First reading: Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8=10 | Second reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-30 | Gospel: Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-2
Dear brothers and sisters,
As a president or prime minister takes up his post for the first time, he or she makes a public speech in which he or she outlines the key programs of his government. A few Sundays ago, we celebrated the baptism of Jesus during which the reading informed us that the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. Then there was the Father’s voice from heaven saying, “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him” (Luke 3:22). Today, we see Jesus in his home synagogue making what looks like an inuagural speech about his mission. He went into the synagogue and was given the book of the prophet Isaiah to read. What he did was to find the place where it is written, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight tot he blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim acceptable year of the Lord.” After reading that portion, he said, “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” indicating that the prophesy is about him.
At that time, the people were anxiously waiting for a Messiah who would liberate them from the schakels of the Roman emperors. When John came to baptize, everyone thought he was the Messiah. But he made the people realize that the Messiah was already in their midst, only they did not recognize him. We can then understand why the people fixed their attention on Jesus when he said that the prophesy ‘is TODAY fulfilled’ in your hearing. Their longing for liberation was nearby, only that their understanding of liberation was basically concerned with the political dimension due to the situation they found themselves. But that was only an aspect to the total and integral liberation that Jesus offers.
The idea of political liberation features in the first reading as well. The Jews were under bondage in Babylon. God raised the king of Persia to make war against the Babylonians and defeated them. The king of Persia, whose cup bearer was Nehemiah, favored the Jews and allowed them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. In the process of rebuilding the ruined temple, Ezra the priest and scribe, found the Book of the Law. In the part of the reading we have today, we see Ezra reading and explaining the law of God to the people. They realized how far they have gone away from the Law of their God due to the various events that have marked their life in exile. That realization made them remorseful and unhappy. Ezra, on the contrary, encouraged them to cheer up, rejoice and make a feast because it is the day of the Lord. The Lord is in their midst, making himself known to them. He is a God of compassion and love. He has liberated them and was drawing them back to himself. They have a cause to rejoice rather than be sad.
The presence of God’s Spirit brings new life, liberation and goodness. It is God’s own life that he generously shares with his elect. God’s presence in his people. It is the Spirit of God that moved the prophets of old,, the Judges of Israel and the great men and women of God in the scripture. Jesus said ‘the Spirit of God is upon Him’ and went on to enumerate the mission for which the Spirit is upon him. When he rose from the death and was about ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples not to leave Jerusalen until they have received the Holy Spirit. The ‘timid and fearful’ disciples remained hidden in a locked room praying for nine day until the Holy Spirit came upon them on the Pentecost day. Those same timid and fearful disciples became totally liberated from fear and went out proclaiming Jesus the Lord to all people with boldness. They could work miracles, heal the sick, and proclaim the Good News to all nations. Over the centuries, the Spirit of God has continued to fill the people of God leading them to achieve great feats for God and humanity. You can imagine what the Spirit of God can do in the life of a believer.
St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that we all who have received the Holy Spirit have been bestowed with a special gift of the Holy Spirit. There are various gifts, but all are for the purpose of building up the body of Christ, the Church. He compares the various gifts of the Holy Spirit to the body . Different parts of the body perform different functions, but each of them is as important as the other because none can do the work that the other does. They are only different. Since we all who have received the Spirit of God are endowed with one gift or the other, there are two important question we ought to ask ourselves. The first question is about the gift: What gift of the Holy Spirit have I received? Each one of us should, in prayer, deep reflection and discernment, discover what gift he or she has received. It is unfortunate if one does not even know what gift he or she has. The second question has to do with how actively we put the gifts of God to use. In 2 Timothy 1:6 St Paul reminds Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that he has received through the laying on of hands. If we do not nourish our relationship with God, the action of his Spirit in us diminishes and his gifts becomes dormant. Daily devotional scripture readings, prayer and good works bring alive the power of God’s word in us and moves us to employ his gifts for the purpose for which we have received them.
Remember the order of Jesus’ statement: the Spirit of the Lord is upon me (1), he has sent me to proclaim the Good News…(2). Thus, we need to always live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and allow ourselves to be sent to fulfill a divine purpose/mandate. Living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit ensures our holiness (the Holy Spirit perfects us, guides us , inspires us, empowers us, etc.) and making ourselves available for the sending of the Holy Spirit makes us agents of the Good News using the gifts he has bestowed on us. Today, one of us will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands in confirmation. We rejoice and pray with him that God’s abiding presence through His Spirit will lead him to greater knowledge, love and devotion to God, and that he may become a great bearer of the Good News to all around him.
Beloved friends, Jesus invites us to share in his Spirit and mission. Let nothing prevent you from embracing this wonderful invitation to become an agent of the Good News. Our society is in dare need of what Jesus offers, though it may not know it. Let us, filled by the Spirit of God, be the Ezra, the Paul and indeed the disciples of the Good News for our world today. Amen.
Homily of Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, cssp. 27 January 2019 at FCC-Gouda & Surroundings Sunday Mass Celebration.