Reflection for January 8 Thursday after Epiphany: Luke 4:14-22

Gospel: Luke 4:14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. 

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.  

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.

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Reflection:

Are we living and fulfilling our Baptismal Mission?

We all have a mission in our existence. We are not mere vapors passing through this world; we are human beings created with purpose and called by God. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we were anointed and sent to share in the mission of Jesus. But have we truly lived this mission? Have we shared His words in the Bible? Have we reached out to the poor, the hungry, the oppressed, and the homeless—not just in words, but in concrete acts of love?

From time to time, we need to pause and honestly examine our lives. For we may be living, often without noticing it, according to what this world dictates. The world constantly invites us to seek self-gratification and to pursue the endless accumulation of material wealth, as if these were the true measures of a successful life.

What happens to us when we embrace the ways of this world and slowly, perhaps even deliberately, forget the teachings of Jesus? We may still be walking and breathing, but deep inside, we begin to lose our true purpose and direction.

God did not create us to become mere creatures of this world. He did not create us simply to accumulate wealth. He created us so that we could share whatever material and spiritual gifts we have received. God did not create us to pattern our lives after the values of this world; He created us to pattern our lives after the life of Jesus.

Let us, then, strive to live the life of Christ and to spread His teachings, not only with our lips but with our whole lives. There are far greater and more lasting rewards in following Him than in embracing the ways of the world. 

For worldly satisfactions are short-lived and filled with problems—sugar-coated with enticing pleasures: pleasures that do not last, pleasures that only draw us into deeper bondage to sin, and pleasures that eventually leave our hearts emptier than before.

Are we truly living our baptismal mission, or are we merely living for ourselves and for this passing world? And if Christ were to look into our hearts right now, would He recognize in us His faithful disciples? — Marino J. Dasmarinas