GOSPEL POWER - JANUARY 7, 2021 

Thursday after Epiphany

Saint Raymond of Penyafort, priest

Gospel: Lk 4:14-22 

Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

REFLECTION

In the person of Jesus, eternity enters time and turns secular history into salvation history… God’s very own story. As Jesus announces the fulfillment of God’s promises today, time ceases to be confined to one point in history. Today becomes God’s eternal now or kairos — an opportunity given to every hearer of the Gospel in every place and generation to be included in God’s saving acts. The fulfillment of the words pronounced by Jesus will always be today — that is, an event being realized right here, right now, for those who put their faith in those words.

PRAYER 

Lord Jesus, may we hear every proclamation of the Gospel as an announcement of the fulfillment of God’s promises today. Amen.