the Fulfillment of Scripture

01-23-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

After the baptism of Jesus - from Judea, He returned to Galilee and started His public ministry, which includes preaching in synagogues. - Immediately, news of His preaching and the power of the words of Jesus rapidly spread, and His fame preceded Him everywhere. - His listener marveled at His teaching and were astonished by the authority of His Words. Because of this, more and more people flock to His preaching to hear Him. Words about Jesus slowly reach the ears of Jewish authorities; they start to come or send someone to ask questions or argue with Him.

During the time of the prophet Ezra, people flock to him; for them, it is a privilege to hear a message from God. From their reaction, praising God and listening to Ezra for six hours, we know that his words reach their hearts: As they cry out, Amen! Amen! They bowed down and prostrated themselves before God. Reminded of all that the Lord has done for them, they realized how inadequately they followed the Law of the Lord. The interior and exterior reactions of the people showed how the Word of God, with the sound interpretation of the priest, penetrated their hearts.

The central message in the Gospel today is not so much about the Kingdom of God but the revelation of who Jesus is - He is the Awaited Messiah. Then, for the second time, the Spirit is again with Jesus. We can see the Holy Spirits presence in Mary conception of Jesus, in His birth, in His infancy, the Spirit actively directing His activities: the Spirit descended upon Him in His baptism, leads Him into the wilderness, and empowers Him throughout His mission because His humanity is one with His divinity, it is the Spirit of God that moves and animates Him.

In the Gospel, the incarnate Word of the Father stands up in the synagogue; and reads from the scrolls of the prophet Isaiah, and like Ezra in the first reading, acting as the priest of His people, but extra-ordinary because He is the High Priest Himself, the very fulfillment of the scripture He just read. In this Gospel, we see the convergence of the three aspects of the divine - all at once. As in the time of Ezra, the townsfolk of Jesus have every reason to celebrate, if only they knew the real meaning of his statement: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” The person of Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

The “year of favor” here refers to the jubilee year of the Jews celebrated every 50 years as prescribed by the Law (Lev. 25:8). The jubilee symbolizes the age of redemption and deliverance that the Messiah will usher in. The age inaugurated by Christ, the time of the New Law, is the age of grace, the time of mercy and redemption, which will be attained in the fullest form in eternal life.

Lord Jesus, lead us into the heart of your Church where we can continue to ponder your Word.

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