Reflection on Today’s Gospel - (Lk 4:16-30)
“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.”(Lk 4:16-19)
I like to listen to these words - about bringing good news to the poor, freedom proclaimed to prisoners, and sight to the blind, about the oppressed sent free. About the already eternal year of grace, sealed with the words "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
I've experienced those words so many times in my life and so many times I realize that this is still the beginning of the road….
The perfect harmony of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit builds a world of good news and freedom. “When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished (Jn 17), the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that He might continually sanctify the Church, and thus, all those who believe would have access through Christ in one Spirit to the Father”. (Lumen Gentium, 4).
From the time of Pentecost, the history of the Church became the story of two thousand years of the action of the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, giving holiness and joy to people of all races, languages and nations.
This is the story of the Church in which I stand myself. With questions about how I use the grace of Baptism and Confirmation. Where and how is the Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Fear of the Lord, Piety that was given to me manifested in me? How many fruits of the Spirit are in me: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? (Gal 5: 22-23)
I am always in mine and with mine here and now. From here and now the community with which I live, the country, the Church, with the awareness of the words once spoken by Metropolitan Ignatios:
"Without the Holy Spirit, God is far away, Christ remains in the past, the Gospel remains a dead letter, the Church is an organization, authority is domination, mission is propaganda, liturgy - nothing more than a memory, Christian life - the morality of a slave. But in the Holy Spirit: the cosmos is risen and sighs in the pains of giving birth to the Kingdom, the Risen Christ is here, the Gospel is the power of life, the Church shows the life of the Trinity, authority is a ministry of liberation, mission is Pentecost, liturgy - a memorial and an announcement, human action is deified ".
Until Tomorrow
fr. george