JESUS' MANIFESTO

III SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Lk 4:14-21

In the Catholic Church, during the common sundays of this year's liturgical calendar, we are going to read the Gospel of Luke. And Luke reports that Jesus went to Nazareth, at the beginning of his public ministry, and that he presented his manifesto there. 

Anointed with the Spirit for the proclamation of the Good News

In the Sabbath liturgy of the Synagogue, Jesus was called to read, and he read a passage taken from the prophet Isaiah:

"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 favour." (Is 4:18-19)

Finishing the reading, Jesus proclaimed: "This has been fulfilled today!", assuming the words of Isaiah as his programme. The importance of this passage for the understanding of Jesus and of his work can be recognised by the answer that Jesus gave to John’s messengers who asked him if he was the Messiah or if they should wait for somebody else:

"Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me." (Mt 11:4-6)

Jesus brings wholeness to our lives

Jesus came to bring total salvation, which includes the end of oppression and exploitation, the end of suffering and of any kind of handicap, be it physical, mental or social. He came to bring wholeness, establishing a time of grace, reconciliation and peace. By proclaiming "the year of the Lord's favour", Jesus was proclaiming the year of the Jubilee (Lev 25:10), which should be a year of liberation: a year of recognising and affirming one's dignity. God's people must be a free people, and in their midst there should be no oppression and injustice of any kind.

Guided - in his words and actions - by this manifesto, Jesus could truly say: 

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Mt 11:28-29).

JESUS AT THE WEDDING OF CANA

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jn 2:1-11

A wedding is always a time for rejoicing in the family and in the community. And a wedding is always a celebration of love, the love that makes life possible and meaningful.

The Kingdom of God is like a wedding feast

In his preaching, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God  to a wedding feast, the wedding of the king's son, which the invited guests refused to attend (Mt 22:2). Already in the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of the covenant relationship of God with his people in terms of marriage. God sees himself as the groom and the people are the bride he felt in love with.

The prophets speak of God’s love in terms of a marriage covenant of love

• "On that day, says the Lord, you will call me, "My husband"… And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord." (Ho 2:16-20)
• "For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like the wife of a mans youth when she is cast off, says your God.

For a brief moment I abandoned you,

but with great compassion I will gather you.

In overflowing wrath for a moment

I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord,   your Redeemer." (Is 54:5-8)

• "For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your builder marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you." (Is 62:5)

Jesus brings to fulfilment God’s promise of eternal love

Jesus' presence at the wedding was not a casual presence. John wanted to show that Jesus came to fulfil those promises of love and happiness, and that's why he put the wedding at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.

When we read the gospel of John, we must remember that his writing is always full of words pregnant with meaning and hidden references.

John tells us that the wedding took place on the "their day" - a reference to the resurrection, the final victory over the enemy that has kept us enslaved. Looking at it from another angle, we can discover that, adding the days since John's testimony (Jn 1:19), we have a week, with the wedding taking place on the seventh day, which is the day of God's rest - the day of celebration, rejoicing in God's love and God's salvation.

Jesus occupies the centre: he is the groom, and we are invited to his wedding feast

In John's narrative, very little attention is given to the groom and the bride. Everything is centred around Jesus, Mary, his mother, the wine and the disciples. Jesus is the true groom, the King's son; and he took the disciples with him to the wedding feast. They recognised his glory and believed. Jesus brings the joy of the Kingdom of God, transforming the water of our weaknesses and sins into the wine of celebration and rejoicing. 

This wedding at the beginning is a preparation and an announcement of a better banquet - the banquet of the Eucharist, which is the food from heaven served to us at the table of the Lord. And the Eucharistic banquet prepares us for the even greater wedding feast of the Lamb. Indeed, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Rev 19:9; 21:9).

WE WERE BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD: Luke 3:15-16,21-22

John baptised with water, as a sign of repentance; and people recognised their sinfulness, by confessing their sins (Mt 3:6). The Christians are baptised with a different baptism - the baptism given us by Christ, in which we are baptised with the Holy Spirit.

