10-DAY HOLY SPIRIT CHALLENGE: Day 9 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me”

 


Scripture text: Gospel of St. Luke 4.16-21

     This passage is often called “the Nazareth manifesto”.  Jesus goes into his local synagogue, and stands up to read from the Scriptures; but this Sabbath is not like the others.  Jesus has just returned from 40 days spent in the desert, having been tempted by Satan and tested by God.  Jesus emerged from the wilderness triumphant, having resisted Satan’s attempts to lure him onto a life-path that would have led him away from his true destiny – the cross.  Through this trial, Jesus had reaffirmed his commitment to faithfully live out his vocation as Son of God. 

     That Sabbath, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, who had predicted “the year of the Lord’s favour”, that is to say, the great Jubilee year of freedom.  There is a law in the Old Testament according to which all debts must be cancelled and the land itself must be allowed to rest every 70 years.  Isaiah had predicted that when the Messiah came, all those oppressed and enslaved, all those trapped in poverty due to unpayable debt, would be set free.  Jesus reads the Scripture “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” and then proclaims to the people gathered in the synagogue that as they heard Isaiah’s words, the prophecy had come true. 

     Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God to set people free, to release them from every form of slavery, oppression and crippling disease.  Jesus came for you, to break your chains.  Allow the Spirit to blow open the doors of your prison – physical, mental, spiritual.  Run wild and free!

 

Your Heart Today

Where there is fear I can allay,
Where there is pain I can heal,
Where there are wounds I can bind,
And hunger I can fill:
Lord, grant me courage,
Lord, grant me strength,
Grant me compassion
That I may be your heart today.
Where there is hate I can confront,
Where there are yokes I can release,
Where there are captives I can free
And anger I can appease:
Lord, grant me courage,
Lord, grant me strength,
Grant me compassion
That I may be your heart today.
When comes the day I dread To see our broken world,
Protect me from myself grown cold That your people I may behold.
And when I've done all that I could, Yet, there are hearts I cannot move,
Lord, give me hope, That I may be your heart today.
- Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ

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