Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nehemiah 8: 2-10; Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth, enters his neighborhood synagogue, reads from the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming a message of hope for the oppressed: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to bring good news to the poor… liberty to captives.” Yet, the people of Nazareth reject him because his mission extends beyond their boundaries. They are unwilling to accept that God’s abounding mercy includes outsiders. Jesus preaching about inclusiveness and prioritizing the marginalized offends the hometown crowd.
The Gospel tells us, “The people were filled with anger as they listened to these things.” The crowd left the Synagogue and forced Jesus out of the town and led him to the brow of a hill. They threatened to throw him off—but he passed through the crowd unharmed. This crowd consisted of religious people, Jesus’ neighbors, who came daily to the synagogue to learn and pray. Jesus could not pierce the heart or open the ears of his townspeople.
Just as the people in the Nazareth synagogue struggled to embrace a message that challenged their comfort zones, we, too, can be challenged by this Gospel and what it means in today’s context. Many immigrants and refugees today are fleeing oppression, poverty, or violence, seeking the same dignity and hope Jesus proclaimed. Is mass deportation aligned with the ethic of Jesus?
This Gospel calls us to examine our hearts: Are we willing to extend God’s mercy beyond our personal and national borders? Are we open to the Spirit of God? Do we welcome the stranger as Christ commands (Matthew 25:35)? Jesus reminds us that God’s love is universal, breaking down barriers of nationality and race. By embracing this truth, we can reject fear and choose compassion, building a world where the dignity of every person is respected and valued.
We pray for an outpouring of the Spirit of God on our country and world moving us beyond our divisions and fear and into proclaiming God’s reign of justice and peace for all who are members of the community of life—with no exceptions.
Sr. Theresa Rickard, OP
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