According to the letter to Titus, out of his own compassion, God saved us "by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour." (Tit 3:5-6). 

Remembering our baptism

We were baptised with the baptism of Jesus Christ, not with the baptism of John. In our baptism, the water and the Spirit worked together to transform us, so that we were born as children of God. The water is indeed a sign of purification, and is at the same time a symbol of the Holy Spirit that was "poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour". The Holy Spirit works in us from within, recreating us in the image of Jesus Christ.

As we remember and celebrate Jesus' baptism, we must renew our awareness of the great gift received at baptism, when  we were made "citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God" (Eph 2:19).

Jesus chose to share our human situtation

Jesus' own baptism was a special baptism, which played an important role in the fulfilment of his mission. In it, we can see the manifestation of the Holy Trinity, the proclamation of Jesus' sonship by the Father, and the anointing with the Holy Spirit for the mission that he would carry out. And we cannot ignore that by choosing to be baptised by John, Jesus decided to share our human situation, with its pain and anguish which come out of the slavery of sin. Jesus' baptism is an announcement of his own death and a preparation for it. Jesus shared in our human condition, so that we may also share in his baptism, in which God revealed his love and his decision to grant us his Sprit through Jesus Christ.

SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH

THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY: Mt 2:1-12

This Sunday, we remember the Magi, who came from the East, guided by a star. This is an interesting story, which has been embellished throughout many generations. In people' imagination, the Magi became kings, being given names and countries of origin, going beyond the biblical story, where they were not kings, and nothing is said about their number; the only evident fact is that they were foreigner dignitaries who came to pay homage to Jesus. In his narrative, Matthew did not pay attention to details, concentrating on what is essential and meaningful. And so we must do the same.

They were Gentiles

They were foreigners, followers of other religion and worshippers of other god. Their story makes it very clear that God did not forget the Gentiles (all the nations who did not belong to the people of Israel) and that they are part of God's plan, having a place in his heart. In fact, they did much better than those who considered themselves privileged, because of being the chosen of God. God does not discriminate people because of their tribe, country or nation; he wants all people to be saved.

On a journey, searching for the truth

The Magi were a group of people on the move, searching for the truth, in order to find the king of peace and then rest at his feet. They were not happy with what they had and what they knew; the “status quo” did not satisfy them. They need to reach out in search of meaning for their lives and for the world we live in. In the book of Proverbs, we are told that if we "search for wisdom as for hidden treasurers", then we will "find the knowledge of God" (Prov 2:4-5). And, in Jeremiah, God says: "When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord" (Jer 29:13-14).

Nowadays, we drown ourselves in noise and dissipation, not keeping time to search deep into our hearts and find the loving presence of God or to search the world around us to discover how it sings the glory of its maker. We do economic, historical, political and scientific research, but avoid the search of the soul that puts us in front of the mystery of God, which is a mystery of life and love. The Magi may teach us that continuous search which leads to the Saviour.

Strengthened by hope

They were guided by a star. It does not matter much if it was a physical star or just the star of their ideals and longings. The fact is that there was a guiding force that pulled them out of their homes and pushed them into the unknown. In their journey, we discover a sense of purpose, the inner assurance that there is something (better someone) out there that gives meaning and sense to our lives and to human history. In the long journey, they were not deterred by difficulties and hardships, but kept moving forward, strengthened by hope.

A society without hope is a lost society, without future, quickly moving to self-destruction. Jesus is the hope of the nations; he is the guiding star, because he is the fulfillment of the Promise, and in him we find life, joy and peace.

BEGIN THE YEAR WITH MARY, THE MOTHER OF THE LORD

NEW YEAR: 1^ST OF JANUARY: Lk 2:16-21

Today is a day of reflection and self-examination, as we come to the end of 2012, and it is at the same time, a day to revive our hope, as we make resolutions for the in-coming year.

Celebrating Mary, the mother of God

The liturgy of the Church proposes to all of us that we start the new year in the company of Mary, the mother of the Lord. Indeed, as she was blessed, may we be blessed too.

