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Page Four — January 27, 2013Saint Anthony Catholic ChurchScripture Reflections for theTHIRD SUNDAY INORDIANRY TIMELIVINGtheWORDSunday,January 27, 2013TODAY'S FOCUS:GOD’S WORD ENLIVENS THE SPIRIT“Word” is a static reality, merely sitting there,waiting for someone to breathe life into it. But, inthese readings, “word” is something that brings lifeto mind and heart, soul and body.• FIRST READINGThey read from the book of the Law and they understoodwhat was read (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10).This reading is a description of the proclamation of thelaw of the Lord to the people of Israel. This is somethingthat had to happen periodically in the history of Israel.The people would slowly drift away from the ways of theLord and adopt the practices followed by their paganneighbors. This is why God would send a prophet or aleader who would lead his people back to the law. Thelaw is not a series of ordinances that robs people of theirfreedom. Rather, it is the word of God. It teaches thepeople what God really wants from them. This isliberating, for they could now be what God called them tobe. They would no longer have to be slaves to theirpassions, but could be good and righteous.• SECOND READINGYou are Christ’s body and individually parts of it(1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27).Saint Paul is reminding the members of the community inCorinth that none of us is autonomous. We depend uponeach other, and the Spirit has given each of us gifts toshare with one another. This passage is one of thesources for the development of the idea of the mysticalBody of Christ, the idea that the Spirit unites us to form amanifestation of the presence of Christ in the world.• GOSPELToday this Scripture passage is fulfilled (Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21).St. Luke claims that he is writing for a certain Theophilus.It is unclear if this is a royal official, rich patron, or asymbolic name. The Greek word “theos” means “God” and“phileo” means “to love,” so this could be a symbolicname for anyone who loves God (hence, any Christian).The second part of the Gospel is taken from the passagethat describes Jesus’ preaching in the synagogue ofNazareth. Jesus speaks of His being anointed by the Spiritto proclaim a tremendous liberation from the forces ofevil. The Jewish people celebrated every 50th year as aJubilee Year, a time of favor to the Lord. Debts wereforgiven, slaves were set free, property was given back toits original owners, etc. Jesus is saying that He is thefulfillment of everything that the Jubilee Year wassupposed to be. One does not have to wait for 50 years.Jesus, by His very presence, calls us to experience Hislove so that we might be liberated from all that enslavesus. He also wants to share that liberation with those whomost need it.• REFLECTIONSometimes the Sunday scripture readings pass by barelynoticed. The words read don’t get inside, perhapsbecause we are preoccupied or worrying over something.But every so often the reader and the words read becomeone in a way that enters into our heart. One such momentis recorded in the first reading. This scene took place over500 years before the time of Jesus. The reader was Ezrathe priest, who was standing up on a platform in an openplace in the city of Jerusalem. The magnificent templebuilt by Solomon had been destroyed in 587 BC and thepeople had been taken off into exile in Babylon. In 538they had been allowed to return, and now, for the firsttime, they were gathered to hear the priest Ezra read tothem the book of the law, the Torah. This book taughtthem that God had saved them and how God wantedthem to live. The people listened for hours, tears runningdown their faces, as Ezra read and explained to them themeaning of the words for their lives. These words fellupon the hearts of the listeners, penetrating the thick andhardened covering that exile had created, eventuallycausing their tears to flow. The word of God had done itswork, bringing them back to life. Sometimes rebirthhappens gently, at other times, God’s word functions asshock therapy.Monday, Jan. 28thHeb 9:15, 24-28Mk 3:22-30Tuesday, Jan. 29thHeb 10:1-10Mk 3:31-35READINGS FOR THE WEEKWednesday, Jan. 30thHeb 10:11-18Mk 4:1-20Thursday, Jan. 31stHeb 10:19-25Mk 4:21-25Friday, Feb. 1stHeb 10:32-39Mk 4:26-34