I can say unequivocally that when I feel myself flagging a bit, turning to the scriptures usually revives me. I just finished re-reading the Gospel According to Saint Luke. I have read this inspired text I don't how many times. Each day I read a chapter. Each day was a revelation. For Christians, the Gospels constitute the heart of Sacred Scripture. I tell people who seem intimidated by the Bible to start with one of the Gospels. I usually recommend Mark, due to its brevity. I tell them to just read it, maybe a chapter or two a day, like you would read anything else. I urge them to write down questions that arise as they read the text.
In today's Gospel, Jesus gives what amounts to a very short homily. Of course, you have to be Jesus to preach like that. I'm pretty sure the impact of what he said on the congregation is something we mostly miss. Quite explicitly, he tells the people of his home village, "I am the Messiah." I am the one to whom this passage from Isaiah refers. Shocking! All of these folks, most of whom were probably related to Jesus in some way, had known Jesus all his life. It would appear that he didn't really stand out, at least not enough for people to say, "Hey, he might be the Messiah, the Anointed One of God."
Because we've never known him any other way, while we might not be shocked at Jesus' claim to be the Messiah, his Messianic proclamation is no less radical. So, it's important for us to take the words of Isaiah, which refer to Jesus, to heart. By invoking these, Jesus tells us what the Gospel is in its very essence. First, it is "glad tidings for the poor." Second, the Gospel is "liberty to captives." Further, the Gospel brings sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed. These are the Gospel, the Good News.
What Jesus does is proclaims a Jubilee. This is set forth in the Law (see Leviticus 25:8-22). To my knowledge, there is no record of Israel, even during the united monarchy, having a Jubilee: far too radical!
How are these things to be accomplished? Well, in a limited way by Jesus during his relatively short ministry. In an unlimited way by his followers, his disciples, those who make up the Church, the ekklesia. Of course, in our reading from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, we see the Church referred using a metaphor to the body. In light of the Eucharist, what Paul posits here is surely more than a metaphor, even if it is quite apt.
Take one example: "liberty for captives." This past week the Catholic Church in the United States, as it does annually in January, had a big Respect for Life push. Coming as it does each year on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, the emphasis tends to be on abortion. Don't get me wrong, I think abortion is wrong and I am disheartened by continued efforts to make it more available at any point during pregnancy, which brings up the ugly specter of outright infanticide.
Right now, here in Utah, our state legislature is in session. The Utah Legislature is on the verge of outlawing the death penalty. While I would be lying to say I haven't heard anything about this and the need for Catholics to support this legislative push, I haven't heard much, especially given the crucial stage this legislation is at presently. On the other hand, if Roe is overturned, which will only have the effect of allowing states to legislate on abortion, at least in the absence of federal legislation, Utah will undoubtedly be a state that will all but eliminate abortion, legally.
As to glad tidings for the poor, it's important not to fetishize the poor. We need to seek to assist them materially, to help people out of poverty, and to prevent people from falling into poverty. If you're going to advocate against abortion, you need to be concerned about the mother and child post-birth. This brings up issues like access to healthcare, affordable housing, food assistance, to name just the most basic. I take Jesus' words that we will always have the poor with us as something of an indictment.
In our reading from Nehemiah today, we hear the exhortation: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared for today is holy to our LORD." [emboldening emphasis mine]. Everyday we do this is a day "holy to our LORD."
I could go into other tangential issues, like immigration, criminal justice reform, race relations, etc., all of which the Catholic Church has well-developed teaching about, but I won't apart from mentioning them.
If the word of God doesn't form us and inform what we do, then it is not Good News for us or anyone else.
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