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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord

Proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord

Published Jan 8, 2026 12:03 am  |  Updated Jan 7, 2026 04:18 pm
Luke gives a summary of Jesus’ initial success in preaching the Good News of the Kingdom: news of him has spread throughout Galilee. When Jesus returns to Nazareth, he is given a prominent place during a synagogue service due to the “prestige” he has acquired. The ceremony usually begins with a hymn and opening prayer, then a reading from Scripture, followed by a homily, and finally a prayer capped with the concluding blessing.
When Jesus is given the scroll of Isaiah, he finds the oracle about the Lord’s “anointed” whose mission is to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. This is a messianic text. The “anointed one” in Hebrew is mashiach. The “year acceptable to the Lord” (v 19) is a time of healing and liberation, a year of Jubilee in Israel. In putting this episode at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, Luke is saying that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah and his mission is precisely to proclaim the Good News to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and liberty for those who have been oppressed. Jesus can never be more emphatic as when he declares, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (v 21).
Last Jan. 6, the traditional feast of the Epiphany in many countries, we closed the Jubilee Year 2025 with its theme Pilgrims of Hope. And we look forward to the Great Jubilee Year of Redemption in 2033, marking the 2000th year of Jesus’ paschal mystery: his passion, death, and resurrection. Jubilees are a perennial reminder of the kairos or acceptable year of our redemption.
First Reading • 1 Jn 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.
Responsorial Psalm • Ps 72
“Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
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.
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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