Readings: Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21.
Grace, mercy and peace to you my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
On September 30, 2019, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter titled “Aperuit illis” which establishes that “the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God.”The Holy Father wants us to set time aside to ponder on the inexhaustible riches of the Word of God, which we often do not recognise or are too busy to pay attention to.
In the First Reading of today, the priest Ezra proclaimed and explained God’s Word from early morning until noon and the people listened attentively. They even wept because their hearts were opened and they pondered on what they had just heard.
They wept because the Word of God is not a dead, dry letter. It is Spirit and life. (Responsorial Psalm).
In the Gospel, we see Jesus functioning as a reader. He opened the scroll and read about Himself. On that day, the Reader was the Word; the Word made flesh read the Word made into a book. The listeners actually saw what they had always listened to. A mystery unfolded in their sight.
As Christians we are encouraged to always pay attention when the Word of God is being proclaimed. At each Mass, we should ask ourselves: What have I heard, learnt, gained today? It is not enough to attend Mass; we must come as people coming to meet with, worship and hear from the Lord.
We are also to devote time to the study of God’s Word. Through God’s Word, we encounter the Lord. He speaks to us, we are purified, and we grow spiritually.
Let me end this reflection by looking at the portion of the scroll that Jesus read. He read the Prophecy of Isaiah (61:1-2), which announces the agenda, the mission, the manifesto of the Messiah. On that day, Jesus read His own Manifesto. He read His own purpose.
I want to single out one mission from the five that He announced in His manifesto. Jesus says He has come to proclaim liberty to the captive.
As Christians, we also share in the mission of Jesus. Let us, therefore, join with Jesus in proclaiming liberty to the captives. Let us begin with those we may have kept captive. You may say “Oh no, I hold no one in captivity!” Well, there is captivity that is subtle and also dangerous. Permit me to talk to you about this.
Is there anyone I really hate or that I nurse thoughts of vengeance against, someone who is the victim of the bitterness in me, against whom my fury is red and hot, someone I have sworn not to forgive? This person is in my captivity. Jesus says, “Untie them and let them go.”
Is there someone I control, use, own or manipulate, someone I force to act against their will or well-formed conscience? It could be because I am privy to their secret and I have threatened to blackmail them or I am in a position of power or they depend on me for support or even by some supernatural power. The Lord says let my people go. We compete with God when we deprive people of their freedom of will, which is God’s greatest gift to them.
Sometimes we tie people down by refusing to release them when it’s time to let go. The commonest scenario is when someone we love dies. It is important that we grieve their passing away but at some point, we need to accept their passing, commend their souls to God, gather our pieces together and allow God’s healing sunlight to shine on us.
Some of us have people like this that we need to release – it could be a baby we miscarried, our child, spouse, our parent, guardian or a friend, whose passing we have refused to accept. We renew our sorrow and nurture our wounds; they are gone but we still hold unto them. There is a time to have and a time to let go, a time to hold and a time to release, a time to grieve and a time to stand up and put oil in our horn (1 Samuel 16:1).
Jesus told Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection: “do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). It can be really tough to let go of those we love. It can even feel like a betrayal but it is not. They want us to move on. We can allow the Holy Spirit to oil and bandage our wounds and breathe His grace on us again.
Dear friends in the Lord, Jesus has come to set us free. Let us go into our souls and open the gates and release all those who are held captive there. Let us hear Jesus saying to us today, “let my people go.”
Lord Jesus, if there is any area of my life where I am under captivity, set me free. If there is anyone in my captivity, the captivity of my soul, I release them to you today and I welcome your healing and peace.
Sermon preached by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on January 23, 2022.
ASSIGNMENT
On this Sunday of the Word, reflect on John 11:1- 45