In our first reading this Sunday we find ourselves in the post-exile period on Israel\u2019s history.\u00a0 All the people have gathered together to listen to the priest Ezra proclaim the Law of Moses, the word of God.\u00a0 They listen attentively to the Scriptures from early morning until midday, and \u201call the people wept when they heard the words of the law.\u201d (Neh 8:9).\u00a0 They are weeping because for the first time since their exile they are being nourished by God\u2019s word.\u00a0 During the period of exile Israel thrived and grew; they had their material needs looked after; they had shelter, clothing, and food.\u00a0 But they were missing one thing \u2013 The Word of God.\u00a0 And so when they return to Jerusalem, rebuild the walls, and hear the Scriptures again they cannot help but weep.\u00a0 The Psalmist sings:\u00a0 \u201cHow sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!\u201d (Ps 119:103).\u00a0 Indeed, God\u2019s word is the sweetest of nourishments, addressed personally to each of us.\u00a0 In our time, we have incredible access to the Scriptures; we even have the Bible on our smartphones. But with such exposure we can sometimes forget the strength and sustenance they provide. \u201cMan does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God\u201d (Mt 4:4 cf. Dt 8:3). Let us therefore always savor the saving power of the Word of God and never take for granted the richness of the Scriptures and their profound effect on our lives.<\/p>\n
In this Sunday\u2019s Gospel we encounter a similar story.\u00a0 Once again, the Jews have gathered together to hear the Scriptures and worship God.\u00a0 Our High Priest Jesus Christ, prefigured in the priest Ezra, stands to proclaim God\u2019s word.\u00a0 Christ boldly announces: the Spirit of the Lord has \u201csent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.\u201d (Lk 4:18 cf. Is 61:1).\u00a0 What else is He describing but the end of an exile?\u00a0 Our current exile is one of slavery to sin.\u00a0 We find ourselves exiled from God by our own sin; Christ comes to release us from the captivity of sin and to restore our relationship with God.\u00a0 In faith we anxiously await our true homeland, heaven, where God Himself will nourish us for all eternity.\u00a0 Christ, however, does not leave us abandoned on our earthly exile.\u00a0 He continues to feed us with His word in Sacred Scripture, and He sustains us with His very Body and Blood in the Eucharist.<\/p>\n
As we ourselves gather this Sunday, following in the tradition of our elder siblings in faith, let us allow ourselves to be nourished by Christ.\u00a0 He desires to give Himself to us, let us open our hearts to Him so that His Word, His Body, and His Blood, may wash away every sin and heal every wound.\u00a0 May we never become complacent of Christ\u2019s presence among us, but rather, let us seek to grow closer to Him daily and share His love with our neighbors, until He at last calls us from this land of exile to our heavenly homeland.<\/p>\n
Kevin Ponte<\/strong> \u2013 St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Third Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,17,18],"tags":[65,142,164,104],"class_list":["post-1964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-strona-glowna-najnowsze","category-strona-glowna-slider","tag-comment","tag-kevin_ponte","tag-spirit","tag-sunday"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n