Luke's Gospel recounts the beginning of Jesus' public ministry as He returns "in the power of the Holy Spirit" to Nazareth and stands up in the synagogue to read from the prophet Isaiah. There Isaiah declares that the Spirit of the Lord has commissioned him to announce good news to the poor, news of release from captivity, recovery of sight for the blind, liberty to the oppressed—all in all, a year "of the Lord's favor." The Old Testament called this celebration the Year of Jubilee. Jesus applied that passage to himself as a new beginning for Israel. He is the one who launches the Jubilee Year for all who will hear Him.
Up Next in Year C
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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time—February ...
Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth to give a homily in the synagogue. At first, everyone is impressed. But then Jesus takes on the tone of a prophet and his hometown friends take offense, even inhibiting the ability of Jesus to effectively minister there. What lesson might we learn from th...
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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time—February ...
Simon Peter had been up all night fishing unsuccessfully, but Jesus tells him to go out and try one more time. It's easy to imagine how a seasoned fisherman like Simon Peter might resist the suggestion. But, in the end, he agrees. Perhaps he didn't expect to catch anything. So we can imagine his ...
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6th Sunday in Ordinary Time—February ...
Imagine yourself sitting at the feet of Jesus when he gave the Beatitudes. Hear him say that the rich and satisfied will be unhappy. Hear him offer a path of true happiness through humble obedience and faith. Do you accept this humble path?
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