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TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING

(A biblical refection on the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 27 January 2013)

Gospel Reading: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

First Reading: Neh 8:2-6,8-10; Psalms: Ps 19:8-10,15; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:12-30

The Scripture Text

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theopilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning Him went out through all the surrounding country. And He taught in their synagoues, being glorified by all.

And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and He went to the synagogue, as His custom was, on the sabbath day. And He stood up to read; and there was given to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21 RSV)

Coming to Nazareth, Jesus went to the synagogue on the sabbath. He stood up to read and was given the book of Isaiah. He chose a familiar passage, one that the people probably could have recited by heart, for it echoed their longing for the Messiah to come and set them free. Little did they know that the one they longed for was standing right in front of them!

Jesus identified Himself as the Messiah, the one who was anointed by the Holy Spirit to set God’s people free from sin. He stood in their midst as the Good News Himself, come to the “poor” who are all in need of salvation. He brought healing through His words and His touch, and the Father’s blessing rained down on all who accepted Him.

Just as Jesus stood before His townsfolk in the synagogue that day, so He stands before each of us and says, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21). Do we recognize Him? Can we take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus, our hope? Each day, He offers us the same work of the Holy Spirit that He offered to the greatest of saints in our heritage.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us to bring us freedom from sin and intimacy with God our Father. He has come to heal our hearts and our bodies. He has come to reveal to us the love of the Father. He has come to fill us with joy in the midst of trials. He offers us all His wisdom and His strength as we seek to please the Lord. As the Holy Spirit fills us more and more, He can flow through us out to the world around us, giving us authority over sin and evil not only in us but around us.

Short Prayer: Holy Spirit, God, we are amazed that You would come to live inside of us! We open our hearts to You and ask You to work in us and through us. Thank You for Your love, Your healing, and Your power. Amen

A Christian Pilgrim

GOD-NEWS FOR THE POOR

(A biblical refection on the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 27 January 2013)

First Reading: Neh 8:2-6,8-10; Psalms: Ps 19:8-10,15; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:12-30; Gospel Reading: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Behind every movement is an inspiring vision (even if it is not always articulated), from which it draws its day-to-day energy. Jesus proclaimed His ministry as the Lord’s year of favor. Shortly before that He had Himself been confirmed in the Father’s favor, called “My beloved Son.” Now, out of that vision and in the power of the Holy Spirit, He had news of God, that is God-news, for the poor. And we are all of us poor and captive in some way. His mission was to be a time of proclaiming God’s love: a time to show the smile of God’s favor towards people. This God-news is that God is on our side and totally prejudiced in our favor, liberating people from all sorts of captivity and unseeing.

Jesus liberated people from the grip of illness and handicap. Many restrictions of bodily health and fitness are rooted in illness of the spirit. The inner world has to be healed before the outer complaint will go. The compassion of God that came through Jesus enabled many to let go in the utter confidence that they found in Him. He drew faith out of them and often told them that their faith had been their saving.

Nothing will paralyze religious growth as much as a guilt complex. Luke particularly highlights the vision of the mercy of God that Jesus portrayed. The desire of Jesus to be close to sinners shattered many religious preconceptions. And stories that He told were a powerful invitation to step out of the paralysis of guilt towards a God who wanted to offer welcome and forgiveness.

Another source of captivity is anxiety. It has tentacles that strangle you any time you want to get up and move. Jesus spoke of God as a Father whose care could be relied on. His vision released people from that anxiety which makes thought of the future a constant source of terror.

Then there are those who are suffocated by the imperfection of their own efforts. To them Jesus spoke about the patience of God who understands the mix of weeds and wheat, who enjoys the oddities in the fishing net. He invited the perfectionists of life to step out from their antiseptic homes where everything has to be perfect, into the fresh air of nature, where nothing is perfect but there is beauty in the oddness of things and in the crazy balance of nature.

Jesus proclaimed a Kingdom where God is the Father of all and there must be no enemies for all are brothers and sisters. He called on all who were prisoners of anger, aggressiveness and vengeance to let go of the need to feel superior to others. Letting go is like learning to cycle or to swim. As long as the body is tensed up and rigid it won’t happen. One has to learn to relax to the balance in movement of the bike, or begin to experience the sea as a supporting millieu, before it can be enjoyed.

Jesus taught people to relax in the smile of God’s favor …… and they found that they could let go of their chains. What a day of liberation it is when you discover that the chains around you really have no lock on them except the rigidity of your own grip! Once you le go …… they fall off.

Jesus brought God-news to the poor, the news that God is loving, caring, compassionate and forgiving, because He favors us. If I am privileged to savor this God-news, then the challenge arises: to what extent do I pass on this portrait of God’s favor to others?

Not so much by words, which may be pious but hollow, as by what I am. A question to live with – what is the God-news proclaimed by my life to others today?

Note: Taken from Silvester O’Flynn OFMCap., THE GOOD NEWS OF LUKE’S YEAR, Dublin, Ireland: CATHEDRAL BOOKS, 1994, pages 123-124.