He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C 

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

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

They read the book of the Law and they understood what was read.

A reading from the Book of Nehemiah

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!”

The word of the Lord.

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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

1 Cor 12:12-30 or 12:12-14, 27

You are Christ’s body and individually members of it.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

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: [Shorter Form]

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.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Cf. Lk 4:18

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

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

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

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

Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled.

✠ A reading from the beginning of the holy Gospel according to Luke

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.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

From the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, we begin a continuous reading from the Gospel according to Luke until the beginning of Lent, recommencing after the Easter Season. This Gospel begins with an introduction stating Luke’s aim in writing this orderly account: in order to lead those who read it to the truth. On this Sunday dedicated to the Word of God, this Gospel offers us a perspective through which we can approach the Word of God and reflect upon our relationship with it. 

Firstly, the Word that Christ proclaimed is one of freedom: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives.” A freedom that touches us in our weakness. In his prophecy, Isaiah mentions poverty, blindness, and oppression. The Word of God gives us freedom, not because it allows us to do what we want or because it reinforces our evil deeds, but because it touches us there where we are most vulnerable, where we feel hopeless, there where we recognise that we cannot continue on alone. It touches us in places where we need God’s strength to attain complete freedom, for us to truly mature and become who we are truly called to be. 

To have this experience, we must, like the crowd at the synagogue, have our eyes fixed on Jesus. The Bible is not a bulky book that is difficult to understand and to live by; we do not come into contact with simply a piece of literature or an account of ancient times, but we encounter a living person—Jesus Christ—who continues to proclaim today all that He proclaimed two thousand years ago. When the Gospel is proclaimed in our Sacred Liturgy, we not only hear about Jesus, but we also listen to Jesus Himself because it is Christ who proclaims His Word to us; it is Christ who comes to meet us, in our parish communities, to give us His freedom … now “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The things we hear about in God’s Word take place today also, if we give God our consent. 

Prayer

Lord, as we allow your Word to penetrate our hearts, our prayer today is a prayer for freedom: that our hearts will break free from all that prevents them from receiving your Word, from what prevents your Word from transforming us; and from what prevents your Word from moulding us into truly free sons and daughters who live in your love and not in fear and illusion. Amen. 

 

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