RENEWsletter for January 24, 2010 - 3rd Ordinary

Dear Renewed Friends--
Many things happen in our lives, "good" things and "bad" things. Sometimes we even see some of the good things as bad at first. And of course happenings that seem good at first can turn out to be bad. This Sunday's readings have something to say about how we respond when things, good or bad, happen.

Next Sunday is the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time and the readings can be found on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/012410.shtml, and in your Bible in:

Nehemiah 8.2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19.8, 9, 10, 15 (response from John 6.63)
1 Corinthians 12.12-30
Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21

The First Reading takes place after the captive Israelites were returned from Babylon to their homeland. The sacred Book of the Law of God was found and brought to them at the site of the Temple. Many "bad" things had happened to the Israelites, and many more "bad" things were in store for them. But...

On this day, the holiness of the day of the reading of the Book of the Law was brought home to them (Neh 8.2). As the men, women, and children old enough to understand listened to the reading of the Law, from daybreak till noon (v. 3), they began to weep with emotion. But His Excellency Nehemiah, Ezra the priest-scribe, and the rest of the Levites admonished the people: "Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep" (v. 9). They were urged to celebrate and to share what they had with those less fortunate. They were reminded that "rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength" (v. 10).

The Responsoridal Psalm demonstrates this idea. "The Law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul" (Ps. 19.8). "The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart" (v. 9). After refreshment, we feel strong again. After rejoicing, we no longer weep. Powerful stuff, this Law of the LORD! No wonder the Israelites were moved to great emotion.

The Second Reading brings each believer's situation into perspective. "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. If one part is honored, all the parts share its joy" (1 Cor. 12.26). We are all different people with different talents and different gifts, yet we are baptised into one body (v. 13). It's just like with a person's body. There are many different parts, all with different functions. When one part of a body suffers, the whole body suffers. It is the same with the body of Christ, us, when something "bad" happens to one of us, it happens to us all. And when something good happens to one of us, it also happens to all.

In the Gospel Reading, St. Luke relates in his reliable, historical style (Luke 1.1-4), how Jesus brought a good thing to the world. Jesus read from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me"... to bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captive, restore sight to the blind, offer hope and respite to the oppressed, and to announce a time acceptable to the Lord (v. 4:18-19). He gave the scroll back to the attendant and sat down (v. 20) Then he dropped the bombshell: "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (v. 21).

Now what about "good" things and "bad" things? I've been putting those words in quotes because things that happen to us are only "good" when they refresh the soul and rejoice the heart, and they can only be "bad" if we have lost sight of God our Salvation. We have the Word of God. We have Jesus the Living Word. When we hear the Word we can rejoice, and as mentioned earlier, rejoicing is our strength. These are "good" things. A "bad" thing can trouble our spirits, sap our strength, and sadden us individually, but we are part of the Body of Christ and in that we have comfort, strength, and... joy!

Have a good week and keep rejoicing in the Living Word of God.

Randy Jones
"Those who cannot rejoice say the Word is bad"