Thursday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 215
Lectionary: 215
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 72:1-2, 14 And 15bc, 17
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will
adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Gospel Lk 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
www.usccb.org
Meditation:"All wondered at the gracious words
which proceeded out of Jesus' mouth"
In Jesus we see the love and mercy of God
in action. Wherever he went, people gathered to hear him speak about the
kingdom of God. His gracious words brought hope, joy, and favor to those who
were ready to receive him. Jesus began his public ministry in his own land of
Galilee where he was reared. His proclamation of the fulfillment of the
Messianic prophecy of Isaiah brought wonder to the people. Isaiah had
prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring
freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus awakened
their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably
and wondered what would become of "Joseph's son". Their hearts were
hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and
wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all
God's promises?The word "gospel" literally means "good news". Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those who suffered from physical, mental, or spiritual oppression (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free – not only from their physical, mental, and spiritual infirmities - but also from the worst affliction of all – the tyranny of slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one's life. God's power alone can save us from hopelessness, dejection, and emptiness of life. The gospel of salvation is "good news" for everyone who will receive it. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?
What did Jesus come to do for us? He came to set us free from the worst tyranny possible -- slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the eternal destruction of both body and soul. God's power alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from hopelessness and the fear of annihilation. The gospel of salvation is "good news" for us today. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?
"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit you bring us truth, freedom, and abundant life. Fill me with the joy of the gospel and and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and your will".
www.dailyscripture.net
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The Awesome Presence |
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Thursday after Epiphany
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Luke 4:14-22
Jesus returned to
Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the
whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came
to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the
synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of
the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was
written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the
synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture
passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and
were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, welcome into the temple of my
soul. I know that you will root up and tear down, heal and sanctify, making
there a holy and righteous place that has always been intended for you. Only
you have the power to unlock the sanctuary of my heart; only you build what
will last forever. I trustfully open my entire self to you now, so that your
words can shape my thoughts, so that your love can penetrate my heart, so
that no disorder of soul may remain in me.
Petition: Lord, grant me a greater reverence for you.
1. He Returned in the Power of the Spirit: The Spirit appears in
the world to unite heaven’s plan to that of earth, and it does so here with
every move of Christ. Christ’s whole mission is nothing other than the
fulfillment of the passage he reads. Our vocation in life is nothing other
than fulfilling our baptismal commission by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord shows
himself, therefore, to be no one-man show. He, the Son, is sent and works in
communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from here all his
fruitfulness and power flows. Our mission must truly make us feel “sent.” It
compels us to bear fruit through acts of obedience and love. Heaven seeks to
deliver its plan to me in this prayer. May I be attentive to all that the
Holy Spirit prompts me to do.
2. “He Unrolled the Scroll…. ‘Today This Passage Is Fulfilled
in Your Hearing’”: Man is given a response to the eternal question found in
Revelation 5:2: "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
Contemplate this solemn moment when the Word reveals himself among men: Many
could read from the scroll, but only one was worthy to unlock its salvific
power. Many could recite the texts, but only one could set them ablaze in
their hearts. Many could preach with fascination, but only one could satisfy
their hunger for the fullness of truth. Our words are an empty breath without
Christ’s voice; our labors are to no end, if our actions are not Christ’s.
Only one person by right can change the human heart, and we in truth can only
be apostles when Christ is the one who moves our hand.
3. All Were Amazed at the Words That Came from His
Mouth: The precise nature of these words is not revealed to us here,
as if to mean that the person of Christ himself is the revelation. Christ, in
the totality of his person, comes to lighten our burdens and lift our spirits
in a way no teaching, no miraculous event, no cure left to itself ever could.
Divine providence has secured for us many goods in life, but all goods fail
us if they do not come with Christ in all the power and intimacy that is
God-among-us.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I seek to
revere you and honor you as the center of my life. I work now with a holy
ambition to ensure your throne is firmly established in my heart. Teach me to
let nothing usurp what belongs to you in my life. Let me not build a life of
empty self-sufficiency, lest I lose the experiences of your power and grace I
could have.
