"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me"
Thursday after Epiphany
Reading 1 1 JN 4:19–5:4
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 14 AND 15BC, 17
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Alleluia LK 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
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.
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.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
MEDITATION 1: BRO DON SCHWAGER
What can bring us true freedom and joy? In Jesus we see the healing power of God's love and mercy in action. Wherever Jesus went, people gathered to hear him speak about the kingdom of heaven and God's promise to bring freedom and healing to those who put their trust in God. His gracious words brought hope, joy, and favor to those who were ready to receive him.
Jesus began his public ministry in his own land of Galilee where he was reared. His proclamation of the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah brought wonder to the people. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus awakened their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably and wondered what would become of "Joseph's son". Their hearts were hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all God's promises?
The word "gospel" literally means "good news". Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those who suffered from physical, mental, or spiritual oppression (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free, not only from their infirmities, but from the worst affliction of all - the tyranny of slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one's life. God's power alone can save us from dejection, hopelessness, and emptiness of life. The Gospel of salvation is "good news" for everyone who will receive it. Do you know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to bring us the kingdom of heaven?
"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit you bring us truth, freedom, and abundant life. Fill me with the joy of the Gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for your kingdom of peace and righteousness".
MEDITATION 2: FR ALFONSE
Luke 4:14-22 Where He Had Grown Up
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it is written: “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.” …He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In his “Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right”, Karl Marx wrote the following: “Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the masses.”
Usually the most people ever heard or read from the above quote is that “religion is the opium of the masses”. That’s too bad, since Marx did say much more than that.
Of course one can argue with Marx and say, “Atheism is the true opium of the masses”, for it often advertizes itself as the “no regrets”, “no worries”, “just have fun” alternative to religious demands. What exactly these slogans mean depends upon each individual, I guess.
I still remember a few years back when the British Humanist Association started an ad campaign on London buses with the message: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Richard Dawkins, zoologist and atheist superstar, insisted that the ad remove the word “probably”. Now for a scientist, even a zoologist with a PhD, to make such an unscientific claim like that proves just how much ideology, and not math, is involved in their campaign…and in his calculations!
Well, it might be working.
Recent polls have suggested that most young adults are losing their religion. This should not be surprising at all if we also include recent facts showing that more young people than ever are on drugs; most public schools are inflating grades like never; more young people are cutting themselves and having more sex earlier and earlier than ever; and so many parents are failing their children like never before.
A new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has accumulated data for the past 47 years from 9 million young adults, reveals that college students are more likely than ever to call themselves “gifted” and “driven to success”, even though their test scores and time spent studying are decreasing.
Dr. Keith Ablow writes:
This data is not unexpected. On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends”…they can choose to show the world only the flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves, “speak” in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they “like”.
Using twitter, young people can pretend they are worth “following”, as though they have real-life fans, when all that is really happening is the mutual fanning of false love and false fame.
Using computer games, our sons and daughters can pretend they are Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, rock stars or sharpshooters. And while they can turn off their Wii and Xbox machines and remember they are really in dens and playrooms on side streets and triple deckers around America, that is after their hearts have raced and heads have swelled with false pride for “being” something they are not.
On MTV, Oxygen and other networks, young people can see lives just like theirs portrayed on reality TV shows fueled by such incredible self-involvement and self-love that any of the “real-life” characters should really be in psychotherapy to have any chance at anything like a normal life…
With the “fall” of religious belief comes the “rise” of self-belief (narcissism). After all, the “natural” tendency that we all share is to knock God out and replace Him with someone else...like ourselves.
Yes, with the “fall of God” comes the rise of the “selfish man”. This is a very natural tendency. It goes back to the very beginning.
With the rise of secularism, all natural tendencies have become something to embrace, to tolerate and accept; not something, at times, to reject, fight, or conquer.
With the rise of secularism, the most worthy institutions have become worthless, laughable, and easily “rejectable”. In a recent poll taken, it seems like more Americans prefer head lice and cockroaches to Congress! I feel sorry for Congress. I really do. After all, they have to do more babysitting for Americans, give more hand outs for Americans, solve more problems for Americans, and create more laws to help Americans than ever before! So of course they can’t keep up! Of course they are always behind! Of course they can't get anything done because no one, especially parents and young adults, is doing much at all to help. American "families" are creating more adult babies than our nanny state and national debt can handle.
I don’t think Karl Marx ever imagined that happening. But maybe that’s what happens when we tell people to stop worrying and start enjoying their life.
Jesus Christ is Lord. So what did He do about it? He rolled up His sleeves and He went to work. He brought relief to the poor, liberty to those held hostage by sin, recovery of hope to the devastated. Although Jesus is God-Almighty, He rolled up His sleeve and gave blood.
We don’t believe in a God that lives somewhere up there. We believe in a God that is a Father, a true Father, a real Father, who lives and works and dies for His children. But like so many children, can they even trust their very own father? No wonder why they are having a hard time believing in the Father; in believing in truth and love.
The Lord never told us to not worry about this life. He told us to start working in this life. He told us that the way we live our life on earth will determine the way we live it forever. That’s not something to worry about. It’s something to think about.
The Lord went back to where he had grown up. But it wasn’t just the town of Nazareth that helped him to grow up. Most importantly, it was the presence of His Mother and Father (on earth and in Heaven) that had helped Him to grow up.
