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.
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.
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
PsalmPS 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.
AlleluiaLK 4:18
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 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.
Meditation:
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me"
What
can bring us true freedom and joy? In Jesus we see the healing power of God's
love and mercy in action. Wherever Jesus went, people gathered to hear him
speak about the kingdom of heaven and God's promise to bring freedom and
healing to those who put their trust in 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
infirmities, but 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 dejection, hopelessness, 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 of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to bring us the
kingdom of heaven?
"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 inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for
your kingdom of peace and righteousness".
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Christ brings hope of release from
spiritual bondage, by Eusebius of Caesarea, 260/263-340 AD
"'The
Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me' (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah
61:1). Clearly this happened to those who thought that the Christ of God was
neither a mere man nor an unfleshed and unembodied Word who did not take on a
mortal nature. Instead they say he is both God and human, God in that he is the
only-begotten God who was in the bosom of the Father, and man... from the seed
of David according to the flesh (Luke 1:32). Thus, God the Word, who through
the prophecy has been called Lord, speaks out this prophecy that is preeminent
among other promises: 'I am the Lord, and in the right time I will draw them
together'...
"Taking
the chrism in the Holy Spirit, he, chosen from among all, appears as the
only-begotten Christ of God. And the verse 'he has sent me to proclaim good
news to the poor' (Luke 4:18), he fulfilled in that time when he 'was preaching
the kingdom of heaven' and explaining the beatitudes to the disciples by
saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God'
(Matthew 5:3)... And for those nations then imprisoned in their souls by the
invisible and spiritual powers he preached release to his newly encouraged
disciples... Therefore, he preached release to the prisoners and to those
suffering from blindness who were those enslaved by the error of polytheism,
and he creates a year that is acceptable, through which he made all time his
own year. And from the passing years of humanity he provides days of created
light for those close to him. He never kept hidden the age that is to come
after the perfecting of the present. For that age will be a time much on the
Lord's mind, being an age and day of requiting. For he will grant a change of
fortune or a year of favor to those struggling in the present life." (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 2.51.5)
[Eusebius of Caesarea (260/263-340) was a bishop, Scripture scholar and first historian of the Christian church.]
[Eusebius of Caesarea (260/263-340) was a bishop, Scripture scholar and first historian of the Christian church.]
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, LUKE 4:14-22a
Christmas Weekday
(1 John 4:19―5:4; Psalm 72)
Christmas Weekday
(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).
TO KNOW: The synagogue developed as a result of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 587 BCE, and the subsequent Exile in Babylon. With the sacrificial cult no longer possible, the synagogue was necessary for the survival of Judaism. During the service, 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 declared that Isaiah's words applied to his own mission to announce a Jubilee year of God's favor, and to bring good news to the poor and afflicted. The prophets continually railed against those who were indifferent to the poor. Although the people were amazed by Jesus' words, many rejected him, just as they did the prophets before him.
TO LOVE: In what ways have I brought glad tidings to my community?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to bring good news to the needy and oppressed.
NOTE: The synagogue service was led by the synagogue president, and consisted of singing a Psalm; the recitation of the Shema ("Hear!" Dt. 6:4-9), 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). The readings of the entire Pentateuch were covered in a three-year cycle, much like our Christian lectionary today.
Thursday 9 January 2020
1 John 4:19-5:4. Psalm 71(72):1-2, 14-15, 17. Luke 4:14-22.
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you – Psalm 71(72):1-2, 14-15, 17
‘He has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you – Psalm 71(72):1-2, 14-15, 17
‘He has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
Jesus begins his mission, filled with the power of the Holy
Spirit. He comes at last to his home town, Nazareth. In the Synagogue that
Sabbath morning, all are waiting for him to declare himself. He stands before
them, and reads the mighty commission Isaiah prophesises for the Messiah. He
offers to his lifelong friends and neighbours the fulfilment of this promise in
the Good News he proclaims. For a moment, they are impressed. But then the
blinds of familiarity and prejudice come down. ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ Take
a moment to imagine this scene. Where is Jesus in the picture? Where are you?
When everyone is trying to run this upstart out of town to throw him off the
cliff, in whose shoes are you walking?
Saint Adrian of Canterbury
Saint of the Day for January 9
(d. January 9, 710)
Saint Adrian of Canterbury’s Story
Though Saint Adrian turned down a papal request to become
Archbishop of Canterbury, England, Pope Saint Vitalian accepted the
rejection on the condition that Adrian serve as the Holy Father’s assistant and
adviser. Adrian accepted, but ended up spending most of his life and doing most
of his work in Canterbury.
Born in Africa, Adrian was serving as an abbot in Italy when the
new Archbishop of Canterbury appointed him abbot of the monastery of
Saints Peter and Paul in Canterbury. Thanks to his leadership skills, the
facility became one of the most important centers of learning. The school
attracted many outstanding scholars from far and wide and produced numerous
future bishops and archbishops. Students reportedly learned Greek and Latin and
spoke Latin as well as their own native languages.
Adrian taught at the school for 40 years. He died there,
probably in the year 710, and was buried in the monastery. Several hundred
years later, when reconstruction was being done, Adrian’s body was discovered
in an incorrupt state. As word spread, people flocked to his tomb, which became
famous for miracles. Rumor had it that young schoolboys in trouble with their
masters made regular visits there.
Reflection
Saint Adrian spent most of his time in Canterbury not as
bishop, but as abbot and teacher. Often the Lord has plans for us that are
obvious only on hindsight. How often have we said no to something or someone
only to end up in much the same place anyway. The Lord knows what’s good for
us. Can we trust him?
Lectio Divina: Luke 4:14-22a
Lectio Divina
Thursday, January 9, 2020
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 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.
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 the time He was small, had participated
in the celebration - for 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 read. He chooses a text from Isaiah which speaks about the poor, of 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 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, as God is Father of all, we should all be brothers and sisters of one another.
• In ancient Israel, the great family, the clan or community, was the basis of living together. It was the protection of families and of the people, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principal channel of tradition, and the defense of the people. It was a concrete way of embodying the love of God in the love for neighbor. 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. This became 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 people remained without any help, without any defense. 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, the possessed, publicans, the sick, the mutilated, the handicapped. It was all the opposite of the fraternity which God had dreamt for all! This was the political and economic situation, as well as the religious ideology. Everything conspired to weaken the local community and hinder 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 to the life of the people produced a two-fold reaction. Some remained surprised and amazed. 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? They were 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 read. He chooses a text from Isaiah which speaks about the poor, of 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 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, as God is Father of all, we should all be brothers and sisters of one another.
• In ancient Israel, the great family, the clan or community, was the basis of living together. It was the protection of families and of the people, the guarantee of the possession of the land, the principal channel of tradition, and the defense of the people. It was a concrete way of embodying the love of God in the love for neighbor. 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. This became 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 people remained without any help, without any defense. 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, the possessed, publicans, the sick, the mutilated, the handicapped. It was all the opposite of the fraternity which God had dreamt for all! This was the political and economic situation, as well as the religious ideology. Everything conspired to weaken the local community and hinder 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 to the life of the people produced a two-fold reaction. Some remained surprised and amazed. 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? They were 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 faith in God with the social situation of His
people. How do I live my faith in God?
• Where I live, are there any blind, prisoners, or oppressed? How do I treat them?
• How do I treat immigrants and foreigners? Is it with inclusion and love, or not? Do I also use “the law” to segregate people?
• Where I live, are there any blind, prisoners, or oppressed? How do I treat them?
• How do I treat immigrants and foreigners? Is it with inclusion and love, or not? Do I also use “the law” to segregate people?
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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