Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
January 23, 2022

These past Sundays have been a time of “capital R” Revelation.

God is constantly, and in many different ways, pulling back the veil so that we can catch a glimpse of The Divine Self. But our Readings, especially the Gospel selections, have offered us particularly vivid and dramatic disclosures of The Father’s plan to heal Creation through The Son.

The Christmas Season peaked with the Feast of the Epiphany. Through the successful search of three wise persons, we have come to understand that God’s Word became Flesh for the purpose of gathering all nations together in harmony and peace.

We then traveled through time some 30 years. The Season came to a close on the shores of the Jordan. The Lord, now a grown man, humbled Himself by accepting baptism at the hands of John. The veil was literally pulled back. The Holy Spirit, taking on the visible form of a dove…a sign of peace… came down and hovered over Jesus of Nazareth.

Then God spoke words of introduction: You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.

What could be more REVELATORY?

From there, we moved quickly to the dusty little village of Cana. During a wedding reception, Jesus revealed His powers to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. We resumed Ordinary Time this year with an image of change…transformation…and the assurance that “the best is yet to come.”

And now, we find ourselves at a Sabbath service.

Using the Old Testament, The Lord revealed that, through Him, healing has begun. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are unburdened of our poverty and we are strengthened with hope. We are liberated from the slavery of sin. Our eyes are opened so that we might see and come to believe all that The Father has revealed through the Son.

These past Sundays have really offered us some powerful revelations, but now, the focus shifts to us.

As we move deeper into Ordinary time, we should not lose sight of the truth that, through our Baptism, we have been anointed with the same Spirit that The Father sent to act in concert with the healing mission of The Son. Through our Baptisms, we have been transformed into an extraordinary people. We are God’s children in whom God is well pleased.

So, it is now on us to continue to reveal God’s plans to change…transform…heal our world by doing our best to live what we hear proclaimed. We are called to be as transparent as our Creator. It is our duty to “push back the veil” and be an image of Christ to those we meet.

It is left to us to proclaim a year pleasing to the Lord! Do we dare remain silent.