3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C
✠ A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21
Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I, in my 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. 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 praised him.
He came to Nazara, 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 has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
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 as you listen.’
1. Today’s readings focus on restoration of God’s people to blessings. The first reading taken from Nehemiah (8:2-6,8-10) presents us with the restoration of the relationship between God and the Jews who returned from the babylonia exile. The young generation that came back from exile were ignorant of the laws of God. When a copy of the Word of God was discovered during the rebuilding of the temple, Ezrah, the scribe and high priest, decided to read the text of the law to all the people. Through his explanation, they discovered how unfaithful they had been to God and learnt of the promises and blessings that they had been missing by not obeying God. That day, they pledged loyalty to God, and God began to restore them to prosperity. God proved to them that he is a God who restores lost glories.
2. In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents his mission statement in the synagogue of Nazareth. Every sabbath, the Jews gather in the synagogues to listen to the word of God. Anyone could be asked by the synagogue official to read and preach. Jesus was given the book of the prophet Isaiah to read. He opened the 62nd chapter and read out what corresponds to his mission on earth. He then gave the shortest homily ever preached, saying: “This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.” His mission statement focused on bringing good news to the poor through liberation of captives, healing from illnesses, and deliverance from the devil. All these were meant to announce the Lord’s year of favour. The Lord’s Year of favour refers particularly to the jubilee year. According to the book of Leviticus 25, every fifty years, Israel was to celebrate the jubilee year. The jubilee year has many characteristics. First, the land is not cultivated because it has to rest, but God, in his providence, gives an abundant harvest in the year following the jubilee. Secondly, all lands that were sold return automatically to the original owner. Thirdly, all slaves are set free with their families if they have one.
3. The Catholic adopted this levitical prescription of jubilee celebration. However, instead of 50 years, the Church reduced it to 25 years. Every 25 years, the church celebrates the jubilee year. The last one was in the year 2000. That is why this year, 2025, is declared a jubilee year. On the 24th of December 2024, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, officially inaugurated the jubilee year 2025, which he called Jubilee Year of Hope. This has nothing to do with the renewed hope agenda of the Nigerian government. The pope asked all Catholics to become messengers of hope, which is not a mere word, but actions taken to make life better for everyone. The Church has officially undertaken to ask the world powers to cancel the debts of the third world countries as a sign of the jubilee of hope. Pope Francis asked all who have the means to make a pilgrimage to Rome this year and those who cannot to make a pilgrimage to their diocesan cathedral or any other church designated by the bishop of the diocese. This pilgrimage comes with plenary indulgence. He calls every Catholic “a Pilgrim of Hope.” We are all pilgrims of hope.
4. How do we become pilgrims of hope? Today’s gospel gives us an answer. It is by imitating Jesus in announcing the good news to the poor, freedom to captives, and healing to the sick. In a practical manner, we are called upon to give hope to those around us by 1. Cancellation of debt to those who are in difficulties with honouring their engagements with regards to debts. This may not be easy, especially when one is not too sure of the true situation of the debtor. This notwithstanding, we must cancel debts even when in doubt. 2. Setting captives free: this involves empowering those who have dedicated a long number of years in serving those who can make them better than servants: the drivers, the gatemen, the cooks, the gardeners etc, are those who must be given concrete hope this year. 3. Settling cases that might have lingered in the courts or other instances of adjudication. There are people who have been quarrelling for years. This is the year to put an end to the conflict. It is time to say “yes” where one has been saying “no.” Being a pilgrim of hope implies pursuing the things that lead to peace and mutual up building.
5. This is the Lord’s year of favour. You must give favours so that you too will be favoured. You must engage in concrete acts that give hope to others. An anonymous parishioner once posted a write-up at the door of his parish church, which reads:”I was hungry, and you set up a committee to discuss my problem. I was naked and shabily dressed, and you debated the morality of my dressing. I was sick, and you thanked God for your health. I was in cold, and you preached to me about the warmth of God’s love. But I am still hungry, I am still naked, I am still sick and in cold. I need your action and not your words or thoughts.” Being a Pilgrim of Hope is about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, empowering the poor. Do some of these, and you will truly be a Pilgrim of Hope.
@Vitalis Anaehobi
26/01/25
