Third Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/p>\n
January 27, 2019<\/p>\n
Luke 1:1-4;14-21<\/p>\n
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The synagogue is the place of prayer for the Jews. On the center during the service in the synagogue is the reading of the Hebrew Bible (or what we call the Old Testament) and the explanation of those readings. In the Gospel, we learn that Jesus stands as the leader of the service. First, He stands and reads the Scriptures, and the chosen portion is from the Prophet Isaiah. Then, He sits down, assuming the position of teacher. The Jews in the synagogue are eager to listen to Jesus. However, there is something different in Jesus\u2019 teaching from other Jewish Rabbis. Jesus neither simply expounds the reading from Isaiah, nor makes commentaries on the text. He neither simply discusses the meaning of the readings, nor explains the context of the text. He fulfills what is written in the Scriptures. He says, \u201cToday this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d (Lk. 4:14)<\/p>\n
What Jesus does gives us a fundamental attitude for every Christian: any Christian ministry, prayer and life have to be rooted in as well as the fulfillment of the Word of God. It is true that many of us are not priests, religious or catechists, but laypersons, like parents, professionals, and citizen of the country. Many aspects of our life are not directly dealing with the Bible, like working, eating, sleeping, etc. So, why do we need to allow the Word of God to permeate various aspects of our life?<\/p>\n
We remember that in the Book of Genesis, God created the world through His Word. \u201cGod said, \u2018Let there be light!\u2019 and there was light.\u201d And at the end of the creation story, with His Word, God blessed the world. Every existence in this world, including our life, finds its beginning, meaning, and fulfillment in God\u2019s Word. The air we breathe, the light we see, the sound we hear bear witness to the Word of God. Thus, no matter who we are and what we do, the Word shall inspire, guide, and animate our daily lives. If we allow the Word to take charge, our lives turn to be the fulfillment of the Word of God.<\/p>\n
However, how can the Word of God influence our lives if we do not read or hear the Bible? One serious issue among the Catholics is that we seldom read the Bible, and when we attend the Mass, often we are not paying enough attention to the sacred readings. After the reading, we simply respond \u201cThanks be to God!\u201d while in our hearts, we say, \u201cwhatever it means!\u201d We have a Bible in our home, but often it remains hidden, dusty and untouched. This ignorance of the Scriptures does not only affect the lay people but even the clergy and the religious people. Pope Francis in his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, has lamented of the priests who preach anything but the Word of God. Indeed, this is lamentable.<\/p>\n
However, we are not hopeless. More and more lay people now are involved in Biblical apostolate in the parishes or dioceses. Bible Sharing, study and quiz now are something common among the Catholics. In my part, every time I give a talk, I make sure that the participants will bring the Bible and my discussion will be based on the Scriptures. And all of us can begin reading the Bible on our own. We can read five chapters every day, and within a year, we may complete the entire Bible.<\/p>\n
Let the Word be the air we breathe, the light we see, the sound we hear, that in the end, we are able to say, \u201cToday the Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Deacon Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time January 27, 2019 Luke 1:1-4;14-21 The synagogue is the place of prayer for the Jews. On the center during the service in the synagogue is the reading of the Hebrew Bible (or what we call the Old Testament) and the explanation of those readings. In the Gospel, we learn that Jesus stands as the leader of the service. First, He stands and reads the Scriptures, and the chosen portion is from the Prophet Isaiah….<\/p>\n