Jesus reveals He is the Messiah and His hometown rejects Him. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by building the Virtue of Duty/Responsibility so he can live up to his sacred vows and by pursuing the Virtue of Gratitude so he can always long for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Liturgy
Christmastime – Thursday after Epiphany or January 10 – Lk 4:14-22a
Commentary
After His Baptism and Temptation in the Judaean desert, Jesus begins His public ministry by working His way west, preaching in synagogues and healing the sick. Jesus, the Son of the Father, and filled with the Holy Spirit, amazes the crowds across Galilee to the point where He is “gloried” by all; the “glory” attributed to Jesus recognizes His spectacular words and deeds but is not as yet based on the truth that He is Divine. Now, in Nazareth, His hometown, Jesus will make the stunning announcement He is the Messiah.
Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth to proclaim that He is the long-awaited Messiah to His people Israel, many of whom are His kin through the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Going to the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was His custom, Jesus commandingly stands to read, and men obediently bring Him the sacred rolls of Scripture. Selecting a passage from the 700-year old prophecy of Isaiah (which He inspired Isaiah to write), Jesus reads Isaiah’s announcement of the coming Messiah who will bring miraculous healing and freedom to those in bondage.
After reading a short passage, Jesus sits down and all the men in the synagogue gaze at Him in expectation. He stuns the crowd by authoritatively saying, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”, a clear declaration that He is the long-awaited Messiah. His people first react well, but immediately (omitted v 23-30) skepticism grows as they realize Jesus is Joseph’s son. Mysteriously, despite having the Son of God, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph in their midst for years, the men have failed to recognize Jesus’ Divinity. Jesus courageously and bluntly rebukes the men from His hometown for their unbelief, and they unsuccessfully attempt to murder Him by throwing Him off a cliff.
Be awed by Jesus Christ
The Son of Joseph grew in Human Knowledge and was thoroughly taught Sacred Scripture by St. Joseph, for it was St. Joseph’s responsibility under Jewish Law to do so. The Gospels record Jesus’ encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture, referring to about 80 Old Testament passages from about 25 books. Marvel that because Jesus is a Divine Person with Divine Knowledge, He is able to both correctly interpret and fulfill Scripture, announcing that He is the long-awaited Messiah.
Live up to your sacred vows
Realize: Jesus’ baptism in the Spirit and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost lay the foundation of how men are transformed from certain death, and given the potential for eternal life in Heaven; with gift of the Holy Spirit, every Catholic man accepts his mission to serve Christ.
Believe: Reflect upon the powerful Sacrament of Confirmation (CCC 1285-1321).
Pray: Jesus, Divine Priest, help me build the Virtue of Duty/Responsibility (a part of Justice) so I frequently recall my Confirmation vows and fulfill my sacred duty to serve Your Church and to make You known and loved.
Long for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Realize: Jesus reads Isaiah’s passage, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me”; the same Holy Spirit is given to every baptized and confirmed Catholic man, in effect, super-naturalizing him, and giving him access to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1830-1831), essential helps on the path to holiness.
Believe: Reflect upon The Effects of Confirmation (CCC 1302-1305, 1315-1317).
Pray: Almighty and Most Merciful Father, help me build the Virtue of Gratitude (a part of Justice) so I gratefully accept the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and I always do my best to do Thy Will in all areas of my life.