Thursday after Epiphany
Reading 1 1 JN 4:19–5:4
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 14 AND 15BC, 17
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Alleluia LK 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 4:14-22
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
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.
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.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
MEDITATION 1: BRO DON SCHWAGER
What can bring us true freedom and joy? In Jesus we see the healing power of God's love and mercy in action. Wherever Jesus went, people gathered to hear him speak about the kingdom of heaven and God's promise to bring freedom and healing to those who put their trust in God. His gracious words brought hope, joy, and favor to those who were ready to receive him.
Jesus began his public ministry in his own land of Galilee where he was reared. His proclamation of the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah brought wonder to the people. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus awakened their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably and wondered what would become of "Joseph's son". Their hearts were hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all God's promises?
The word "gospel" literally means "good news". Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those who suffered from physical, mental, or spiritual oppression (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free, not only from their infirmities, but from the worst affliction of all - the tyranny of slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one's life. God's power alone can save us from dejection, hopelessness, and emptiness of life. The Gospel of salvation is "good news" for everyone who will receive it. Do you know the joy and freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to bring us the kingdom of heaven?
"Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit you bring us truth, freedom, and abundant life. Fill me with the joy of the Gospel and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and for your kingdom of peace and righteousness".
MEDITATION 2: FR ALFONSE
Luke 4:14-22 Where He Had Grown Up
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it is written: “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.” …He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In his “Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right”, Karl Marx wrote the following: “Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the masses.”
Usually the most people ever heard or read from the above quote is that “religion is the opium of the masses”. That’s too bad, since Marx did say much more than that.
Of course one can argue with Marx and say, “Atheism is the true opium of the masses”, for it often advertizes itself as the “no regrets”, “no worries”, “just have fun” alternative to religious demands. What exactly these slogans mean depends upon each individual, I guess.
I still remember a few years back when the British Humanist Association started an ad campaign on London buses with the message: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Richard Dawkins, zoologist and atheist superstar, insisted that the ad remove the word “probably”. Now for a scientist, even a zoologist with a PhD, to make such an unscientific claim like that proves just how much ideology, and not math, is involved in their campaign…and in his calculations!
Well, it might be working.
Recent polls have suggested that most young adults are losing their religion. This should not be surprising at all if we also include recent facts showing that more young people than ever are on drugs; most public schools are inflating grades like never; more young people are cutting themselves and having more sex earlier and earlier than ever; and so many parents are failing their children like never before.
A new analysis of the American Freshman Survey, which has accumulated data for the past 47 years from 9 million young adults, reveals that college students are more likely than ever to call themselves “gifted” and “driven to success”, even though their test scores and time spent studying are decreasing.
Dr. Keith Ablow writes:
This data is not unexpected. On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends”…they can choose to show the world only the flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves, “speak” in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they “like”.
Using twitter, young people can pretend they are worth “following”, as though they have real-life fans, when all that is really happening is the mutual fanning of false love and false fame.
Using computer games, our sons and daughters can pretend they are Olympians, Formula 1 drivers, rock stars or sharpshooters. And while they can turn off their Wii and Xbox machines and remember they are really in dens and playrooms on side streets and triple deckers around America, that is after their hearts have raced and heads have swelled with false pride for “being” something they are not.
On MTV, Oxygen and other networks, young people can see lives just like theirs portrayed on reality TV shows fueled by such incredible self-involvement and self-love that any of the “real-life” characters should really be in psychotherapy to have any chance at anything like a normal life…
With the “fall” of religious belief comes the “rise” of self-belief (narcissism). After all, the “natural” tendency that we all share is to knock God out and replace Him with someone else...like ourselves.
Yes, with the “fall of God” comes the rise of the “selfish man”. This is a very natural tendency. It goes back to the very beginning.
With the rise of secularism, all natural tendencies have become something to embrace, to tolerate and accept; not something, at times, to reject, fight, or conquer.
With the rise of secularism, the most worthy institutions have become worthless, laughable, and easily “rejectable”. In a recent poll taken, it seems like more Americans prefer head lice and cockroaches to Congress! I feel sorry for Congress. I really do. After all, they have to do more babysitting for Americans, give more hand outs for Americans, solve more problems for Americans, and create more laws to help Americans than ever before! So of course they can’t keep up! Of course they are always behind! Of course they can't get anything done because no one, especially parents and young adults, is doing much at all to help. American "families" are creating more adult babies than our nanny state and national debt can handle.
I don’t think Karl Marx ever imagined that happening. But maybe that’s what happens when we tell people to stop worrying and start enjoying their life.
Jesus Christ is Lord. So what did He do about it? He rolled up His sleeves and He went to work. He brought relief to the poor, liberty to those held hostage by sin, recovery of hope to the devastated. Although Jesus is God-Almighty, He rolled up His sleeve and gave blood.
We don’t believe in a God that lives somewhere up there. We believe in a God that is a Father, a true Father, a real Father, who lives and works and dies for His children. But like so many children, can they even trust their very own father? No wonder why they are having a hard time believing in the Father; in believing in truth and love.
The Lord never told us to not worry about this life. He told us to start working in this life. He told us that the way we live our life on earth will determine the way we live it forever. That’s not something to worry about. It’s something to think about.
The Lord went back to where he had grown up. But it wasn’t just the town of Nazareth that helped him to grow up. Most importantly, it was the presence of His Mother and Father (on earth and in Heaven) that had helped Him to grow up.