Gospel – Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received. 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.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
134 All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book is Christ, “because all divine Scripture speaks of Christ, and all divine Scripture is fulfilled in Christ.”
714 This is why Christ inaugurates the proclamation of the Good News by making his own the following passage from Isaiah: The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.
From “The Visible Face of the Invisible God” Testimony of Catalina Rivas (Chp-IV:1-13, 17-24)
1) I made Myself present in the Temple in order to give fulfillment to the Scriptures…
2) “I spoke with the authority given Me by the certainty that My presence there was giving fulfillment to the Law and to what the Prophets had said centuries earlier. I was the Son to whom the Father had handed everything. And yes, the people did perceive who it was that was speaking. I did not interpret the doctrine of the Prophets, but I was instead presenting Myself as a man fully invested with the power, which can only come from God.
3) “When, while preaching on the mount, I said: ‘You have heard that it was said,….The religious leaders were very displeased.
4) “I never used the term ‘Messiah’ which was announced by the prophets but rather the quote by Daniel which speaks about Me as ‘the Son of man,’ so that they would not foster the false belief that a political leader would come to liberate them from the Roman yoke. I had not been born in a great town but in a poor manger. I was not coming to take possession of a kingdom on earth with soldiers and guards.
5) “My concern was about an announcement that carried in itself its own power, clear and transparent. I was a simple carpenter, who was coming to preach kindness, forgiveness, justice and love. My announcement was the announcement that places anyone to face his own contradictions, by its penetrating and frequently baffling evidence.
6) “I was to announce the Kingdom of My Father; for that I came in order to teach everyone that they had a kind and tender Father capable of loving so much as to give what is most precious to Him in order to gain the salvation of His creature. But at the same time I was supposed to carry out works of liberation among men, to teach them the need to fight in the name of the Gospel against all that possesses and oppresses man. I was to not only preach the Good News from God, but also to demonstrate that I Am the Good News and that I act accordingly.
7) “My duty was to teach that I had come to destroy all sovereignty, authority or power that would hurt man: possession, physical, psychological or spiritual illnesses. Moreover, My teaching was and is categorical, because it is not mere words but actions. My Words have the power to liberate and to heal.
8) “Let the teaching for all of you be that My Name should solely be pronounced by those who recognize My authority, confess it, and bear witness to their faith.
9) “An apostle of the new evangelization cannot be satisfied with the sole announcement of the Gospel, but his charism and the certitude of his faith must be so strong as to take his preaching, his or her life witness to liberate man from all the sin and the evil that oppresses him.
10) “You, the apostles must bear witness to My benevolence and manage to have your words prevail on their own, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Your words and actions must speak to man’s heart in a way that their truth shines through.
11) “You must know that all your actions ought to demonstrate that you are moving toward the heights, toward the growth and free plenitude of man. You must not give the impression that your actions are only to make a name for yourselves, by controlling and subduing others.
12) “Mine should be recognized among those who do not self-promote nor seek any compensation at all.
13) “Many times, suffering will be your reward, but that should not intimidate you. You will not weaken or hesitate. Always confident, My servants will convey My Words and their feelings even to those who are about to expire. Your position is firm and unbreakable on the fulfillment of your duties.”
17) It happened that in one of the Synagogues He was invited to read the Scriptures. Everyone was sitting on the floor. Jesus walked up to the place where the person who read and explained the Scriptures stood. His imposing and serene figure, standing there was different to that of the other men, even though Jesus was dressed as all of them. You could tell that Jesus possessed an authority which originated from within, as if a light of His own illuminated Him…
18) Everyone focused his attention on that Man who commanded respect. His light colored eyes went over the entire assembly for a moment; a slight blink, and very deep within Him was that continual prayer to the Father.
19) His voice, full of tonal hues was heard reading the scroll which contained Isaiah’s prophesy: “The Spirit of God is on me because He has anointed me to announce the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim the liberation to the captives, give sight to the blind, set the oppressed free and to proclaim a year of the Grace of God” (Is 61:1,2) (Lk 4:18-19).
20) After rolling back the scroll and handing it to the Minister, He again looked at the entire assembly; He lifted His face up a little, and said with authority: “This Scripture that you have just heard has been fulfilled today.” I clearly saw the whole assembly in absolute silence; I cannot tell if they were disconcerted but they were clearly marveling at the personality so confident, of the Lord.
21) These Nazarene men, as all of the Israelites, had been waiting for the Messiah, but for someone according to their expectations. They never noticed that the One they were expecting had been sharing many years of His Life with them, as a carpenter, until that Saturday.
22) Jesus knew that He would not be well received precisely there, because no Prophet had ever been well received in his own town, among his own people. And so it was when He began His preaching and quoted the Prophet Elijah and then the Prophet Elisha that those people became furious because they considered an audacity for Jesus to compare Himself to the Prophets.
23) They did not want to open their hearts. They stood up and with total lack of respect for the Temple they began to lift their fists and to threaten Jesus, who looked at them completely unperturbed, and rather with compassion. This attitude of the Lord drove them yet more furious, so that as He was passing through them in order to leave, they pushed Him all the way out and then they chased Him yelling insults, and accosted Him, threatening to kill Him.
24) Jesus passed in front of them, and without responding to their insults and threats, He walked away, His spirit saddened because they had not understood the Scriptures, because they would not allow being liberated from their miseries. Jesus left serene and majestic, so much so that in the end they did not dare to touch Him.
Each week we will be presenting a portion of the following Sunday’s readings, and linking it to relevant parts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and messages from the Testimony of Catalina. Pay special attention to the italicized underlined sections. This Sunday it is asked, What kind of soil will you be for the word of God? We hope this is inspiring and educational. Any comments you have are certainly welcomed.
Tim Francis prepared this educational program to help you increase your faith and love for the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother. His website is http://YouShallBelieve.com
I have known Tim for many years and recommend his work highly. He is a strong advocate for the “The Real Body and Blood Of Jesus” and the numerous miracles that occur on a daily basis. Both of us are greatly inspired by the amazing writings of Catalina Rivas. Catalina is one of the few individuals in history who personally experienced the “Stigmata Of Jesus Christ.”