Anointed to Preach

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time C
January 21, 2007
Reading I: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10Responsorial Psalm: 19:8, 9, 10, 15Reading II: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 or 12:12-14, 17Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

A priest came out to say Mass with his face plastered with band aids.

“I’m sorry I look like this,” the priest said as he started his sermon. “This morning as I was shaving and thinking of what to say in my sermon, I cut my face.”

After the Mass, while he was going over the collection, he saw a note which read: “Father, next time shave your face and cut your sermon!” [1]

Some people say a short sermon moves the heart a long sermon moves the chair. I hope my homily today is not too long before you move out from your seat. Anyway, I would say the best sermon or homily is indeed one’s good example. There are some people who are so holy enough that they do not need to preach. (How I wish to be like that!)

In the first reading we heard from the book of the prophet Nehemiah about Prophet Ezra who is a priest and a prophet in the Old Testament. He presents the Law of God to the people consisted of men and women, and those children old enough to understand. As a priest his job was to interpret the God’s commandments to people so that all could understand and applied to their day to day life.

In the Gospel, we heard another preacher and teacher, he is the greatest of all preachers, and his name is Jesus. As St. Luke writes, the news about him spread throughout the whole region. He was so popular that people in Galilee and everywhere, were following him to hear him preach and teach. He has a special gift or aura that can attract great crowds that can touch their hearts and souls.

Secondly, Jesus speaks with authority, unlike the Pharisees at his time, he practice what he preach. In the Gospel story today, Jesus was telling the people (and us today) the fulfillment of words of the prophet Isaiah written several hundred years before him: 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 God.

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.”

We are all Preachers

Throughout the world Jesus looks for instruments through which he can continue his teaching. We Christians St. Paul says in the second reading are members of the one Body of Christ. We are one body in Christ. Each one of have specific roles in building our community. One of our roles is to preach the Word of God to other people. Priests like Fr Frank and myself are not the only preachers. Parents preach too as also teachers in school and supervisors and bosses. Anyone in authority has to teach what to do and what not to do. You may not have the opportunity to preach in the pulpit like I do but as followers of Christ you too can preach his love and teaching through your example of forgiveness, mercy and acts of charity.

Jesus commissions us to spread God’s word to others since is his word gives wisdom, enlightens one’s mind, his command gives healing, and meaning. As we all proclaim together the Responsorial Psalm: Your Word, Lord are Spirit and life. But how can we preach about the love of Jesus, his teaching and his example if we are not familiar with the Word of God? When was the last time you open your Bible at home?

Perhaps the most constant failure of Christians is our reluctance to take our own Gospels seriously and entirely. If you remember I mentioned last week a quotation from St. Jerome, a 5th century saint, who said, “Ignorance of the Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
According to the Second Vatican Council, the word of God provides us food for our souls, a pure and unfailing fount of spiritual life. We can buy all sorts of self-help book in the shop, books on new age spirituality, well-being, etc, however, still the word of God, the Bible is more important in our life as Christians because this book narrates the most important event in the history of People of God. In the bible we encounter, we relish the presence of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Each time we open and read the Bible we learn and live the holy will of God, through the Holy Spirit.

As parents it’s your task to educate your children to our faith. Young people and young adults too must share their contribution in evangelizing the word of God.

Let us pray then that we may proclaim the Gospel, the good news of our salvation.

“Lord, we pray that our church may help men and women of every culture to unroll the sacred scrolls of their tradition, read attentively and reverently what is written there. Help us to follow Jesus and help each of us to recognise that the ancient scriptures are fulfilled in us.” Amen.


[1] From More Stories of Life and Laugther by Fr Ben San Luis SVD p 67.