Luke describes for us the beginning of the Public Ministry of Jesus by remembering Him opening the Scriptures. The living Word of God is proclaimed and when it is, the Word is fulfilled.

This, my friends, is the ancient Tradition of the Church called, Lectio Divina, the Divine Word. It is  a practice of meditating with the Scripture and allowing  the Holy Spirit to direct you in ways He wills. It is a surrender to the thoughts and direction of God for each of us in our lives.

This gathering today of the People of God in King of Prussia reveals to our community that we are part of the Body of Christ. We are members of the Church. Paul describes the character of that body for us: First, we are one in communion with Christ, the High Priest. And second, even the weak have a place among us as equals not greater or lesser.  If one member suffers in any way all members suffer. If one is honored, all are honored.

We do not all share the same gifts. I am a celibate, many of you are single, married, consecrated, or are maturing toward those vocations. But though we are called in different ways, we share the same goal: union with Christ in heaven.

And so, God has determined to reveal to us a Scripture passage on which all of us should meditate: “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 this good message to the world.”

My friends, there are many in our community who are captives in sin, who are blinded by their ambition, greed or busyness, oppressed by their own perceptions of how things should and must be. Go out to them and reveal to them in your thoughts, words and deeds that there is a better way. Tell them about your own encounters with Jesus. Welcome them to our parish Church and help them encounter Christ for themselves. Help them see God among us. This is the Living Word given to us today in the Holy Scripture!