{"id":5432,"date":"2025-01-25T01:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T01:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=5432"},"modified":"2025-01-27T15:17:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T15:17:21","slug":"commentary-on-3rd-sunday-of-the-yea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-3rd-sunday-of-the-yea\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 3rd Sunday of the Year (C), 26.01.2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Sunday Reading.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Gospel for this Sunday contains two passages, not related or directly connected. The first is the Prologue to Luke\u2019s writings (Lk. 1: 1-4), the second (Lk. 4: 14-21) which gives the first recorded words in this Gospel.<\/p>\n

\n

TEXT \u2013 Luke 1: 1-4 \u2013 Prologue to Luke\u2019s Gospel<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s Reason in Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, 2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The\u2013oph\u2019ilus, 4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first four verses in Luke\u2019s Gospel are known as the Prologue or Preface. They form a single sentence of six lines and are written in classical style to give a literary importance to the content of what follows.<\/p>\n

This Prologue introduces the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, both written by Luke.<\/p>\n

Luke is the only synoptic writer who has written a prologue. It is very short and very elegantly written, describing why he has written the two books, the Gospel of Jesus Christ<\/em> which is the selected Gospel at proclaimed at Mass this year and the Acts of the Apostles.<\/em> \u2014 to provide an orderly account of the life of Christ, starting at the beginning. John also wrote a Prologue which is really a summary of what his Gospel contains.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]1 Inasmuch a<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

s many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, 2 just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent The\u2013oph\u2019ilus, 4 that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cInasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us<\/em>\u201d \u2014 We are not aware of \u201cthe many<\/em>\u201d who had written narratives about Christ and his accomplishments in word and deed. Mark is the only one that has survived. While Mark wrote his Gospel before Luke undertook his, Matthew and John were later than Luke.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe things which had been accomplished among us<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This refers to the will of God as revealed in the Old Testament and which Jesus accomplished in word and deed. He fulfilled the scriptures perfectly, as Luke will show.<\/p>\n

\u201camong us<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This expression shows that the things Jesus said and did are still taking place and Luke is writing about them. This refers to the Acts of the Apostles<\/em> which were still been fulfilled at the time of writing.<\/p>\n

\u201cjust as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word<\/em>\u201d \u2014 \u201cEyewitnesses and ministers of the word<\/em>\u201d means more than the spoken or written word; it applies to the deeds or actions which were seen or served in and by Jesus. Luke does not identify the \u201ceyewitnesses or ministers<\/em>\u201d but he acknowledges that they were among the first disciples. They would have included Mary, the Apostles and others who shared Jesus\u2019 life.<\/p>\n

\u201cit seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Luke seems to criticize the other authors prior to him because, having studied the matter most carefully, he implies that their accounts were not \u201corderly<\/em>\u201d and so not trustworthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cfor you, most excellent The\u2013oph\u2019ilus<\/em>\u201d \u2014 indicates that this man was one of social standing probably a Government official.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheophilus<\/em>\u201d means \u2018one loved by God\u2019. Luke tells him that he will learn nothing new in this account. He would have heard the contents of Luke\u2019s Gospel preached beforehand since that was the first method of communication. What Luke is doing is to guarantee the truth of what he writes. In this way Theophilus and other readers will have a divine and permanent record of the words and deeds of Jesus and the early Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cthat you may know the truth<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus preached and performed deeds that over the years became obscured in some quarters. Luke\u2019s Gospel is to make the words and deeds of Jesus clear and his readers will then be in a position to judge whether what they were taught was correct.<\/p>\n

\u201cconcerning the things of which you have been informed<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Greek word for \u201cinformed<\/em>\u201d is the same as \u2018catechised\u2019. Theophilus was converted and instructed (catechised); now he will see how his instructions accord with the words and deeds of Jesus..<\/p>\n

\n

APPLICATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luke wrote his short Prologue for both writings, the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. These two he understood as being about the same subject, the early account of the mission and work of Jesus (the Gospel) and of the Church (the Acts of the Apostles). He makes the following four points:<\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He addresses himself to a leading person in the community, probably a Government official. Nothing is known about Theophilus but it is surmised that he was wealthy and it was presumed that when he received his copy he would have other copies made and circulated, as wealthy people did at the time.<\/p>\n

(ii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luke claims to be a careful, accurate and reliable narrator of the events he will write about.<\/p>\n

