3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C
Many times in our lives we take for granted the blessings, graces and mercies we receive from God. We also worry about all our struggles, the difficulties, the hardships, the challenges we face and encounter in life, but we oftentimes forget to be grateful and thankful to God for all He does in our lives as His children, not out of our merit but out of His mercy and love. Ezra in today’s first reading from the book of Prophet Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 tells the Israelites and us: "Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep. Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!" Today, we are reminded to rejoice in the Lord no matter what we are going through in life and to be happy, joyful and celebrate God’s blessings, graces and mercies upon us, because we are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it as stated by Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians 12:12-30, in our second reading today. But as we rejoice, celebrate and make merry, let us not forget our duty as children of God and disciples of Christ which is to bring the Scripture passage is fulfillment in our lives today by bringing glad tidings to the poor, by proclaiming liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, by freeing the oppressed and by proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord as we heard in today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, have you been grateful to God for all His blessings, graces and mercies upon you? Have you thankfully accepted your role as a member of Christ’s body in living out and proclaiming His gospel in the world and to the world? Are you ready to bring the Scripture to fulfillment by bringing glad tidings to the poor, by proclaiming liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, by freeing the oppressed and by proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord?
It is time to bring the Scripture to fulfillment my dear friends in Christ. It is time to participate actively in the life of Christ in the world today by bringing glad tidings to the poor, by proclaiming liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, by freeing the oppressed and by proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord, because it is our duty as members of Christ’s body and as children of God. Amen!
