From Living Faith Daily Catholic Devotions (Jan/Feb/Mar 2026)

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Word of God Sunday)

Isaiah 8:23-9:3 + Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 + 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 + Matthew 4:12-23

Divine Illumination

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of loom a light has shone. Isaiah 9:1

If we’re accustomed to having reliable access to artificial light, we may never have experienced total darkness. Some years ago, in pre-cel-phone days, I was staying by myself in a tiny cabin in a dense forest in Maine when I lost electricity following a hurricane. Once evening blanketed the area, I was relieved at the difference even the flickering flame of a small candle make in piercing the night and keeping me company.

Perhaps many of us have experienced a different kind of walking in darkness at times in our lives. Lingering pain and illness, devastating loss, a sense of failure, chronic worry – all of these and more may leave us feeling that we live in the land of gloom. Yet, no matter what might be unfolding in our lives, the Holy One, the source of light, accompanies us always. We are never left alone in the dark.

□ Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, I.H.M.