Resolution: I will visit our Lord in the Eucharist today
for the sake of honoring him for his greatness and thanking him for his
active presence in my life.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10
Christmas Weekday
LUKE 4:14-22a
(1 John 4:19―5:4; Psalm 72)
KEY VERSE: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor" (v 18).
READING: The synagogue developed as a result of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 587 BCE, and the Exile in Bablyon. With the sacrificial cult no longer possible, the synagogue was necessary for the survival of Judaism. The synagogue service consisted of singing a Psalm, the recitation of the Shema ("Hear!" Dt. 6:4-9, 11:13-21; Nm 15:37-41), a Jewish expression of faith in the one true God; a reading from the Torah (the Law and the Prophets), and the Priestly Blessing (Nm 6:24-36), which was led by the synagogue president. The readings of the entire Pentateuch were covered in a three year cycle, much like our Christian lectionary today. Any well instructed male member of the assembly could be called upon to read and interpret the scriptures. On one occasion, Jesus was given the scroll of the prophet Isaiah to read (Is 61:1-2). The passage spoke of the restoration of Israel through the work of God's anointed one (Messiah in Hebrew, Christos in Greek). Jesus announced that Isaiah's words applied to his own mission. He had been anointed by the Spirit to announce a Jubilee year of God's favor, and to bring good news to the poor and afflicted. Although the people were amazed by Jesus' words, many rejected him as they did the prophets before him.
REFLECTING: In what ways have I brought glad tidings to my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to bring good news to the needy and oppressed.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
every
nation on earth will adore you
He taught
in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.In most places in Israel, there was a synagogue where every Sabbath a liturgical service was celebrated. It was the custom to take part in the readings and their commentary. Prophets today may not have such easy access to similar platforms, but nevertheless their voices do get heard.
How do we react to those prophets who seem to be guided by the Spirit? A rule of thumb could be that no matter how critical or demanding a message they present, they do not attempt to divide the church. Even if the community rejects them, they will never separate themselves from the communion of the church, which, in time, will come to recognise true prophets.
www.churchresources.info
January 10Servant of God Vico Necchi
(1876-1930)
On January 9, 1930, Ludovico (Vico)
Necchi, professor of biology at the University of Milan, died. According to his
will, his headstone was to be inscribed with the simple words: Vico Necchi,
Franciscan Tertiary. An extraordinary man, he is buried in the chapel of the
University of the Sacred Heart in Milan in the expectation that one day he will
be raised to the altars.
As a young man
Vico was deeply in love with Christ, St. Francis and the Church. Invested in
the habit of the Third Order, he displayed the enthusiasm of Paul and the
gentleness of Francis. He used his position as a physician to counter the
secular, anti-Christian attitudes of his age and to bring others to Christ. One
of his converts was the radical, Augustine Gemelli, who with Vico was the
cofounder of the University of the Sacred Heart.
Vico himself was
a prayerful, humble, charming and cheerful man who stood at the forefront of
the new Italian Catholic Action. Despite opposition and trials, he used his
medical profession as a holy apostolate for the conversion of his patients
while his charity was being lavished on retarded children.
Comment:
One of the documents produced by the Second Vatican Council explored the apostolate of the laity. Vico was born long before that council sat, but he took seriously his role as apostle. We too are called by Christ to be his apostles: to spread his reign of forgiveness and peace, to bring his healing touch wherever we go—at home, at work, to the marketplace or wherever else our daily journey takes us.
One of the documents produced by the Second Vatican Council explored the apostolate of the laity. Vico was born long before that council sat, but he took seriously his role as apostle. We too are called by Christ to be his apostles: to spread his reign of forgiveness and peace, to bring his healing touch wherever we go—at home, at work, to the marketplace or wherever else our daily journey takes us.
Quote:
“To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer. This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers...or to the faithful” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 239).
January 10“To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer. This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers...or to the faithful” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 239).
St. Gregory of Nyssa
(c. 330-395)
The son of two saints, Basil and
Emmilia, young Gregory was raised by his older brother, St. Basil the Great,
and his sister, Macrina, in modern-day Turkey. Gregory's success in his studies
suggested great things were ahead for him. After becoming a professor of
rhetoric, he was persuaded to devote his learning and efforts to the Church. By
then married, Gregory went on to study for the priesthood and become ordained
(this at a time when celibacy was not a matter of law for priests).
