Thamajoy Reang csc –
Readings: Neh 8: 2 – 4a, 5 – 6, 8 – 10; 1 Cor 12: 12 – 14, 27; Lk 1: 1 – 4; 4: 14 – 21
In the first reading today, we hear Ezra reading the book of the Law of God. After reading, he encourages the people not to grieve but to rejoice, for “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” He declares the day as holy to the Lord and instructs the assembly to celebrate with food and sweet wine, sharing portions with those who are unprepared.
In the second reading, Saint Paul seeks to bring unity to a scattered Church.He reassures the community that despite our different backgrounds, cultures, and languages, we all belong to one Christian community, for we have been baptized into the Body of Christ—the Church. Saint Paul urges us to remember that, though we may differ physically, culturally, and economically, we are united in faith, born of the Spirit of Christ, and called to drink from the one Spirit.
In the Gospel, we hear Jesus unrolling the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and declaring, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus brings unity not only to one community but to all of humanity, offering a vision of the world where people no longer lose their identities, dignity, or rights to live as God’s children.
As Pope Francis once said, “The Church is not a community of the perfect, but of the redeemed.” Today, we are invited to walk the path that Jesus, our master, walked, bringing healing, unity, and love to the world around us.
