The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time 2022

Today is Sunday the 23 January, beginning the third week of Ordinary time.




Zach Boden, with The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘He Is Among Us’.

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 4:14-21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

Luke places this story rather earlier than it is in Mark’s gospel, at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Why do you think he does that?

What is the picture of Jesus that comes to you as you contemplate this passage?

What does Jesus say that he has been anointed for?
What have you been anointed for?

Now listen again as the passage is read a second time; it ends with the shortest sermon in history:
“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing”. What does that mean to you?

Finally, reflect on this time of prayer; where have you been really touched? Where did you find God’s peace? What is God saying to you at this time? What do you want to say to God today?

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.