First Reading (1 John 4,19-5,4).
Reading of the First Letter of Saint John.
Dear friends, as for us, let us 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 his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this is the commandment we receive from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 5, Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ was born of God, and whoever loves the one who begot someone will also love the one who was born of him. We can know that we love God’s children when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is loving God: observing his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcame the world: our faith.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Luke 4,14-22a).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus returned to Galilee, with the strength of the Spirit, and his fame spread throughout the surrounding area. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him. And he came to the city of Nazareth, where he had grown up. According to his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. They gave him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Opening the book, Jesus found the passage in which it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor; he has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives and the blind. recovery of sight; to free the oppressed and to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he closed the book, handed it to the assistant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this passage of Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Everyone gave testimony about him, amazed at the charming words that came out of his mouth.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are invited to reflect on the profound mystery of divine love and on the mission entrusted to us as disciples of Jesus. Love, as we see in today’s readings, is not just a feeling; it is a transformative force, a call to action, that guides us, sustains us and empowers us to live as Christ lived.
Let’s start with a reflection on love. What is love? How can we define something so vast and immense? Sometimes in our everyday lives, love is seen as a simple feeling. It can be something as ephemeral as the warmth of a hug or the comfort of a look. But, in reading 1 John, the apostle offers us a deeper insight: *”We love because he first loved us”* (1 John 4,19). God’s love is the source of all human love. Without Him, we would not be able to truly love, because God’s love is unconditional, it is transformative, it is eternal.
Let’s imagine, for a moment, that we are in front of a large source of crystal clear water. That fresh, pure water gives us life, quenches our thirst and makes us stronger. God’s love is this inexhaustible source. He loved us first, and it is from that love that we are able to love one another. This means that true love is not something we manufacture on our own; it is given to us, it is a gift from God. It comes from God and is for God and for others.
From this understanding of God’s love, the apostle challenges us, saying: *”If anyone says: ‘I love God’, but hates his brother, he is a liar”*. Here, we are called to examine our lives and our relationships with others. How can we claim that we love God, that we believe in His love, if we cannot love those around us, especially those who hurt us, offend us or who are different from us? The love of God, which dwells within us, must be reflected in our daily actions, in the way we treat others, how we react to injustices and how we welcome those who are on the margins of society. It is not a merely verbal love; It is a love that demands action, which is translated into concrete gestures.
Let’s think about the relationship between God’s love and our obedience to His commandments, as we see in 1 John 5: *”This is the love of God: that we keep His commandments”*. Love, therefore, is not a mere feeling, but an action. The true expression of love for God is to live according to His will. This leads us to reflect: how are we living God’s commandments? In a world that often leads us away from His word, how can we be witnesses to His love and truth?
Now, we are taken to the gospel of Luke, where Jesus begins His public mission. He returns to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit, and begins teaching in the synagogues, and His fame spreads. When He arrives in Nazareth, His hometown, He gets up to read the Scriptures. The passage He reads, from the book of the prophet Isaiah, is as follows: *”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim release to prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”*. And, after reading, Jesus makes a bold statement: *”Today this passage has been fulfilled in your ears”* (Lc 4,21).
My dear ones, this is a revolutionary statement! Jesus, in His hometown, declares that He is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Not only does He come as the expected Messiah, but He comes to free, heal, restore and bring true freedom. He is the Good News that transforms the world. This announcement of Jesus, proclaimed in His synagogue, still resonates in our hearts today. He came to free the captives, to heal the sick, to mend the broken hearts, and to give hope to the hopeless. Your mission is a mission of love and compassion towards everyone, without exception.
Jesus begins his mission with a word of hope for those most in need, for those who were marginalized, for those who lived under oppression. And this same mission He gives us today. Just as Jesus was sent to proclaim the good news to the poor and free the oppressed, He sends us too. God’s love, which was given to us, must be shared with others. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, to bring His light where there is darkness, His peace where there is conflict, His forgiveness where there is bitterness.
Let’s reflect on what it means to live the mission of Jesus in our daily lives. How can we be instruments of healing, restoration and liberation in the world? Often, the oppression we need to combat is not just physical or economic oppression, but spiritual, emotional, psychological oppression. How can we proclaim the good news to the poor in spirit, give sight to the blind who cannot see the truth, or free those captives from anxiety, sadness, selfishness, and unforgiveness? Christ’s mission is our mission, and each of us is called to be a reflection of His love and redemptive action in the world.
Jesus, in His gesture of reading the passage from Isaiah, shows us that the Word of God is living and active, and it is through this Word that we are transformed. He Himself is the Word incarnate, and it is through Him that we find true freedom and salvation. As we proclaim the Gospel and live His commandments, we become participants in His mission.
I invite you to ask yourself: where can I be light today? Where can I bring the good news to the poor, give sight to the blind, or free the oppressed? Maybe it’s through a word of comfort to someone who is suffering, maybe it’s offering help to someone in need or extending a hand to someone in difficulty. Maybe it’s simply making room for love and compassion to grow in our hearts so we can be more generous in our actions.
At this time, may we also look within ourselves and recognize the areas where we need Jesus’ deliverance. Perhaps we have our own prisons, our blindness, our internal oppressions. Jesus wants to heal these wounds, bring light to these dark places, and give us the freedom that only He can offer.
Our calling is to live this love given to us by God, and reflect the mission of Christ in our lives. Our lives must be a testimony to God’s love, a love that is visible, practical and transformative. We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, to live the good news in every moment of our day, to give the world the hope that comes from Christ.
May we, throughout this week, remember that Jesus’ mission is also our mission. And that, by living this love, we can transform the world around us, always guided by the Holy Spirit and confident that God’s love is with us, empowering and strengthening us.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
