January 23, 2022 Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
About this time every four years when a new president is elected, he comes before the Congress and the nation with his inaugural address.
- During that speech he outlines his hopes and vision for the country for the next four years of his term.
- Frequently he will describe how he intends to fulfill the promises he made when he ran for office.
Gospel of St. Luke
Jesus in the synagogue
Something like that is happening in the gospel for today.
- Saint Luke records Jesus’ visit to the synagogue in Nazareth.
- The synagogue service consisted in a reading from Scripture and then a reflection offered by a member of the assembly.
- Obviously, the leader of the synagogue must have been ecstatic to see Jesus in the congregation.
- Not only he, but the entire congregation, must have been excited to hear what Jesus would say since his fame had begun to spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.
- The leader of the synagogue hands Jesus the scroll.
- He unrolls it and finds the words of the prophet Isaiah.
Proclamation of the Kingdom
In these words, Jesus frames the entire message of his mission.
- That message is to proclaim the good news of God‘s kingdom.
- In the words of the prophet Isaiah, he announces the unfolding of the Kingdom of God.
- Remember, this is God‘s vision for the human family.
- It’s God‘s plan for the human race.
- In the gospel, Jesus announces that there will be a whole new way of thinking and doing things.
- He comes in the power of God‘s Holy Spirit announcing the good news to those who are open to God‘s presence.
- He brings freedom to those who are held captive either physically, emotionally or spiritually.
- He has come to open the eyes of those who are blind both physically and spiritually.
- He has come to announce the presence of God in human history and his vision for the human family.
Jesus has come to announce a new beginning. A new era has begun.
Reading from Nehemiah
Background
This same theme is taken up in the first reading from the book of Nehemiah.
- The children of Israel have just returned from captivity in Babylon.
- Jerusalem was totally decimated by the Babylonians.
- After 50 years or so, the king of Persia let the captives go and they returned home.
- Most of them had never seen Jerusalem before its destruction.
- When they arrived, they found Jerusalem a ruined city, lying in decay.
- Reconstruction began immediately.
- The temple was restored and finished; homes and the city wall were rebuilt.
Ezra the scribe
Now there is a sense of joy and anticipation. The people have gathered in the restored courtyard of the temple.
- A platform has been erected for this occasion.
- Thereupon, Ezra the scribe walks across the courtyard, climbs the stairs and opens the Torah or scroll to read to the people.
- Immediately the people rise as Ezra blesses the Lord and continues to read God’s word.
- The young and the older alike fall to the ground with their faces to the pavement in humble submission to God.
- It is a moment charged with emotion for everyone.
A new era
A new era has begun.
- Israel and Jerusalem have been restored.
- This must be a day of rejoicing because the power of God has done these things and the Lord will be the strength of his people.
- The past is gone and a new order has been restored.
Sacred Scripture
Four centuries separate Ezra from Jesus.
- However, both of them unroll scrolls and read.
- It is the power of God’s word that captures and encompasses the assembly.
- Yes, the scrolls which we now call the scriptures are the written word of God.
- In the gospel for today, however, it’s important to remember that Jesus himself is the Word of God incarnate.
- We continue to read from the Bible every Sunday because the Scriptures speak to us of our relationship to God and our relationship with one another.
Word of God Sunday
Pope Francis has set this weekend aside as Word of God Sunday.
- It gives us the opportunity to reflect upon the power of God‘s word in our life.
- Additionally, the readings portray how God‘s word has formed and sustained the community of faith.
We might consider the scripture from two perspectives.
Inspired word
First of all, God’s word is different from every other kind of either written or spoken word.
- The scriptures are inspired by the movement of the Holy Spirit.
- In other words, God himself is the author of the Scriptures.
- Yes, they are written by human authors, but God inspired them in the written word.
- As a result, God’s word is free from error.
- That means that It contains the truth of God’s relationship to the human family as well as the truth of sacred revelation.
- The scriptures record the self-disclosure of God’s love and his saving acts in his son Jesus, for the salvation of humanity.
Those sacred writings contain the truths that we must embrace for our salvation.
The living word
Additionally, the scriptures are the living Word of God.
- That means that when we listen to them, it is God speaking directly to us.
- Essentially the scriptures are a spoken word. That means that when they are proclaimed, they have power,
- They have the power to transform, forgive, console, or challenge to conversion.
As you listened to the readings for today, ask yourself this question: what is God saying to me today?
Gospel Challenge
Here’s the gospel challenge for this week.
- Make a commitment to set aside 15 minutes to read from the Bible.
- If you are not familiar with the Bible, then I am going to suggest one of two passages: read Psalm 148. It is a song of Thanksgiving to God for his creation.
- Another suggestion would be the second reading for Mass next weekend: I Corinthians chapter 13. This is one of the most beautiful descriptions of love found in the Bible.
- Saint Jerome once remarked, “ignorance of the scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
- As Catholics, we should be familiar with the Bible and read from it on a daily basis.
There is power in God‘s word. Let those scriptures shape and form your life that you may be truly surrounded by the saving power of God.