Third Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
January 24, 2016
Gospel: Lk 1:1-4;
4:14-21
Since many
have undertaken to compile a narrative (1) of the events that have been
fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and
ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after
investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly
sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the
certainty of the teachings you have received.
Jesus returned to Galilee (2) 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 (3) 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 (4)
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."
The difficult words
(1) When the Gospel says many have undertaken to compile a
narrative, it means that many people have decided to write down in words the
true story of the events in Jesus Christ's life.
(2) Galilee is the region where Jesus grew up: it is situated in the north of
Israel. Nazareth is a town in Galilee.
(3) In the Jewish religion, the sabbath is the seventh day of the week. It is a day of rest in honor of the
Lord. The sabbath is a Saturday; Sunday being the first day of the week.
(4) To anoint means to put holy oil on someone. This was done as a sign of giving
someone the strength and authority from God to be a king, a Priest, or a
special messenger of God.
This week’s spotlight
Biblical references
The Bible is divided into books (there are 72 of them). Each book is
divided into chapters. All the sentences are numbered. This way we can easily
find a passage in this big book. For example, when you see “a reading from the
Book of Nehemiah 8:1-4,” it means that the reading is from the Book of
Nehemiah, chapter 8, sentences I to 4. The sentences in the Bible are called
verses.
Liturgy of the Word
The Liturgy of the Word feeds us with God's word just as the Eucharist
feeds us with Communion.The Church listens to carefully chosen readings from
the Bible. The first reading is usually from the Old Testament. It expresses
the promises of God to his chosen people. Next, we respond to the reading with
a psalm, which is usually sung. Then we listen to a reading from the New
Testament, which is most often from one of the letters of Saint Paul. After
this, we stand for the Gospel and sing the Alleluia. We rejoice that Jesus has
come to fulfill God’s promises. In the homily, the Priest or Deacon helps us to
understand how God is speaking today. Finally, after the Profession of Faith,
the general intercessions express our prayers for the needs of all people.
Reflection
Is anyone listening?
Sometimes you may get the feeling that nothing’s happening, that one day
of school is the same as the next. But, if you look more closely, you will see
that each day is very different. There are days you feel happy because someone
has said something nice to you, and other days where everything seems wrong
just because someone made a remark that hurt your feelings. Words can make you
feel bad or feel extremely happy. People sometimes say things that surprise
you. At other times, they need someone to listen, but we’re not paying
attention. In today’s Gospel, Jesus brings glad news to the poor and announces
freedom to captives. Are we listening to God as he speaks to us? Jesus speaks
to you through the people that you come across, through the Bible, and through
prayer. This is why you need to open your ears and be attentive to those around
you. This is a beautiful way to follow the Lord.
Discussion questions
1. Where did Jesus return to?
2. What did Jesus do there?
3. What are the missions of the one who was anointed?
4. Are any of the needs we see in the world today like
the needs that Jesus named? Which ones?
5. What has Jesus given to us to help us respond to
the needs in our world today?
6. How we can follow Jesus' example and help remove
these heavy burdens from people who are suffering?
Praying after Communion
After receiving Holy Communion, you can say this prayer
silently to yourself. If you have not yet received your First Communion, you
can still
say this prayer
because of your desire to receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in communion with the whole
Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Jesus your Son sets us free and
opens our hearts to love. May this Communion in his Body and Blood help me to
listen better to others and to speak to them in words that are kind and
helpful.
This week…
Opening your ears to the word of
God
This week, during your prayer at night, reread one
of the readings from Mass. Be silent for a few moments so that you can
understand what God is telling you in the Bible. Meditating a moment before
listening to the word of God is a way of closing the doors to the different
thoughts that want to come into your mind and take your attention away from the
Lord.
Word search