(iii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 His sources for writing were people who had personal contact with Jesus and who followed him as disciples. The living word that they received was still alive, had been passed on and this was the content of Luke\u2019s writings. The word of God continued in the Church and its different communities.<\/p>\n

(iv)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Having perused Luke\u2019s Gospel, Theophilus would be confirmed in his faith.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

LUKE 04:14\u201321<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ordinary Time Sunday 03C<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

TEXT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transition<\/strong><\/p>\n

[4]14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.<\/em><\/p>\n

Synagogue in Nazareth<\/strong><\/p>\n

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Prophetic Messiah<\/strong><\/p>\n

He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus is Messiah<\/strong><\/p>\n

20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, \u201cToday this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\n

EXPLANATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

[4]14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus had gone to the River Jordan and been baptised. Then, led by the Spirit, he went into the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. Now he returns to Galilee and commences his public ministry. This will continue to Lk. 9: 50 after which he will begin his journey to Jerusalem and death.<\/p>\n

\u201cin the power of the Spirit<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is a major theme in Luke\u2019s Gospel; everything Jesus said or did was under the influence and working of the Holy Spirit who had anointed him at his baptism.<\/p>\n

\u201cand a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This strikes a note of universality, a frequent theme in Luke. His message was well received and talked about favourably.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he taught in their synagogues<\/em>\u201d \u2014 That Jesus teaches is mentioned fourteen times in Luke\u2019s Gospel (Lk. 4: 15, 31\u2019 5: 3, 17; 6: 6; 11: 1; 13: 10, 22, 26; 19: 47; 20: 1, 21; 21: 37; 23: 5).<\/p>\n

He is called \u201cteacher<\/em>\u201d thirteen times (Lk. 7: 40; 8: 49; 9: 38; 10: 25;11: 45; 12: 13; 18: 18; 19: 39; 20: 21, 28; 39; 21: 7; 22: 11).<\/p>\n

He is called \u201cmaster<\/em>\u201d six times (Lk. 5: 5; 8: 24; 9: 33, 49: 17: 13). Obviously Jesus\u2019 teaching mission is regarded as of major important by Luke.<\/p>\n

\u201cbeing glorified by all<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This reaction of the people is a most frequent theme in this Gospel (5: 25\u201326; 7: 16; 9: 43; 13: 13; 17: 11; 18: 41; 23: 47).<\/p>\n

Luke is showing how Jesus was accepted by the various centres and people were high in their praises of him. The note of universality is mentioned twice: a report about him went through all the country and all glorified him. Later in this chapter the people of Nazareth, after first accepting him, will reject him. Luke wishes to contrast how people other than his own accepted him wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n

\n

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; 17 and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is his first visit to his home\u2013town Nazareth after his baptism and temptation. This is also Luke\u2019s first recorded public message by Jesus.<\/p>\n

\u201cand he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day\u201d<\/em> \u2014 The synagogue was a meeting place for the Jewish religion. Luke portrayed Mary and Joseph as devout Jews. Now he shows that Jesus also was devout and had the habit of going to the synagogue.<\/p>\n

On the Sabbath, all pious Jews went there for prayers and mostly the proclamation of the Book of the Law (the first five books of their scriptures, the Old Testament), and the Prophets, which included the historical books. The President would invite one of the participants whom he knew to be well versed in scripture, to read and explain. Because of his reputation (v. 14) Jesus may have been invited to deliver the proclamation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah<\/em>\u201d \u2014 A person present could volunteer to read and explain the passage of scripture. This could have happened when Jesus attended on this occasion: he may have volunteered by standing \u201cup to read<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.\u201d 20 And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHe opened the book and found the place where it was written<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The quotation is from Is. 61: 1\u20132.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The Spirit of the Lord is upon me<\/em>\u201d \u2014 This is a reference to the Holy Spirit, God the Father and the incarnate Son: \u201cSpirit<\/em>\u201d, \u201cLord<\/em>\u201d and \u201cme<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018because he has anointed me\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u2014 The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove on Jesus and anointed him at his baptism (Lk. 3: 31\u201332).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis anointing of Jesus Christ was not an anointing of the body as in the case of the ancient kings, priests and prophets; rather it was entirely spiritual and divine, because the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him substantially\u201d (St. Pius X Catechism<\/em>, 77).<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018to preach good news to the poor\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Jesus will explain to the followers of John the Baptist, when they will come to him, that this is one of the ways in which he manifests his messianic mission (Lk. 7: 22).<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives<\/em>\u201d \u2014 The Greek word used here means release from sin which held them as prisoners.<\/p>\n

