“The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor…
to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the
oppressed go free” Lk 4:18-19
In today’s readings Gospel, Jesus proclaims His mission to
bring the Good News of salvation to the world. Returning to His hometown
synagogue, Jesus takes up the scroll and reads from it, proclaiming that He is
the Messiah foretold by Isaiah (61:1), who has come to bring the Good News of
healing, renewal, and freedom to all those suffering in captivity, oppression,
and blindness.
The Lord doesn’t choose to announce His mission as a king
arrayed in gold, leading a triumphant army. Instead, He identifies Himself with
the suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy. Because He has become one of us, Jesus
knows how much we suffer from captivity to sin, blindness, and oppression, and
He comes to bring gifts of healing, hope, and forgiveness. He stands with us in
our suffering, He redeems us from our sins, and He offers His life to ransom
ours.
Those who believe in Him are also called to give of
themselves, and to bring hope and healing to a world darkened and wounded by
sin. But as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, we are not all going
to bring the same gifts to the world. Each of us has been given a mission that
only that person can complete. Some may have a calling to teach or to preach,
while others are meant to bring Christ to the dark corners of the world by the
witness of a quiet life of faith. We should always be prepared to share our
faith and the reason for our hope in whatever situation God has placed us – in our
families, our workplaces, our communities.
For some, it may take a lifetime to figure out what our
mission is and how to complete it. But don’t ever give up, and don’t ever
believe that your contribution doesn’t matter. Each Christian is part of the Body
of Christ and each has a unique purpose to fulfill. Find your purpose, and you
will find peace and joy despite hardship and suffering, and you, like Jesus,
will help to bring hope and healing to the world.
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