Time
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” Luke 4:18
The holidays are well behind us; the year stretches out ahead. And what sort of year will it be? To judge by the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, it will be “a year acceptable to the Lord.” And Jesus surely didn’t mean only the next three hundred sixty-five days facing his listeners at that time. When Jesus announced the “arrival” of God’s favor, it was a message for all time, for every year. Similarly, we read today in Nehemiah how the people gathered with solemnity to hear God’s word as though for the first time. They listened, and then fell to the ground and wept. But the prophet said,
“Today is holy . . . do not be sad, and do not weep.”
The “year acceptable to the Lord” is this year. The day that is “holy” is this day. The time to listen is now. What sort of year will you have? What sort of day? God’s help is always here. What you do with each day can be holy and acceptable to the Lord if you but listen to and act on God’s word.
Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
Readings for the Week
Monday: Heb 9:15, 24-28; Ps 98:1-6; Mk 3:22-30
Tuesday: Heb 10:1-10; Ps 40:2, 4ab, 7-8a, 10, 11; Mk 3:31-35
Wednesday: Heb 10:11-18; Ps 110:1-4; Mk 4:1-20
Thursday: Heb 10:19-25; Ps 24:1-6; Mk 4:21-25
Friday: Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mk 4:26-34
Saturday: Mal 3:1-4; Ps 24:7-10; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40 [22-32]
Sunday: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; 1 Cor 12:31 — 13:13 [13:4-13]; Lk 4:21-30
Saints & Special Observances
Sunday: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Catholic Schools Week
Monday: St. Thomas Aquinas
Thursday: St. John Bosco
Friday: First Friday
Saturday: The Presentation of the Lord; Blessing of Candles; First Saturday; World Day for Consecrated Life;