Thursday After Epiphany

“Christ Preaching”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1652

 
Readings for Thursday after Epiphany [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading I: 1 John 4:19–5:4
 
Beloved, we love God because
he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,”
but hates his brother, he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen
cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him.
In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
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Commentary on 1 Jn 4:19–5:4
 
This passage from St. John’s first letter drives home the original purpose for the letter. “The fullness of Christian life as fellowship with the Father must be based on true belief and result in charitable living; knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable, and error in one area inevitably affects the other.” [4]
 
The link forged by the Great Commandment of loving God and loving neighbor is strengthened by St. John who places Christ as an integral part. If a person loves God, then, perforce, they must also love one another. If they do not love one another they do not love God.
 
CCC: 1 Jn 4:19 604, 1828; 1 Jn 4:20 2840; 1 Jn 5:1 2780, 2790
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
 
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
 
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
 
From fraud and violence he shall redeem them,
and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
May they be prayed for continually;
day by day shall they bless him.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
 
May his name be blessed forever;
as long as the sun his name shall remain.
In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;
all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
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Commentary on Ps 72:1-2, 14 and 15bc, 17
 
The royal psalm, Psalm 72, a song of adoration, continues as the promise of justice is extended from only the poor and marginalized to the promise to deal with those who prey upon the upright. The passage concludes with a blessing of God’s kindness and mercy proclaiming the universal peace that will flow to all mankind. Once again, while originally this psalm was sung for the king, we see in it God’s promise and the eternal rule of peace and justice brought by the Messiah.
 
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Gospel: Luke 4:14-22
 
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
 
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
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.
 
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.  
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Commentary on Luke 4:14-22
 
This selection from St. Luke’s Gospel takes place immediately following the Lord’s baptism by St. John and trial in the desert. Jesus' return to Galilee is also documented in St. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-17). Here the Lord begins his public ministry with a straightforward statement of his identity and mission: “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.” This announcement of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 61:1-2) being fulfilled tells the audience he is the Messiah who came bringing them salvation.
 
"These phrases, according to Luke (verses 18-19), are His first messianic declaration. They are followed by the actions and words known through the Gospel. By these actions and words Christ makes the Father present among men." (St. John Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia" 3)
 
CCC: Lk 4:16-22 1286; Lk 4:16-21 436; Lk 4:18-19 695, 714; Lk 4:18 544, 2443; Lk 4:19 1168
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Reflection:
 
The great Feast of the Epiphany continues to shine its light on the Nativity of the Lord.  The magi from the East continue their praise and homage of the Savior who has entered the world.  Even as we join them, imagining the Holy Family in the humble manger in Bethlehem, the revelation of Christ in Scripture requires us to think in more pragmatic terms about the faith we profess and the event at which we rejoice.
 
As much as we would like to linger with the Christ Child, St. Luke calls us to take up his mission.  The Gospel reminds us that the baby born in Bethlehem came to fulfill God’s promise.  In Luke we hear the now adult Christ taking up the prophet’s mantle.  He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying: “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.” It is time for us to spread that word and St. John the Evangelist notes in his letter how that should be done.
 
He reminds us that if we have faith in Christ then our love of others will be clearly seen.  It is a bold statement, punctuated with human action that supplements our prayer and sacramental grace.  If we love Christ we must love others; the two are inseparable.  It is like the sacrament of marriage.  If that sacrament exists it cannot be broken.  The bond between those so joined is unbreakable.  If we love Christ, we must express that love as he did, loving all with whom we have contact.
 
The chain of theological logic stretches out its hand to us today and shows us that even as we recall the magi and the Christ Child, we must express our love for that moment by loving even those who hate us.  Our prayer today is that God gives us the strength to do just that.
 
Pax
 

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[1] The picture is “Christ Preaching” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1652.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] From “Introduction to the Epistles of John” New American Bible (NAB).