For some people at particular times of their lives they sense that they cannot stay where they are for reasons such as job or career, they have to move on. I was brought up in a small mining town in north Derbyshire. After my A levels I decided that I wanted to do something different with my life which led me 150 miles south. I sensed that to do what I wanted to do I had to move away. We see something of this in Sunday’s gospel Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to Galilee, to Capernaum. With the arrest of John the Baptist he goes from one to the other. Concern for his own safety may have been a factor, a risk that his ministry would be over before it began. After all Jesus’ ministry was identical to that of John’s – a call to repentance and the inauguration of the Kingdom of Heaven - which cost John his life. Perhaps he had also been rejected by his own people in Nazareth who probably thought in a negative way "who does this one think he is". The gospel is not clear about Jesus’ reasons but Capernaum was an interesting place and an interesting choice of location. The Sea of Galilee is a lake 13 by 7 miles. Its fishing industry was prosperous and its fisherman were not necessarily poor. People went there to share in the prosperity. Capernaum had a mixed culture, for example Simon’s name is Jewish but the name Andrew is Greek; Peter is also Greek but also reflects the Aramaic “keppa” meaning rock. With this cosmopolitan flavour Capernaum was a good place from which to start what became a universal mission – repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. But every leader needs followers. At the time of Jesus a good rabbi would be expected to have a group of followers who would absorb their master’s teaching, however followers became followers by choice not by the summons that we hear today. Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John follow Jesus. They would not have known where this would lead, but they do it anyway. Perhaps they had heard Jesus’ teaching before the moment in Sunday's gospel, we don’t know. God willing perhaps they will give us the whole story one day in heaven. And what about you? Being a Christian is in itself a response to something, but a response to what? Is being a Christian primarily a matter of culture, something that you do because that’s what you do on a Sunday, or is it a matter of conviction, of belief? Later on in Matthew’s gospel Simon Peter says “You are the Christ the Son of the living God”, do we say this too? Are you a Christian by culture or conviction? A Christian by habit or by heart? Being a conviction Catholic Christian calls for a response. We have seen a great light, the light of Christ. We are all called to dispel the deep shadows in our world. All of us have a part to play in bringing others to Jesus, who truly is the way the truth and the life. To show the world by our word and example that reconciliation with each other and with God is possible, that healing the world is possible. The darkness in people’s hearts and souls, and ours too, can be, and is, lifted by the beauty of God’s kindness, his love and compassion regardless of who we are, regardless of what we have done. The Lord is our light and our help, there is nothing to fear. God does not enmesh or trap us but He sets us free; free to love Him, free to love each other in the free giving of ourselves, and to experience joy in his presence. This is good news, the good news, why keep it to ourselves? God bless and keep you all and be assured of my daily prayer for your needs and intentions. Fr Chris