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.
Wednesday after the Epiphany Gospel: Mk 6:45-52 Do Not Be Afraid
We often live in our own world, so much so that we tend to view the world through our own lens. Whenever we perceive the world through our own eyes, we become like the disciples who saw Jesus walking on water, unable to recognize the Jesus who appeared before us. The arrival of Jesus Christ evokes fear in our hearts, causing us to lament this world filled with all mortal elements. (See Mark 6:47-49) Yet we are unwilling to fully entrust ourselves to God and allow Him to dispose of us, so as to always be worthy of everything received from Him. All of this is fully reflected in every aspect of our daily lives.
Today, Christ, who walks upon the sea, approaches the boat where His disciples are, thus demonstrating to us that with His divine power, He has defeated the devil and suppressed all factors that could harm us, ensuring our safety amidst various secular storms through His presence. Similarly, through faith, we have received the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and are united with Him. Although we must continue living in this ever-changing world, our lives will still encounter various challenges. When we face all these, we must remember the words Jesus spoke to us today: “It is me, do not be afraid.” Because He is always with us, always accompanying us.
O Lord, You have always been with us, always ready to assist us in our times of need. Have mercy upon us. Amen.
Tuesday after the Epiphany Gospel: Mark 6:34-44 A Prefiguration of the Eucharistic Banquet: The Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves
In our daily lives, we sometimes encounter problems that are difficult to solve now or situations that are extremely thorny. For instance, we may face bottleneck issues at work or experience a lack of inspiration when writing. When confronted with such problems, we sometimes sit idly by and leave these difficult issues for others to handle, expecting to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. At other times, we may be like the disciples in today’s account, who took no action themselves and relied solely on Jesus, hoping that He would do everything for us that we are unwilling to do.
Today, Jesus sets an example for us. When His disciples said to Him, “This is a deserted place, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat,” Jesus neither agreed nor opposed their request. Instead, He said, “You give them something to eat.” This had a completely different meaning from the food the disciples were referring to. The food the disciples meant was all the material edibles, while the food Jesus was referring to was from a supernatural perspective, namely the spiritual nourishment for life. This nourishment is the Body and Blood of Christ.
The merciful Lord Jesus, who has chosen us from among humanity to be His disciples, invites each of us to become a source of grace leading others to Christ. He further invites us to share the spiritual food we have received, so that through all that we do, the world may receive God’s mercy and share in the joy of Christ with us. Therefore, today, let us quiet our hearts, meditate on God’s will, and pray for His guidance to fulfill our mission worthily. Amen.
全属于祢 
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