Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 72

Reading I

Jer 1:4-5, 17-19

The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
            Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
                        before you were born I dedicated you,
                        a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

            But do you gird your loins;
                        stand up and tell them
                        all that I command you.
            Be not crushed on their account,
                        as though I would leave you crushed before them;
            for it is I this day
                        who have made you a fortified city,
            a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
                        against the whole land:
            against Judah’s kings and princes,
                        against its priests and people.
            They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
                        for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

R. (cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
            let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
            incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
            a stronghold to give me safety,
            for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
            my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
            from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
            day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
            and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

 

 

 

1 Cor 12:31—13:13

1 Cor 12:31—13:13

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

OR: 

1 Cor 13:4-13

Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude, 
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Alleluia

Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 4:21-30

Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
 

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 

The promises that God makes to us today through the Prophet Jeremiah defines the relationship that He wants to have with us. He knows us completely. Every perfection and every imperfection are known and is loved. I remember, many years ago, reading those first lines in the prophetic book, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you…” It was God speaking directly to me. He is speaking directly to all of us. We are known. We are loved. We are important. At that moment, that is exactly what I needed to hear. I started to cry. I felt God’s presence and it overwhelmed me. God does not want us to feel alone or separate from Him. He knows us completely and wants us to know Him. There is an intimacy that we can achieve with God if we just allow our relationship with Him to progress on its natural course.

We must remind ourselves that the point of entry into a relationship with God is Him knowing everything about us and still loving us completely regardless of the bad stuff.

 

God does not want preconditions set before a relationship can be established with Him. He is not like that. We are expected to approach Him broken and desperate. It is through Him that we are made perfect. There is no need to feel embarrassed about our past, God already knows everything, it is the present that matters along with a future with God. As the present is experienced, it quickly goes into the past where it cannot be changed. There is no need to feel regret for things that could have been done better. There should only be joy that we are now with our God and that we are now willing to allow Him to do the work necessary to makes us into better men; the way He wanted us to be all along.

 

God made Jeremiah a promise and it also extends to us. When we enter into a right relationship with Him we will be open to divine revelation. Things that we once thought were difficult will become easier to do. We will know and understand more about the world around us. A higher awareness will be achieved. With that will come an understanding of what to do and what not to do. These are some of the benefits of being intimate with our creator. When we are, regardless of what circumstances we find ourselves in, we will be watched over and protected. Even though there will opposition to our new way of life and opposing forces which find themselves rooted in evil, God will ensure that no harm comes to us. When we are walking with God, we are partakers in His glory and benefit from everything that flows from it.

 

The Love of God is an unstoppable force which nothing can oppose. It is what brought all of creation into existence and made us who we are; each person unique and a wonderful creation of God’s. It can be seen and felt in all things if we just take a moment to recognize that it is there. Nothing makes sense without it. No questions can be answered without it being a guiding principle. It is amusing how we can easily forget just how central God’s love is to our existence when we take back our will from God and try to act like Him. That is when we get ourselves into trouble. We cannot be the master. We cannot be the king. It is when we usurp God’s authority and do things without the remembrance of His love, that we get into trouble. God should always be first, along with the acknowledgement that He loves us completely. He knew us before we were formed. He knew us before we experienced consciousness. He was celebrating our birth before our birth. That is how much He loves and cares for us. To be receivers of His love can only bring about good things with us being benefactors of everything.

 

I am right in the middle of my middle-age experience. I am 51 years old with all of my children grown, the youngest being 25. For the past couple of years, I have found my self looking through old photo albums and reminiscing when my family was younger. I cannot get over the smiles on their mischievous faces when they were young. The weight of the world and the problems of life were nothing to them. They were loved and they loved without abandon. There was a time when film for a camera was very expensive. We didn’t have smartphones which could take countless amounts of pictures without paying any type of price. My daughter got a hold of my camera and started taking a countless amount of pictures of herself looking into the camera. I only discovered this later when I paid for the development of these pictures. To this day, those pictures are among my prized possession. It shows an innocence and love that could never be described.  I cannot help but look at the pictures and laugh. Those pictures and what they express are what God is all about. To live, laugh, and love. What a beautiful concept.

