The third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C coincides this year with the conclusion of National Bible Week, a yearly celebration that reminds the Filipino Catholic of the importance of reading the Scriptures as a preparation for or a prolungation of the Liturgy of the Word. Luke’s coverletter for Theophilus underscores the supplementary nature of the Gospel he writes. Theophilus has received the proclamation of the apostles in the form of catechesis and Luke sends him a copy of his account of the Gospel as a help for Theophilus to deepen his newly received faith. The section on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth underlines the fulfillment of the whole of Scriptures, which is Jesus Himself.
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Guide to the Readings
The gospel reading offered for the third Sunday (C) is a combination of two selected passages from Luke. One is from the cover letter that originally accompanied the Gospel and was addressed to a certain Theophilus. The other passage is from the episode of the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth. In between these passages are selections which the liturgy have presented during Advent, Christmas or will be presenting during Lent. The following considerations should guide the reader in understanding the liturgical selection
1. Theophilus was a historical person and perhaps was a convert, like Luke was, from paganism. Pay attention to the cover letter as it has theological implications. First, the written gospel is not meant to replace the teaching of the apostles. In fact, Luke’s intention is to reinforce what Theophilus already knows about his faith.
2. Though originally placed far apart from one another, the combined passages are meant to tell the hearers of the Sunday gospel that the narrative about Jesus’ ministry must be taken as part and parcel of the evangelic package that has been handed down from the apostles and now presented in written form by the evangelist. The hearer has by this time already known that this same Jesus was the one baptized by John and before that was the son born of Mary. Beginning from the third Sunday of Ordinary Time the words and works of Jesus will be presented as a guide for daily living.
3. Jesus’ announcement of the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2 is a proclamation about the inauguration of the good things that God reserves for those who love Him in Jesus’ person as the Messiah. During his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him. The same Spirit that hovered over the primordial waters at the beginning of creation, had descended upon Jesus at the beginning of the world’s recreation. Jesus proclaims the Good News then, in the power of the Spirit of the New Creation.
Comparing the Readings
The gospel account of Jesus’ proclamation of the Lord’s Jubilee Year accords well with the choice of the Old Testament selection from Nehemiah. The narrative is a scribe’s “minutes” of the first proclamation of the Torah to the Jews who have returned from captivity. Notice that the priest Ezrah interprets the scroll as he reads them. This was because the audience no longer understands the Hebrew words. Thus a team of priests organized by Ezra translated into Aramaic what was read in Hebrew. The strategy worked since the audience was moved to tears upon hearing God’s Word. The combination of “reading” and “interpreting” also reminds us that the written word goes along with the word of proclamation by those who have the authority to do so.
The second reading is a selection from 1 Cor. 12. The whole chapter is about the Church, it’s unity as the Body of Christ, and the richness of its diversity in the gifts given to it by the Holy Spirit. It must be noted here that the gifts that adorn the Church are for its building-up. The members of the Church are apostles, teachers, healers, and so on, so that the Body of Christ may be brought to its full maturity. No member of the Church receives a gift solely for one’s benefit.
Suggestions for the Lesson
In the Philippines, the third Sunday of Ordinary Time is the culmination of the celebration of National Bible Week which began Monday after the Feast of the Santo Niño. Jesus reading from Isaiah and proclaiming its message is an apt subject for the conclusion of National Bible Week. Scriptures is not to be separated from the other two realities that are referred to in the phrase “Word of God”. “Word of God” first refers to Jesus, the Word Incarnate, and then to the tradition of the apostles (alluded to in the coverletter of Luke to Theophilus) and then to the written Word of God, Scriptures. At the conclusion of National Bible Week, we are invited to enshrine the Scriptures in our homes so that the family may truly become a cell Church, the extension of the bigger community of faith in the midst of the world.
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