The Event of a Presence

The event of presence.
Julián Carrón

Julián Carrón - Notes from the homily by Julián Carrón January 25, 2026

Christianity is a present Reality, an Event we encounter that moves life through the evidence of experience.
— Luigi Giussani

The Gospel of Matthew introduces Jesus by anchoring Him to a specific, dramatic moment: the arrest of John the Baptist. Leaving behind the familiar life of Nazareth, Jesus moves to Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. By settling in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who lived in the land of darkness, a light has shone."

Zebulun and Naphtali were lands defined by humiliation—the first to fall during the Assyrian invasion. Yet, it is precisely here, in a periphery "contaminated" by the presence of pagans rather than in the religious center of Jerusalem, that the light breaks through.

From this moment, Jesus begins to preach: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Too often, we reduce this to an abstract moral exhortation—a generic call to "be better" that feels distant from our actual lives. But to grasp the weight of this call, we must look at the context, at how Jesus actually makes the Kingdom "near." Matthew tells us: "Jesus went throughout Galilee... proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and infirmity."

The Kingdom of God is not a zip code, a political platform, or a set of ethics. It is a new condition that bursts into history as a Presence. For the people of Galilee, the Kingdom wasn't an idea; it was the shock of encountering a Man who spoke with an unheard-of authority—not like the scribes—and who cared for them so deeply that He healed their every wound.

We can identify with those people walking in darkness. Suddenly, they were struck by an Event: a Man who surpassed all their expectations. This is the only context in which "conversion" makes sense. It wasn't a chore; it was a physical reaction. Encountering such a Presence left no one indifferent. It forced them to "turn their heads"—to look, to listen, to bring their sick, to see if the darkness of their lives could finally be illuminated. Their "conversion" was simply taking note of this Presence and finding Him relevant to the deepest needs of their lives. It was the wonder of exclaiming, "We have never seen anything like this!"

This same Correspondence explains the calling of the first disciples. As Simon, Andrew, James, and John were mending their nets, they were intercepted by Him. "Follow me," He said. What kind of attraction did He exert that they would drop everything—their nets, their boats, even their fathers—to follow Him? They didn't follow a doctrine; they followed the newness they saw happening right before their eyes.

Christianity is and always will be this Event—this "new thing" that strikes us and moves our lives, provided we don't let it slip away. As Fr. Giussani taught, "Christianity, being a present Reality, has as its instrument of knowledge the evidence of an experience." We do not need to go back to Galilee. St. Paul reminds the Corinthians—and us—that the testimony of Christ is established so firmly among us that "no gift of grace is lacking." This same Presence is here now. It is up to us to be attentive enough to recognize the charm of His face as He appears before our eyes today.

Julián Carrón

Julián Carrón, born in 1950 in Spain, is a Catholic priest and theologian. Ordained in 1975, he obtained a degree in Theology from Comillas Pontifical University. Carrón has held professorships at prestigious institutions, including the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. In 2004, he moved to Milan at the request of Fr. Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation. Following Giussani's death in 2005, Carrón became President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a position he held until 2021. Known for his work on Gospel historicity, Carrón has published extensively and participated in Church synods, meeting with both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

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Beyond the Memory, The Presence That Remains.