Coffee With God

Reflection: Luke 4:14-22a

Jesus began his preaching ministry in Galilee and gained immense popularity. Now he returns to his home in Nazareth and is in the synagogue there. He must have been a bit nervous. Familiar faces can calm our fears, but they also can cause us additional pressures! Jesus did not disappoint the hometown folks and they were amazed at his wisdom and his understanding of the scripture. Let us ask ourselves a question: After attending the daily Mass or at least the Sunday Mass, do I remember the passages from the Word of God that I have listened to? How much of the homily of the priest can I recall? Truth hurts!… It is a reality check both for the priests and for the faithful. Pope Francis repeatedly reminded the priests that an unprepared homily that does not touch lives of the faithful is an abuse of homily. And the Word must be meditated upon to touch our lives. Jesus, after reading the scripture, preached the shortest homily: ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ And then he went and lived what he read. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus presents himself as God’s anointed one and accepts the task of proclaiming the gospel to the poor. The homily he preached was a one-liner in words, but more through his life and actions. That is why St. Francis of Assisi had said: “Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary, use words.” Jesus’ mission statement contains a list that I believe can help to revive and revise our New Year resolutions for 2022. Let reading and meditation of the Word of God be added to our resolutions for this year! How am I to proclaim an year acceptable to the Lord? What changes do I need to make that will promote love, faith and justice? The first reading gives a gentle reminder: “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”