Thursday after the Epiphany
Gospel: Luke 4:14-22
Jesus, the Messiah of God

On the Sabbath, according to the Jewish Sabbath worship ritual, it was customary for an adult male to read from the Book of the Law, followed by the Prophets, and then deliver a sermon. Today, after returning to His hometown where He had grown up by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, in accordance with His custom and observance of the rites, entered the synagogue on the Sabbath to read (cf. Luke 4:16), setting a holy example for us. What He read was the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Messiah: 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 the Lord.(cf. Luke 4:17-19). Through His words, He wanted those who knew Him to realize that the Messiah they awaited had come.
We have all received the baptism of Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God. United with Christ through this baptism and anointing, our behaviour and conduct must be like that of our Lord Jesus Christ—fulfilling the will of God at all times and in all places, and worthily accomplishing the mission entrusted to us by God.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! In this ever-changing and complex world, we often miss opportunities to preach, so that our preaching becomes mere words without effect. Therefore, let us follow the example of Christ today. With concrete actions, manifest the infinite mercy of God to those who do not yet know Christ and to those whose hearts are wounded. May they, through all we do, receive God’s healing; may they boldly renounce their past lives of sin and self-denial, join us in renouncing all that holds them back, turn away from all persons, places, and things that lead to sin, and begin a new life in Christ.
O Savior Jesus Christ, You who are the true Messiah of God, grant us all the graces we need. Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025