\u201cand recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Each of these would be a part of the preaching of the Messiah.<\/p>\n

\u201cto set at liberty those who are oppressed<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Once again, the Greek term used here refers to liberating sinners because they are oppressed by their sins.<\/p>\n

\u201cto proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The \u201cacceptable year of the Lord<\/em>\u201d was a Jubilee Year. It occurred every fifty years and was meant to symbolise the mercy and liberation people would enjoy in the Messianic age. Based on Lv. 25: 8\u201355 this Jubilee Year was a time when all debts were forgiven, all loans and possessions were returned to their original owners from those who held them for one reason or another. The principle was that God owned everything and people held his creation on loan. If others acquired it from them, these had to restore it during the Jubilee Year.<\/p>\n

The Catholic Church continues this Jubilee Year custom by celebrating \u201choly years\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Rabbis and other teachers sat to instruct.<\/p>\n

\u201cand the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him<\/em>\u201d \u2014 There was a feeling of expectancy in the congregation<\/p>\n

\n

21 Then he began to say to them, \u201cToday this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Then he began to say to them, \u201cToday this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.<\/em>\u201d \u2014 Jesus claims to be the Messiah. This is the inauguration of the Good News according to Luke (The Catechism of Catholic Church<\/em>, 714).<\/p>\n

\u201cToday<\/em>\u201d is a very special word for Luke. It does not refer to the particular day or date when Jesus spoke in the synagogue. It refers to the time of fulfilment of the promises made by God regarding the future Messiah. Jesus says that \u201ctoday\u201d, in this era, in me, those promises are being fulfilled. These promises are not being fulfilled in a once\u2013only occasion; they are continuing in an era, this the final era of the world.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

APPLICATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

After his preparation for his public ministry by baptism and temptation, Jesus goes to his home\u2013town Nazareth and informs the people in their synagogue that he is the long\u2013expected Messiah.<\/p>\n

After the fall of our first parents, God did not abandon his newly created people. Genesis<\/em> (3: 14\u201315) records, \u201cThe Lord God said to the serpent, \u201cBecause you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel<\/em>.\u201d These words are known as the Protoevangelium, the first Gospel or Good News, where God promises to redeem mankind.<\/p>\n

As time advanced the Bible developed that first promise and people were taught to expect the Messiah and a new Spirit. The word \u201cMessiah\u201d means the One anointed with God\u2019s Spirit. \u201cMessiah\u201d in Greek is \u201cChrist\u201d and in English is \u201cAnointed\u201d. Certain other people were anointed in the Old Testament: priests, kings and prophets. And so the One anointing with the Holy Spirit would be God the Father, anointing his Incarnate Son as Priest, Prophet and King. We speak in English about Jesus Christ, meaning \u201cJesus the Christ\u201d, \u201cthe Anointed One\u201d. Or we speak about \u201cChrist Jesus\u201d, meaning \u201cthe Anointed Jesus\u201d. \u201cChrist\u201d is a title for Jesus, not a proper name.<\/p>\n

This explains Luke\u2019s predilection for speaking of Jesus doing something or going somewhere \u201cin the power of the Spirit\u201d. It also explains why he promised to send the Spirit on his Church after his resurrection and ascension.<\/p>\n

In the Old Testament, particularly in the Book of Isaiah, another thought became indelibly associated with the Messiah, that of suffering. In Isaiah there are four \u201cSuffering Servant Songs\u201d. These apply to the Passion of Jesus when he will suffer die and pour out his Spirit of life \u201con the many\u201d. Two verses from one of these four songs (Is. 61: 1\u20132) are quoted in today\u2019s Gospel passage.<\/p>\n

Finally, a quote from the Book of Daniel: As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being [like a son of man] coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One <\/em>[<\/em>the Ancient of Days<\/em>]<\/em><\/a> and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed<\/em>\u201d (Daniel 7: 14\u201315). This is a prophecy of Jesus the Christ (Messiah) seated at his Father\u2019s right hand inaugurating his kingdom that will have no end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Sunday Reading. The Gospel for this Sunday contains two passages, not related or directly connected. The first is the Prologue to Luke\u2019s writings (Lk. 1: 1-4), the second (Lk. 4: 14-21) which gives the first recorded words in this Gospel. TEXT \u2013 Luke 1: 1-4 \u2013 Prologue to Luke\u2019s Gospel \u00a0 Luke\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5432"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8334,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5432\/revisions\/8334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}