On the 1^st of January, we celebrate Mary, the mother of God, as we pray for peace. Calling Mary the mother of God may sound strange to many, and lot of Christians reject thus title outright. However, we must remember that such a title as a long history behind it, being accepted in the first Council of Ephesus (431 ad) as an affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

The dispute about the title

For a long time, people had been calling Mary Theotokos (the Greek title meaning Mother of God). Then Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, started teaching that we should call Mary simply the mother of Jesus or the mother of Christ, and he explained that, in Jesus Christ, human and divine natures are not united in one person that is the Son of God. People reacted, and the Council of Ephesus was called to solve the dispute. Nestorius’ teaching was condemned to the great rejoicing of people.

A profession of faith in Jesus, the Son of God

This title speaks about Mary and speaks about Jesus, her son. About Mary, it is an honorific title, reminding us of Mary's special role, given to her by God. It is in line with the words of Elizabeth, when she said: "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Lk 1:43).

By calling Mary the Mother of God, we do not mean that she conceived and generated God in her womb, or that God was born from her. In fact, the title is a profession of faith, not about Mary, but about Jesus, proclaiming that her Son, Jesus the Christ, is God. Nestorius started teaching that, in Jesus Christ, the two natures - the human and the divine - are just somehow put together. The Council of Ephesus teaches that the human and divine natures are united in one person (one true self) - the person of the Son of God. 

"If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the Word of God become flesh by birth), let him be anathema." (Can. 1.of the Council of Ephesus).

CELEBRATING OUR FAMILY

FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY: Lk 2:41-52

Raphael: The Holy Family

As we celebrate the Holy Family, we must remember that we are part of that family, since we are God's children. In a way, this is a strange family, similar to all other families, but also different. Jesus was like any other child, and yet so different.

Jesus is overwhelmed by his visit to the Temple

Celebrating the Holy Family, we remember Jesus going to the Temple for the first time, as a young boy. He was so overwhelmed and so deeply touched, that he forgot everything else. 

He had the desire and the attitude of the psalmist who said: 

"I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire:

to dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

gazing on the beauty of the Lord

and seeking Him in His temple." (Ps 27:4)

He did not want to go anywhere else. 

He belonged there, in the house of the Father.

Jesus behaved like a naughty boy

It is not surprising that he felt at home in the Temple. What is surprising is that he behaved a little like a naughty boy, putting his parents in serious trouble. They could not explain his whereabouts, looking like irresponsible parents, who lost their child. They trusted his sense of wisdom and maturity, but he forgot them. In a way, that is normal in a boy who is twelve years old. 

Finally, they found him in the Temple, discussing with the doctors of the Law, who were astounded with his knowledge and understanding. With nice words, his mother reproached him: Why have you done this to us? We were so worried.

Jesus' answer sounds like the answers of so many of our youths: Why were you looking for me? It is as if Jesus was trying to affirm himself before his parents and in front of people. However, he gave the reason for his question: I must be busy with my Father's affairs. Surely, you know that.

God is supreme

Jesus' answer is like a prelude of his future teaching, when he said: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:37). And when he said: "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? And pointing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Mt 12:48-50).

Jesus puts it very clear: God his supreme; there is nothing and nobody who can supersede him.

As I said at the beginning, we are part of this family. In his first letter, John makes it very clear: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are." (1 Jn 3:1, from this Sunday's second reading). Being God's children, we are destined "to be like him".

There are, however, two essential conditions:

a) We must believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ;

b) We must love one another.

So simple and yet so difficult. We celebrate, so that we renew our commitment to live as the true family of God.

GLORY TO GOD AND PEACE ON EARTH

Together with the Angels
may we sing Glory to God.
It belongs to Him,
and it was revealed to us
in the birth of a little baby,
born to be the Prince of peace.
We sing God's glory with our voices,
and commit ourselves to manifest
that same glory in our lives,
building communities where
justice and love reign.

Glory to God in the highest
and peace on earth.

The video presents Lubengele Parish, in Chililabombwe, Zambia, singing the traditional tune Gloria in Bemba.
May God bless you all and bring peace to our hearts and our society.