Sunday, January 23, 2022

January 23, 2022: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary (Ordinal) Time

With great joy in my heart, we cycle back to the same readings I heard proclaimed at the Concluding Mass of World Youth Day celebrated by Pope Francis in Panama City, 3 years ago on January 27, 2019.

And God's Word continues to be fulfilled among us, in our hearing.  

Jesus Christ came as the Incarnate God to our world as the Word Made Flesh, which we celebrated during Christmas.  He indeed made God's presence known, because He was anointed and came in the power of the Holy Spirit to do the good works of bringing joy and liberty to those in bondage and Good News to the poor, thinking even especially of the preborn, who are in need of so much support.

Indeed, since God has come to abide with us forever, we have reason for great joy, and strength from the joy of the Lord, Who speaks His very Word to us.  Each day is holy because God is among us, and so the words of Ezra and Nehemiah speak to us today:  Even in difficult circumstances, we can rejoice that God has given us His Word so that we can live with purpose.

In Christ, He has made us One Church, a Body with many parts, each contributing something unique. When we come together, the Body is truly at its best, making God known in the world.

The WYD 2019 pilgrims gathered to be present to God in a special way, and celebrate being part of one Church.  We return to our homes all over the world, still bound as one Body, and Christ has continued to be present among us as we have lived out our encounter with Him.

Today, we also celebrate Sunday of the Word of God, and recognize the importance of Scripture in our life of faith, because through it, God continually speaks to His people.  As a lector, I am aware of the role of this ministry to help the faithful more deeply appreciate what God says to us in the Scriptures.

And so the Word of God continues to be fulfilled as we go forth from our gatherings at Mass and do the deeds that make Him known.

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