The Gospel of Matthew today describes how Jesus began his ministry. When John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus picked up the mantel of his cousin and called the people to repentance. Very shortly after, actually in a few verses, his ministry took a turn: to healing, preaching and proclaiming the Reign of God (the Good News). It is this Good News that fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light.”
That light reveals those places within us that need healing, that need conversion and repentance, that need the Good News preached. Let us not be afraid of that revealing light. Let us follow the words of John the Baptist and repent and let us have the courage to be sent out as Jesus was to preach, to bless, to heal and through it all to praise God, from whom all good things come.