3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year ’C’
“Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have reached their fulfilment amongst us, as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.”
The Word of God became incarnate, taking on a body; in Jesus it took on a heart and a face. It is to each one of us that the Word is addressed today so that it bears witness to this Good News. In the mystery of his Infinite Love, Jesus comes and liberates us in a fundamental way, from all that hinders and enchains us. ’He sent me to bear the Good News to the poor!’ In the dark and cold we are likely to lose the meaning of our lives. How many poor are in need of finding meaning to their lives! The vent that is produced in our midst is rich with Love for God’s People. It is abundant in Light, and rich and multiple interpretations. As well as making a recital,we can make it into a recital of our life saved by Jesus and this is something very personal.
“When Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone glorified him.He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did.He stood up to read.”
The Word of God speaks about all the Love that God has for us. The promise was manifested a long time ago. In many ways, the Jewish people showed they were waiting for Him, particularly through the prophets. Every Jew knows by faith that one day things have to be different, that each one will have to be situated in the response to this waiting, and to this new time. This different time will find a
support on what has already been lived, but each one will be solicited. This period will also be the time of the expansion of the Holy Spirit which presided in putting into place everything that came before and that is all new. Every time we are brought together to listen to the Word of God there is something in our heart which is deeply touched : ’Don’t take on an aspect of mourning, do not weep!’ The Word joins us in the most intimate part of our being and gives a meaning to all that we live as in the first reading : for they all cried hearing the words of the Law. The People of God comes back from exile, from the trials it had suffered! The Word that is given enlightens all that is lived. God’s appetite drowsing in each one is awoken and filled by the Word of God which gives meaning to it. Jesus comes and shows us how much God’s Infinite Love is going to be rooted in the compost of our heart so that our being takes up again its consistence and moves forward with God’s strength. He shows that God in his compassion came as far as us.
“They handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written : The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord. Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.Then he began to speak to them ’This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.”
We don’t want to remain spectators, but rather to become actors of Jesus’ action. In deep relationship with what is made manifest, discovering the announcement of what we have to do, we want to work so that this newness reaches us. In this Gospel passage we receive what the Church hands over to us, the Holy Spirit calls us to really hear right to the end what Jesus is saying to us today. How many places of torments, of people who are imprisoned. Jesus comes and undoes all these links, by His Presence He sets people free. He came to bring light to the blind. If physical light is necessary for our life, we have the desire to see clearly within us, to find unity in our life again. Jesus comes to the intimate part of our existence to give Light back to us . To the oppressed he comes to bring liberation.
We ask for the grace to become witnesses, like Luke who became informed of everything, who lived it on a deep level and who announced it to his brothers.