He was elected
Bishop of Nyssa (in Lower Armenia) in 372, a period of great tension over the
Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Briefly arrested after being
falsely accused of embezzling Church funds, Gregory was restored to his see in
378, an act met with great joy by his people.
It was after the
death of his beloved brother, Basil, that Gregory really came into his own. He
wrote with great effectiveness against Arianism and other questionable
doctrines, gaining a reputation as a defender of orthodoxy. He was sent on
missions to counter other heresies and held a position of prominence at the
Council of Constantinople. His fine reputation stayed with him for the
remainder of his life, but over the centuries it gradually declined as the
authorship of his writings became less and less certain. But, thanks to the
work of scholars in the 20th century, his stature is once again appreciated.
Indeed, St. Gregory of Nyssa is seen not simply as a pillar of orthodoxy but as
one of the great contributors to the mystical tradition in Christian spirituality
and to monasticism itself.
Comment:
Orthodoxy is a word that can raise red flags in our minds. To some people it may connote rigid attitudes that make no room for honest differences of opinion. But it might just as well suggest something else: faith that has settled deep in one’s bones. Gregory’s faith was like that. So deeply imbedded was his faith in Jesus that he knew the divinity that Arianism denied. When we resist something offered as truth without knowing exactly why, it may be because our faith has settled in our bones.
www.americancatholic.orgOrthodoxy is a word that can raise red flags in our minds. To some people it may connote rigid attitudes that make no room for honest differences of opinion. But it might just as well suggest something else: faith that has settled deep in one’s bones. Gregory’s faith was like that. So deeply imbedded was his faith in Jesus that he knew the divinity that Arianism denied. When we resist something offered as truth without knowing exactly why, it may be because our faith has settled in our bones.
LECTIO: LUKE 4,14-22A
Lectio:
Thursday,
January 10, 2013
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
through Christ your Son
the hope of eternal life dawned on our world.
Give to us the light of faith
that we may always acknowledge him as our Redeemer
and come to the glory of his kingdom,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
through Christ your Son
the hope of eternal life dawned on our world.
Give to us the light of faith
that we may always acknowledge him as our Redeemer
and come to the glory of his kingdom,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading -
Luke 4,14-22a
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, and they handed him the scroll of the
prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is 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.
He 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.'
And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.
He 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.'
And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.
3) Reflection
• Animated by the Spirit, Jesus returns toward
Galilee and begins to announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Being in
the community and teaching in the Synagogues, he reaches Nazareth, where he
grew up. He was returning to the community, where, since he was small, had
participated in the celebration during thirty years. The following Saturday,
according to his custom, he went to the Synagogue to be with the people and to
participate in the celebrations.
• Jesus rises to go to read. He chooses a text from Isaiah which speaks about the poor, of the prisoners, of the blind and the oppressed. The text reflects the situation of the people of Galilee, in the time of Jesus. In the name of God, Jesus takes a stand to defend the life of his people, and with the words of Isaiah, he defines his mission: to proclaim the Good News to the poor, to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, to restore sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. Going back to the ancient tradition of the prophets, he proclaims: “a year of grace of the Lord”. He proclaims a jubilee year. Jesus wants to reconstruct the community, the clan in such a way that once again it may be the expression of their faith in God! And then, if God is Father/Mother of all we should all be brothers and sisters of one another.