 

The more that we are in tune with love, the more we will experience happiness and joy. This whole concept of love is a natural occurrence that is seen throughout creation. Why is it that we are the only ones who struggle with it and its positive effect that it has on everything? The Apostle Paul describes the three Theological Virtues that define who we are, with love being the one that triumphs over all things. Love comes from God and God is love. Nothing can outlast or defeat it because nothing can defeat God. To experience love is to experience God. God knew us before we were formed. He claimed us as our own. That is how much He loves us. To experience Him completely requires us to accept that love and return it to Him.

 

Deacon Tom

 

 

 

 

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 69

Reading I

Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform 
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —;
and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, 
“Amen, amen!”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground.
Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD.
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R. (cf John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
            refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
            giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
            rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
            enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
            enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
            all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
            find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Reading II

1 Cor 12:12-30

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say,
“Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say,
“Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body, “
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker
are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable
we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body
as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body,
but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it;
if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

OR:

1 Cor 12:12-14, 27

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
You are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.

Alleluia

Cf. Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative 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 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 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 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.”

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

There is cause for rejoicing here. Even though there might be many amongst us who are not in a good place and many of us who are enduring challenges, none of us are alone. As a community we suffer together, face challenges together, and feel each other’s pain. As Christians, we should be doing everything together. That is what a Christian Community is all about. Be it suffering or celebration, we are invested in each other. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians is very explicit about this. The vision he puts forward is one that is both beautiful and very visionary. We are reminded that we are all part of The Living Body of Christ, each with a specific function that makes us both unique and necessary. Nobody is more important than anyone else and we all serve a specific purpose which is defined by the gifts that we receive from God. We can discover these gifts by keeping in right relationship with God and being open to His love. We are then encouraged to take these gifts and use them to benefit the community and all of God’s creation, building up His kingdom here on this earth. It is in using these gifts where we are all lifted up, those who are suffering and those who find themselves in a better place.

 

Gathering to worship is a beautiful and necessary thing. When we do, we cannot lose focus or forget what it is that we are exactly doing. It is a mystical experience with The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ at its center. We, as members of Christ’s Body, converge together and are joined with Jesus physically, mentally, and spiritually. The whole Living Body of Jesus Christ is on full display. We are in the presence of perfection and the perfect good. The outside world and all its distractions are forced out and we are brought in the moment with our creator. When the body unites, no outside forces can oppose it. Nothing else matters. We are with our God and He is with us. Through worship and prayer, we all have the capability to be healed of our wounds and brought to a higher awareness of who we are in relation to God’s Creation. Everything stems from relationship: our relationship to each other, to God, and to His creation.

 

Through being members of Christ’s Body, the importance of the self is minimized. Our energies should be focused on the betterment of all with the one who needs the most help getting it. We all contribute to the whole and ensure the needs of all are met with each us being the last the receive. We are encouraged to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who gave up everything so that we may receive eternal life. Christ dwells in us and it is through the example of Jesus Christ that we should be living our lives. We maintain our individuality, but we sacrifice it for the needs of the many. We are the benefactors and the givers at the same time in this methodology. It is through giving that we receive and the Love of God is realized.

 

We live in a society where the focus is on the individual. There is a tremendous drive for success and the fulfillment of wants and desires, mostly centering around pursuing the demands of the flesh. Jesus Christ teaches that we should be different in this respect. The true path to joy and contentment is found living in the spirit and by not limiting our experiences to things that will quickly amount to nothing but a fading memory. Things of this world have an expiration date. Things of the spirit do not. If we are members of The Body of Christ should we not focus on the eternal? It is through the experiences of the eternal that our true potential is recognized. It is also where we can experience the true Love of God. There is no competition in this area. There is no winners or losers. There is just us and Jesus.

 

Being together in community can be a comforting feeling. We are social creatures by design. The most important social unit is the family and, The Body of Christ by extension, is just that. It is the largest family in the world because, in essence, it encompasses everyone if they want to recognize it or not. To become benefactors of this family only takes an acceptance of what it is and who is at the center. When we accept Jesus as our savior and God, then He becomes the wellspring from where everything else comes from. We are the only ones who can prevent ourselves from having the full Christ Experience and from being a part of this family. It is through this family that we can have a complete and fulfilling life the way that God intended it to be.

 

Deacon Tom