Third Sunday After the Epiphany/Third Sunday In Ordinary Time

Third Sunday After the Epiphany Third Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C January 23, 2022 Jesus unrolled the scroll . . . and proclaimed God's promise fulfilled. Together In Worship Spirit Of the Living God Daniel Iverson (1926) (For Music click Here) Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on me, Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on me. Prayer O God, who is spoken-Word, living-Love, and liberating-Justice: Open the scroll of your truth and life within our hearts and minds. May we hear anew your message of Jubilee. May we rejoice in your presence. For you have come to set us free and to claim each of us as your own. The year of your favor has dawned. In its light we see new possibilities, new opportunities. Empower us to shine forth as a reflection of your Sacred Glory, that all may know that you are a God who never abandons your people. For you love each and everyone of us, as if we were the only one. Amen. Nehemiah 8. 1-3, 5-6, 8-10 All the people came together in the broad expanse before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which God had given to Israel. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the scribe brought out the Book of the Law before all the assembled people, women and men, and children old enough to understand the reading. Ezra read the book aloud from early morning till noon while facing the broad expanse before the Water Gate, in the presence of the women and men and children. All listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Ezra, standing on the raised platform, opened the book in the presence of all the people. When he opened the book all stood up. When Ezra blessed the Most High, the great God, all the people raised their hands with the response, “Amen, Amen”; then they bowed their heads and worshipped God lying face down on the ground. Reading from the Book of the Law, they interpreted it and gave it meaning so that the people understood it. Then Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe, along with the Levites, instructed the people, saying to all of them, “This day is holy to the Most High, your God. Do not mourn. Do not weep”—for the people all had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah continued, “Go now and enjoy rich food and sweet wine, and be certain that you send a share to those who cannot provide for themselves, for this day is holy to God. Let no one be sad, for God’s joy is your strength.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Psalm 19 The heavens herald your glory, O God, and the skies display your handiwork. Day after day they tell their story, and night after night they reveal the depth of their understanding. Without speech, without words, without even an audible voice, their cry echoes through all the world, and their message reaches the ends of the earth. For in the heavens the sun has pitched a tent. It comes forth with the grandeur of a wedding procession, with the eagerness of an athlete ready to race. It rises at one end of the sky and travels to the other end, and nothing escapes its warmth. Your law, O God, is perfect; it refreshes the soul. Your rule is to be trusted; it gives wisdom to the naive. Your purposes, O God, are right; they gladden the heart. Your command is clear; it gives light to the eyes. Holding you in awe, O God, is purifying; it endures. Your decrees are steadfast, and all of them just. They are more precious than gold, than the purest of gold, and sweeter than honey, than honey fresh from the comb. In them your faithful people find instruction; there is great reward in keeping them. But who can detect one’s own failings? Forgive the misdeeds I don’t even know about! Keep your faithful one from presumption as well, so that my faults never control me. Then I will be blameless and innocent of a grave error. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in your sight, God, my rock and my redeemer! —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Luke 4. 14-21 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and his reputation spread throughout the region. He was teaching in the Galilean synagogues, and all were loud in their praise. Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was his habit, Jesus stood up to do the reading. When the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed him, he unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of our God is upon me: because the Most High has anointed me to bring Good News to those who are poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to those held captive, recovery of sight to those who are blind, and release to those in prison—to proclaim the year of our God’s favor.” Rolling up the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, “Today, in your hearing, this scripture passage is fulfilled.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Response To the Word He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Luke 4:18 Jesus stood up, unrolled the scroll just as had Ezra, the priest-scribe, and announced to the assembly and to us that God is in our midst this day. Earth is holy now. Anoint our being and doings, Touch all our days, with grace. Let us honor this world and its people. —by Anne Osdieck Prayer For the Day Bringer-Of-Good-News, your Spirit moves within our midst. Throughout your Creation there is not a time or place without your Word of anointing. Anoint us, O God, that we would proclaim the Good News that is the freedom from oppression. May the poor be blessed, their poverty undone. May those enslaved be truly free, without discrimination as to skin color, gender identity, and sexual orientation. May the blind have vision that sees beyond the shadows of this pandemic, the unrest and violence that persists in so many places, the lies and half-truths that ensnare our gullible naivete, the political wrangling that pits one against another and emboldens the sins of empire, and the disasters within your Earth that destroy and kill and render people helpless. Give us the fresh start of your new day and keep us forever within the love and life that is your Kin-Dom. Amen. Prayer Of Intercession —adapted from Joe Milner, Catholic Campus Ministry, St. Louis University We pray for the Church: that we may recognize our identity as members of the Body of Christ and manifest the Good News in our lives, our families, and our workplaces . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For openness to the Holy Spirit: that we may nurture and develop the gifts that the Spirit has given us and use them to build up the Body of Christ and in service of others . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For the gift of discernment: that leaders and every member of the Christian community will listen for God’s invitations and further the mission of Jesus in all the ways which the human family needs healing and enlightenment . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For teachers and preachers: that God will inspire them with words that will renew the faith of those who hear them and encourage them to greater trust in God’s providence . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For greater openness to God’s Word: that we may allow God’s Word to enter our deepest selves, enlighten the darkness of our hearts, and free us to live as daughters and sons of God . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For all who are discerning their vocation: that God will lead them to people and experiences which will help them recognize how God is calling them to use their lives and gifts in the service of others . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For the members of Congress: that the Spirit will move them to greater cooperation, guide them in addressing the greatest issues in people’s lives, and inspire them with ways promote the common good . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For all who steward earth’s resources: that we may recognize all of creation as God’s gift to us and grow in awareness of our responsibility to care for the earth . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For all who struggle with emotional and mental illness: that they may come to know a time of God’s favor and receive peace and relief from their struggles . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For all who are dying: that they may be reconciled with those who are important to them and peacefully commend themselves to God’s healing embrace . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For healing within churches: that God will free us from rivalries and past wounds so that we can work together in serving Christ who brought forgiveness to all . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For families experiencing estrangement and divorce: that God will guide them through difficult times, help them to respect one another, and to care for their children . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For all who are ill: that the healing mission of Jesus will continue through our care for the sick, and may they experience support and assistance from their faith community . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For greater attention to God’s Word: that we may recognize the words of scripture as sources of Spirit and Life that will help us live more fully and faithfully each day . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For peace and a reduction in international tensions: that God will give all leaders a bigger vision, remove fear from their hearts, and pull back troops in Eastern Europe . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. For the well-being of your Creation and Earth as the home you have made for us: Guide within your wisdom the stewardship of your providence and the measures needed to prevent further damage and destruction to your world . . . in your compassion and mercy, hear our prayer, O God. Amen. Closing Thoughts A Prophet’s Blessing This blessing finds its way behind the bars. This blessing works its way beneath the chains. This blessing knows its way through a broken heart. This blessing makes a way where there is none. Where there is no light, this blessing. Where there is no hope, this blessing. Where there is no peace, this blessing. Where there is nothing left, this blessing. In the presence of hate. In the absence of love. In the torment of pain. In the grip of fear. To the one in need. To the one in the cell. To the one in the dark. To the one in despair. Let this blessing come as bread. Let this blessing come as release. Let this blessing come as sight. Let this blessing come as freedom. Let this blessing come. —by Jan Richardson https://paintedprayerbook.com/2013/01/20/epiphany-3-to-proclaim-release