WSC Reflection Guide 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January, 26 2025

Community Word: God’s saving power is upon those who share the light of Christ.

Theme: We share the light of Christ when we minister to the poor, the oppressed and the sick.

Promise: “… if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” (1Cor 12:26b)

Reflection

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus read the passage from the prophet Isaiah which announces the purpose of his ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord,” (Lk 4:18-19).

From this verse, our theme for this week states: We share the light of Christ when we minister to the poor, the oppressed and the sick. As we look around us, we find that many of our brothers and sisters are struggling in life and they live in darkness today, physically, emotionally and spiritually. They are weary souls, tired travellers in life. Sharing the light of Christ to them is a mission given to us who are called, being inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. We ought to lead them to the right path, to a more intimate relationship with the Lord, to the fulfilment of their heart’s longing and to the realization of their purpose in life. This is the central message of the theme for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Lord manifests His radiance of love and compassion to those who cry out to Him, to those who seek refuge in Him. Their hearts are broken by sadness, sickness, loneliness and exclusion. But God comforts those whose dignity is trampled, those who suffer under unjust and corrupt rule, and are scarred by violence. As light bearers of Christ, we need to empathize with their plight with loving attentiveness that seeks out their freedom from the many bondages of life.

Sadly, instead of receiving help the opposite is happening, and the poor hear voices putting them down all the more and telling them to be quiet. These harsh voices are afraid of the poor because they are considered not only as destitute and useless to society, but also the cause of insecurity and unrest. The poor are a distraction from life and should be rejected and kept away. Many tend to distance themselves from the poorest of the poor and, thus, failing to realize that they are distancing themselves from our Lord Jesus. Jesus showed us that he does not reject the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, but he calls them to himself to comfort and heal them.

During his ministry, the heart of Jesus always looked out for those persons who are abandoned, discriminated against, ignored and condemned. He sought the sick and healed their bodies, their minds and their spirits. He touched the untouchable, he fed the hungry, and forgave their sins. Jesus identified himself with the poor in spirit and recognized the sincerity of their hearts despite their poverty. Jesus saw the faith of those who came to him to be cured and their hope to be restored to wholeness.

We need to follow the compassion and action of Jesus towards the helpless, the hapless and the hopeless if we are to follow Him as his disciples. We need to let them see Jesus in us through our charitable deeds and genuine concern for their welfare. We need to minister to those who are spiritually poor and lead them to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The greatest message we can preach in today’s troubled world is the liberation of the poor, the oppressed and the sick, enabling them to be part of the Body of Christ. We are children of only one Father in heaven called to build one body and fold in Christ. Whatever we have is not for us to keep but to share. As we care for others and share, especially to the last, the least and the lost, we will reap God’s promise, “…if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy,” (1 Cor 12:26b).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, free us from the blindness of seeing the needs of the afflicted people around us. May we clearly know Your ways and fully understand Your will for us to radiate with Your Light and Truth, in our words and deeds. Amen.

Reflection Guide Questions:

1. What is my realization when I reflect upon the suffering of many people who need to be delivered from the bondage of poverty and helplessness?

2. How do I witness Christ and act to liberate others from social injustice and spiritual slavery?

This Week's Daily Mass Reading Guide:

January 26, 2025 (Sun) – Neh 8:2-4, 5, 6, 8-10/ Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15/ 1 Cor 12:12-30/ Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

January 27, 2025 (Mon) – Heb 9:15, 24-28/ Ps 98:1-6/ Mk 3:22-30

January 28, 2025 (Tue) – Heb 10:1-10/ Ps 40: 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11/ Mk 3:31-35

January 39, 2025 (Wed) – Heb 10:11-18/ Ps 110:1-4/ Mk 4:1-20

January 30, 2025 (Thu) – Heb 10:19-25/ Ps 24:1-6/ Mk 4:21-25

January 31, 2025 (Fri) – Heb 10:32-39/ Ps 37:3-6, 23, 24, 39, 40/ Mk 4:26-34

February 1, 2025 (Sat) – Heb 11:1-2, 8-19/ Lk 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75/ Mk 4:35-41

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”

Council of Servant Leaders

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Alfred S. Kudemus

CSL Secretariat

BLD Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16