:  “Those who walked in darkness have seen a great light”

Psalm 26:  “The Lord is my light and my salvation”

1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17:  “Let there be no divisions among you”

Matthew 4:12-23:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Sunday of the Word, the Word that illuminates, that strengthens and that unites.

How perplexing Jesus is! He brings his message of hope, of Good News, and of liberation, yet he seems to begin everything backward. His activity begins precisely when it seemed that everything was over: “ When Jesus heard that John had been arrested…”   When a voice crying out for truth and justice has been silenced; when that eccentric figure, who with tiresome shouts and insolent words sought inner renewal, is confined to silence; when his disciples would have reason to think that the adventure was over… when everything seems against them, it is precisely then that the true Voice arises, taking up the melody of the Good News of which John was only the forerunner. When it seemed that there was nothing to be done and that the reasons for hope were fading, true hope springs forth. When power silences John, Jesus appears, speaking much louder. And what about us? Thank God, whenever moments of crisis and doubt arise, men and women appear who refuse to succumb to fatalism. Imitating Jesus, they offer life-changing proposals that directly address the problem and seek solutions, even at the risk of suffering the same fate as John or Jesus. It seems that when times are tough, fear pervades the atmosphere, and everyone declares that everything is futile, someone always appears to tell us it’s time to sow hope and seek new light. This is what Jesus does. What are we, his disciples, doing?

If it seems that Jesus chooses the least opportune moment, it becomes even more complicated when we consider where he begins. He doesn’t begin in Jerusalem, which would be the ideal place: the city of peace, next to the temple, the pride of the entire nation, in the shadow of the religious center and with the guarantee of the official religion. No, he goes to the region of darkness, to pagan Galilee, a border region and a place of passage, where people of the most diverse races, cultures, and religious beliefs meet. The region considered dangerous, where there is darkness and gloom. There is where his light must shine, and thus all his evangelizing activity will continue in places of risk, of sickness, of death, of contempt and marginalization. Light shines brightest where there is darkness. His cry, which announces the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven, is received above all by those who live without hope, those who waited anxiously, even though it seemed they had nothing to hope for and hardly dared to ask. Now Jesus continues to bring his light and hope to the most unexpected and least visible places. His disciples, in these times, must follow in his footsteps, and where everything seems lost and condemned, we must let his light shine. The place of crisis is precisely where the true Christian will bring forth signs of new life. Any place, however risky and difficult it may seem, will be the appropriate place to receive the breath that will give birth to a new humanity.

A difficult time, a dangerous place… and to complete the picture, Jesus chooses as his collaborators the very people who seem the wrong ones, those we would have dismissed. He doesn’t seek out renowned figures, men considered saints, those who know the law or wield power. He is captivated by fishermen toiling at their work, struggling to manage their nets. Hardworking, honest men, yet almost ignorant, unknown and sheltered by the anonymity afforded by the poor. And the way he presents himself to them seems absurd: he doesn’t offer a program, he doesn’t devise a strategy, he simply calls them to join him on the journey. He does, however, promise a change, the very one he demanded. The nets and the fish will no longer matter; what matters most now are the people: “I will make you fishers of men.” And from there, from their poverty and insignificance, he welcomes them as companions in adventure and leaves them restless. And they leave everything behind. Well, it’s all a lot to say, since they would have had very little, but most importantly: they leave behind a way of living and thinking. There were surely others who, even remaining in their homes, also left everything behind, because his word and his presence produce an inner turmoil. If we truly heed his invitation, nothing can remain the same. Now our lives will only have meaning when we accept, at every moment, that our decisions and interests are placed in the light of his word and his gaze. Working for the Kingdom is a constant conversion to guide our lives according to the desires of Jesus. It’s not about changing outward appearances, but about being willing to live with the disquiet that his word produces in us. Christ offers his peace to those who have accepted being unsettled and allowed to be disturbed. These will be his collaborators… those who are not afraid to lose what they have in exchange for what Jesus offers.

That word, that light, and that path are what can lift us from our apathy and anxieties today, enabling us to take risks in building peace. Christ walks with us, fights with us, and works with us. And we accept the same risks He accepted for us. Paul, His close follower in His daring adventure, tells us something in the passage we read today that we must heed if we want to unite in this adventure of being light and voice:  “Let there be no divisions among you.”  We must seek unity and harmony to build the peace we so desperately need. Let us awaken our society, stir it, and allow it to be captivated by the Word of Jesus, but let us live it in community to make the Kingdom of God a reality. Each of us is different, but Jesus unites us in one body and one hope. In the midst of darkness and gloom, may our voices also resonate in the hope of knowing that Jesus walks with us.

God of light and love, illuminate our paths of shadows, doubts, and anxieties, so that, allowing ourselves to be touched by your Son, we may awaken to hope and unconditionally dedicate our meager resources to building his Kingdom. Amen.