3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C
Nehemiah 8: 2-4.5-6, 8-10; 1Cor. 12:12-30; Luke 1: 1-4; 4:14-21
Today we celebrate the Word of God Sunday. Pope Francis (30 September 2019) instituted this to underscore the importance of the Word of God. The proclamation of the Word of God precedes the celebration of the Sacraments. Otherwise, the sacraments will become a devotional exercise, for sacraments to be efficaciously celebrated, consist of Word and Signs. Hence, in anything we do, the Word of God must precede the celebration of the Sacrament. Even in the Eucharistic celebration, the liturgy of the Word of God is first celebrated, read and listened to before we begin the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus at the onset of His ministry grounded His mission on the Word of God. He proclaimed God’s word to those gathered in the synagogue of his hometown Nazareth. He read from the prophet which confirmed His mission. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted…to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.” These words from Isaiah serve as Jesus’ manifesto. He has come to start a revolution of mercy and love in the world. He has come to inaugurate the greatest revolution in human history. Jesus’ mission led him to challenge head-on the values of Palestinian theocratic society. He directs his mission to those ignored or pushed aside.
There are so many ways we can make these words of Jesus become good news to the poor, liberty to captives and sight to the blind, when we help those whose heart have grown cold and heavily weighed down, the love of God shines through us and we make them realise that Jesus Christ is not a memory but is living among us today. We can touch people’s live and be healers in times of loneliness, sympathetic listeners in moments of sorrow and towers of strength and loving care in time of tragedy. To be successful channel of His message, we must put our house in order, Grandhi said; “My life is my message.” So, it was with Jesus. And so, it could be with us. Today’s gospel challenges us to stretch out our hands in practical solidarity with those who are visibly disadvantaged around us. Before we save people’s souls that we cannot see, we must first endeavour to save their bodies, their health, their housing, and their jobs that we can see.
We cannot do this work on our own, we need to work in unity. The Christian community at Corinth struggled with divisions as members clamored to claim superiority over one another. Today we hear Paul’s analogy of the Christian community as the Body of Christ. Within a body all parts are necessary, and no part is expendable. Only when we work together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit do we see the kingdom of God, a Kingdom of Justice and peace, break forth.
Fr. Alex Osei
SSC-USA Spiritual Director