United in Purpose!

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Neh 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Cor 12:12-30; Lk 1:1-4, 4:14-21

The third Sunday in ordinary time highlights Jesus as the unifying figure of the Old and New Testaments, more especially through his proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

In a way, all the readings highlight the theme of unity. 

The first reading is a powerful passage centered around the revival of God’s Word among the people of Israel after their return from exile. Ezra the priest brings the Book of the Law before the assembly of Israelites. The people gather, including men and women, and anyone able to understand. God’s people are united by God’s Word. When the congregation is moved to tears, realizing how far they have fallen short of God’s commands, Ezra encourages them not to grieve but to celebrate the occasion in joy because the joy of the Lord is their strength. Two points deserve our attention. The Word of God brings people together. In God’s presence, they find themselves as one people without any division or discrimination. Secondly, only in such unity, God’s people rediscover their identity. It is this unity that becomes a cause for their celebration. 

The metaphor of the body that Paul uses in the second reading helps us understand the diversity and unity within the Church. Just as a human body is made up of many different parts, each with its unique function, the Church is made up of many different members, each with a specific role, but all are essential for the body to function properly. This simple but profound analogy helps us understand how we can enrich the Body of Christ – the Church with our unique talents and spiritual gifts. Hence, the diversity of gifts is a cause for celebration as it can promote our interdependence and mutuality and in no way, can lead to disunity. We nourish the Church with our spiritual gifts which we understand as God’s blessings. 

The Gospel text highlights two important themes. At first, it underlines the fact that Jesus stands in continuity with God’s promises of old. Jesus, who comes as the fulfillment of God’s promises, brings together people of all nations around his revolutionary agenda of God’s Kingdom. Secondly, the Gospel explains Jesus’ mission manifesto. If there is one fact that makes the manifesto unique, it is the agenda of inclusivity. Jesus, who begins his mission in Galilee, leaving the pomp and glory of Jerusalem, once again shows that his target people are the marginalized sections. It is not that Jesus hates the elites but makes the marginalized central to his mission. Jesus’ message of the Kingdom is more inclusive in that it recognizes the equal dignity of the elites and ordinary people alike. Jesus wants to turn those united by his name into the extraordinary ministers of His Kingdom mission. 

The readings of the week challenge us with the following insights for reflection. 

The Uniting Power of God’s Word: The Word of God manifests its power in the way it can bring all of us together. It is thus that the faith community becomes a witnessing community to God’s love. A Christian life is lived more fully when it makes God’s word its root and foundation. 

The Uniting Power of Spiritual Gifts: By their origin from the Spirit, the diversity of spiritual gifts should unite us in deliberations about enriching God’s mission. Since our spiritual gifts come with an ordained purpose, we can discover their inherent power to unite us only when we put them in the service of God.  

The Uniting Power of God’s Mission: Because the Church is missionary in nature, Christians are called to be missionaries. If the purpose of Christian existence is God’s mission, the very mission of God should unite us all. We are to advance God’s Kingdom on earth on a daily basis, united in purpose and undivided in attention. 

Let us pray that we may recognize the foundational value of Christian unity to enrich God’s mission. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar