Third Sunday of the Ordinary Time (Year C)
Scriptures: Neh. 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Ps. 18:8-100, 15; 1 Cor. 12: 12-14, 27; Lk. 1: 1-4, 4: 14-21
Pope Francis had declared the third Sunday of Ordinary Time to be the Word of God Sunday on 30th September 2019 by promulgating motu proprio, Aperuit Illis. It is based on a verse from the Gospel of St. Luke, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Lk. 24:45). This Sunday was declared on the occasion of the 1600th death anniversary of St. Jerome; he was the one who translated most parts of the Bible into Latin. Pope Francis dedicated a special Sunday to the Word of God so as to allow the faithful to grow in the love of scriptures and he wants us to celebrate, study and disseminate the word of God.
While reflecting on the importance of the Word of God in our lives, I recalled a beautiful witness which is known by many. Her name is Tamara Lowe from the US. She grew up on the streets of New Orleans. Her mother was Jewish and her father was Catholic. They never attended worship services. Tamara had no interest in the bible, God and in religion. She started taking drugs at the age of 10. She became a drug dealer at the age of 12. She dropped out of school in the eighth grade.
At 17, someone gave her a Bible as a Christmas gift but she wanted to get rid of it, however, bearing in mind that the gift-giver would ask her if she read the Bible, she decided to read a few lines from the New Testament. She had always considered the bible as an old fashioned book. However, she started reading it and she found that she could not put it down. She found herself getting addicted to the bible. She finished reading the new testament in about three weeks. Through reading the bible, her life was changed. She became a new person. She gave up drugs and resumed her studies. Today, Tamara is a motivational speaker. She helps many people who are into addictions. She has counselled many world leaders. She has given a “Get motivated seminar” to more than 2 million people in the world. The Word of God changed the life of Tamara. There are many such inspirational stories about the Bible.
The readings from today’s liturgy give us two more stories to rediscover the miraculous power of the Word of God in our lives. The first story is narrated in the first reading. The Jews had returned from their 70 years of exile in Babylon. The temple was in ruins. The priests and prophets were in disarray. There was no sacrifice, no observation of the law, no keeping of Sabbath, no Holy Book to draw inspiration from. At this juncture, the priest Ezra providentially found a book of law among the ruins of the temple. He invited people in the public square to listen to the word of God. The people listened and responded “Amen”. They repented for their wayward lives and for not following the law of the Lord. Ezra reproached them for their wailing and advised them to rejoice. The renewal of the Jewish community in the post-exile period began with the word of God.
The second story is narrated in the Gospel. There are two passages mentioned in today’s Gospel text. They are two distinct parts but both have the same message. The first part is addressed by Luke to his friend called Theophilus which means beloved of God. Luke wants to assure his friend that he is presenting him an accurate account of Jesus. It is based on the experiences of eyewitnesses of Jesus. As a matter of fact, Theophilus had heard about Jesus but Luke’s readdress of the word of God (Jesus) to him. He brings real meaning to his life by proclaiming Christ to him; as a result, his life was changed.
The second part of today’s Gospel gives us a narrative of Jesus’ first address in the synagogue. Jesus addressed his own people in his hometown. Jesus read a passage from the prophet Isaiah which was about the coming of the Messiah. Jesus applies the words of Isaiah to himself. He declares that he is the anointed one. There follows a programmatic statement of Jesus’ ministry. The good news is proclaimed to all those who are in need of liberation. The succeeding chapters of the Gospel tell us that all the people who came to Jesus received grace upon grace.
Each of these examples invites us to realize the importance of the word of God in our lives. Tamara Lowe was living a wayward life. The Word of God changed her life. She is now the motivational speaker, giving lessons on a meaningful life. The people of Israel at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah had lost their own dignity as a nation. The book of the law was read and they began their new journey of life. Theophilus and the people at the time of Jesus heard Jesus, the word of God and found salvation in their lives.
The same Word of God is given to us at every moment of our lives. How much do we pay attention to it? Have we recognized the power of the word of God in our lives? Let us pray during this Holy Eucharist for the Holy Spirit who inspired the authors of the Bible to rekindle within us the fire of love for the scriptures.
