THE WORD
FIRST READING
Neh 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand. Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —; and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!” Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep”— for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”
SECOND READING
1Cor 12:12-30
Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.
Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, fi rst, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
GOSPEL READING
Lk 1,1-4. 4,14-21
Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theopilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.
Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread through the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written: The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’
IN OTHER WORDS
I just visited a very dear friend, a lay Eucharistic minister, who used to have a bubbly personality and boisterous laughter, but who has been suffering tremendously and dying of colon cancer. He now wants a peaceful death to end his horrible pain quickly.
As I served him the sacraments and gave him Jesus in the Eucharist, I said: “It is not your end yet…!” Then quoting the Second Reading of that Sunday, he smiled: “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5)?” “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life!”
What a sigh of relief, a sign of hope, a sight of joy for people who listened to the Word of God as Jesus read the Book of Isaiah and then declared: “Today this Scripture passage is ful lled in your hearing.”
I imagine the people gathered before Jesus would reply: “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life!”
The Lord is offering wisdom to the downcast, to anyone like my cancer-stricken friend, to any broken relationship, and to you, my reader, who may have tons of concerns and burdens. It is the wisdom that changes the way we think.
To those men, women and children who were weeping as they heard the words of the law, Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites declared: “Do not be sad, and do not weep…do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!”
And I visualize that they would reply: “Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life!” The word of the Lord is reaching out, giving reassurance and comfort to those in tears because the untimely death of someone dear is hard to understand; to those far from their family and lonely; and to those, whose weakness has been abused, like raped and maligned.
St. Paul likened the Corinthians as Christ’s body because of the one Spirit they received in Baptism. He emphasized that the parts of the body, meaning the members from various sectors, should work harmoniously in one Spirit. For him, there should never be divisions, pride and envy among the Corinthians but rather order, peace, humility and cooperation.
And the Corinthians as affirmed would reply before St. Paul: “Your words are Spirit and life!”
Through all the readings today, the Word of God has given us Wisdom (Gospel) that nourishes the way we think; Order (2nd Reading) that makes us desire to live harmoniously together in a community; Reassurance
(1st Reading) that comforts us in our struggles; and finally, Direction that guides us in our day-to-day life.
Then we have the WORD.
Now, my dear friend is wiser, putting things in order, reassured of God’s continuing blessing and directed to the path of the Lord as I pray for his healing and full recovery.
The Word of God is truly Spirit and Life.
- Fr. Arlo Bernardo S. Yap, SVD | CT Manila
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience. The Word in other words 2016