• In ancient Israel, the great family, the clan or the community, was the basis of social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principal channel of tradition and of the defence of the people. It was a concrete way of embodying the love of God in the love for neighbour. To defend the clan, the community, was the same as defending the Covenant with God. In Galilee at the time of Jesus, there was a two-fold segregation, that of the politics of Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD) and the segregation of the official religion. And this because of the system of exploitation and of repression of the politics of Herod Antipas supported by the Roman Empire. Many people were homeless, excluded and without work (Lk 14, 21; Mt 20, 3.5-6). The result was that the clan, the community, was weakened. The families and the persons remained without any help, without any defence. And the official religion maintained by the religious authorities of the time, instead of strengthening the community, in a way in which it could receive and accept the excluded, strengthened this segregation even more. The Law of God was used to legitimize the exclusion of many people: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed, Publicans, sick, mutilated, paraplegic. It was all the contrary of the Fraternity which God had dreamt for all! And this was the political and economic situation, as well as the religious ideology, everything conspired to weaken the local community more and hinder, in this way, the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ program, based on the prophecy of Isaiah, offered an alternative.
• After finishing the reading, Jesus updated the text applying it to the life of the people, saying: “Today, this reading, which you have heard with your own ears, has been fulfilled!” His way of joining the Bible with the life of the people, produced a two-fold reaction. Some remained surprised, amazed and admired. Others had a negative reaction. Some were scandalized and wanted to have nothing more to do with him. They said: “Is he not the son of Joseph?” (Lk 4, 22). Why were they scandalized? Because Jesus says to accept and receive the poor, the blind, the oppressed. But they did not accept his proposal. And thus, when he presented his project to accept the excluded, he himself was excluded!
• Jesus rises to go to read. He chooses a text from Isaiah which speaks about the poor, of the prisoners, of the blind and the oppressed. The text reflects the situation of the people of Galilee, in the time of Jesus. In the name of God, Jesus takes a stand to defend the life of his people, and with the words of Isaiah, he defines his mission: to proclaim the Good News to the poor, to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, to restore sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. Going back to the ancient tradition of the prophets, he proclaims: “a year of grace of the Lord”. He proclaims a jubilee year. Jesus wants to reconstruct the community, the clan in such a way that once again it may be the expression of their faith in God! And then, if God is Father/Mother of all we should all be brothers and sisters of one another.
• In ancient Israel, the great family, the clan or the community, was the basis of social living together. It was the protection of the families and of the persons, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principal channel of tradition and of the defence of the people. It was a concrete way of embodying the love of God in the love for neighbour. To defend the clan, the community, was the same as defending the Covenant with God. In Galilee at the time of Jesus, there was a two-fold segregation, that of the politics of Herod Antipas (4 BC to 39 AD) and the segregation of the official religion. And this because of the system of exploitation and of repression of the politics of Herod Antipas supported by the Roman Empire. Many people were homeless, excluded and without work (Lk 14, 21; Mt 20, 3.5-6). The result was that the clan, the community, was weakened. The families and the persons remained without any help, without any defence. And the official religion maintained by the religious authorities of the time, instead of strengthening the community, in a way in which it could receive and accept the excluded, strengthened this segregation even more. The Law of God was used to legitimize the exclusion of many people: women, children, Samaritans, foreigners, lepers, possessed, Publicans, sick, mutilated, paraplegic. It was all the contrary of the Fraternity which God had dreamt for all! And this was the political and economic situation, as well as the religious ideology, everything conspired to weaken the local community more and hinder, in this way, the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ program, based on the prophecy of Isaiah, offered an alternative.
• After finishing the reading, Jesus updated the text applying it to the life of the people, saying: “Today, this reading, which you have heard with your own ears, has been fulfilled!” His way of joining the Bible with the life of the people, produced a two-fold reaction. Some remained surprised, amazed and admired. Others had a negative reaction. Some were scandalized and wanted to have nothing more to do with him. They said: “Is he not the son of Joseph?” (Lk 4, 22). Why were they scandalized? Because Jesus says to accept and receive the poor, the blind, the oppressed. But they did not accept his proposal. And thus, when he presented his project to accept the excluded, he himself was excluded!
4) Personal
questions
• Jesus joined the faith in God with the
social situation of his people. And I, how do I live my faith in God?
• Where I live, are there any blind, prisoners, oppressed? What do I do?
• Where I live, are there any blind, prisoners, oppressed? What do I do?
5) Concluding prayer
May his name be blessed for ever,
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed. (Ps 72,17)
and endure in the sight of the sun.
In him shall be blessed every race in the world,
and all nations call him blessed. (Ps 72,17)
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