THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Gospel: (Luke 4:14-21)
Jesus 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 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.”
Reflection:
We would guess that Jesus introduced a long, pregnant pause, before he said what the synagogue people could hardly expect: “Today, this Scripture is being fulfilled in your hearing.” We are still in the time when the scroll has been set aside, when all eyes turn to Jesus, and there is a pregnant pause. Now we—our own lives—fill the meaning of the pregnant pause. We can do so because, like Jesus, in our baptism we also have been anointed with the Spirit. And so, we are called to look for the poor, captive, blind, and oppressed among us. We don’t have to look very far! “Today this passage has been fulfilled” is now true only when we ourselves respond to those around us who need a nourishing, strengthening, joyful word. (Living Liturgy, p.46)
Vincentian Meditation:
In light of Vincent’s regular practice of taking the imitation of Jesus Christ as the model of behavior, the saint, in Jesus’ manner, chose the words of this Gospel: “He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,” as the motto of his life and ministry. Jesus modeled doing before teaching. Accordingly, Vincent noted that Jesus first integrated “fully into his life every type of virtue.” That was his preparation, after which our Lord, then went on to teach, by preaching the good news of salvation to poor people, and by passing on to his apostles and disciples what they needed to know to become guides for others. As followers of Vincent, we must imitate Christ the Lord, first…imitate his virtues and then we can go out in service to the poor. (Melito, St. Vincent -Windows on His Vision, p. 45)
Matthew 25:35-40
"When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger , you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me." Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?" The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."
Luke 6:20-23
"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who are weeping now, for you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men will have hated you, and when they have separated you and reproached you, and thrown out your name as if evil, because of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and exult, For behold, your reward is great in heaven."