Readings for January 10 Following Epiphany[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 1 John 4:19–5:4
This passage from St. John’s first letter drives to heart of the original purpose for the Letter. “The fullness of Christian life as fellowship with the Father must be based on true belief and result in charitable living; knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable, and error in one area inevitably affects the other.”[3]
The link forged by the Great Commandment of loving God and loving neighbor is strengthened by St. John who places Christ as an integral part. If a person loves God then perforce they must also love one another. If they do not love one another they do not love God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The royal psalm, Psalm 72, is continued for a third day with the same first verses and the same antiphon being used. The song of adoration continues as the promise of justice is extended from just the poor and marginalized to the promise to deal with those who prey upon the upright. The passage concludes with a blessing of God’s kindness and mercy proclaiming the universal peace that will flow to all mankind. Once again, while the originally this psalm was song by the king, we see in it God’s promise and the eternal rule of peace and justice brought by the Messiah.
Gospel Luke 4:14-22
This selection from St. Luke’s Gospel takes place immediately following the Lord’s Baptism by St. John and trial in the desert. His return to Galilee is also documented in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-17). Here the Lord begins his public ministry with a straightforward statement of his identity and mission; “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”. This announcement of Isaiah’s prophecy being fulfilled tells the audience he is the Messiah who came bringing them salvation.
Reflection:
In this week sandwiched between the Feast of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord we hear two layers of teaching from the Holy Scriptures. From the First Letter of John, there continues this incredible synthesis of understanding. He builds our understanding of what it means to encounter Christ and live as he wanted us to live. While the letter we have been hearing all week was intended to battle false teachers, the antichrist as he called them, he also reinforces the Great Commandment.
Today as we listen, he links all of the pieces together. If we are Christians, that is if we believe in the Only Son of God who came into the world so that we might be freed from sin to live as adopted children of God, then we must love God. That is because if we love the Son, we also love the Father because they are one. At the same time, if we love the Father and the Son we must love our brothers and sisters since God is also in them. If we do not love one another then we are false and cannot love the Father and Son because we have denied them in our Brothers and sisters. (Whew, that kind of makes my mind hurt.)
And while St. John builds his logic and teaching about the Christian ideal, we hear stories of the one upon whom all of his logic is patterned. In St. Luke’s Gospel today we have the story of his return from the trials in the desert. He immediately begins his teaching mission, showing the world how much God loves them. As sort of an exclamation point to his mission, his identity, and our acceptance of John’s teaching, we are given an excerpt from one of his visits to the Synagogue:
“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”.
The love of God poured out through the Son is proclaimed and from his mouth his identity as the Messiah, the Anointed One, is made evident. What additional proof do we need of the love of God? Today we hear that message, we get it, and we have hope in the Lord.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Christ Preaching” by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1652
[3] From “Introduction to the Epistles of John” New American Bible (NAB)
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 1 John 4:19–5:4
This passage from St. John’s first letter drives to heart of the original purpose for the Letter. “The fullness of Christian life as fellowship with the Father must be based on true belief and result in charitable living; knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable, and error in one area inevitably affects the other.”[3]
The link forged by the Great Commandment of loving God and loving neighbor is strengthened by St. John who places Christ as an integral part. If a person loves God then perforce they must also love one another. If they do not love one another they do not love God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The royal psalm, Psalm 72, is continued for a third day with the same first verses and the same antiphon being used. The song of adoration continues as the promise of justice is extended from just the poor and marginalized to the promise to deal with those who prey upon the upright. The passage concludes with a blessing of God’s kindness and mercy proclaiming the universal peace that will flow to all mankind. Once again, while the originally this psalm was song by the king, we see in it God’s promise and the eternal rule of peace and justice brought by the Messiah.
Gospel Luke 4:14-22
This selection from St. Luke’s Gospel takes place immediately following the Lord’s Baptism by St. John and trial in the desert. His return to Galilee is also documented in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-17). Here the Lord begins his public ministry with a straightforward statement of his identity and mission; “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”. This announcement of Isaiah’s prophecy being fulfilled tells the audience he is the Messiah who came bringing them salvation.
Reflection:
In this week sandwiched between the Feast of the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord we hear two layers of teaching from the Holy Scriptures. From the First Letter of John, there continues this incredible synthesis of understanding. He builds our understanding of what it means to encounter Christ and live as he wanted us to live. While the letter we have been hearing all week was intended to battle false teachers, the antichrist as he called them, he also reinforces the Great Commandment.
Today as we listen, he links all of the pieces together. If we are Christians, that is if we believe in the Only Son of God who came into the world so that we might be freed from sin to live as adopted children of God, then we must love God. That is because if we love the Son, we also love the Father because they are one. At the same time, if we love the Father and the Son we must love our brothers and sisters since God is also in them. If we do not love one another then we are false and cannot love the Father and Son because we have denied them in our Brothers and sisters. (Whew, that kind of makes my mind hurt.)
And while St. John builds his logic and teaching about the Christian ideal, we hear stories of the one upon whom all of his logic is patterned. In St. Luke’s Gospel today we have the story of his return from the trials in the desert. He immediately begins his teaching mission, showing the world how much God loves them. As sort of an exclamation point to his mission, his identity, and our acceptance of John’s teaching, we are given an excerpt from one of his visits to the Synagogue:
“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”.
The love of God poured out through the Son is proclaimed and from his mouth his identity as the Messiah, the Anointed One, is made evident. What additional proof do we need of the love of God? Today we hear that message, we get it, and we have hope in the Lord.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Christ Preaching” by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1652
[3] From “Introduction to the Epistles of John” New American Bible (NAB)
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