OT III [C] Neh 8: 2-4, 5-6, 8-10; I Cor. 12:12-30; Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21

We have two rather long readings for today's liturgy and the Gospel is lengthy as well. All combined they might take twelve minutes to read. Well, we must say, "That's nothing!" compared to how long the people of Jerusalem stood listening to the readings from morning till midday, may be even in the hot sun.

Those people had recently returned from exile and are rebuilding and repopulating their city and country. Ezra gathers the people for the liturgy of the Reading of the Law and then there is this experience of their weeping. They are told to stop crying and get to celebrating this feast of the New Year celebration. They felt confronted with the Law's demands which they had not obeyed and so had gone into Babylon's captivity as punishment. Their tears flow from regret and perhaps the remembering of their pains while being banished from their holy city.

Their weeping may have come from sensing the love that God has had for them in bringing them back and giving them a second chance and that they had responsibilities to being so loved.

The word of God demands an immediate response.

When the word of God reached King David through Prophet Nathan, he became aware of his sin and repented. When the prophets announced the word of God to the people, they became aware of their sinfulness and repented. When the Israelites listened to the reading of Ezra, they wept and expressed their repentance. Does the word of God challenge me every time I read it ? Does it challenge my attitudes and values ?

When Jesus announced "this text is fulfilled today even as you listen" it shocked the Jews. When Jesus taught them to follow a new law in the place of "eye for an eye", i.e., show the right cheek to the one who strikes on the left it shocked his hearers. When Jesus announced that the poor, the down trodden and sinners will be accepted into the Kingdom of God it shocked His listeners.

Jesus startles the gathered assembly by saying that He, Jesus of Nazareth is the one of whom the prophet foretold. As fulfillment of the prophecy, they were challenged to accept him or reject him.

The passage from Ezra reminds us of the importance of reading the word of God especially at home. Read the word of God to your children and grand children, let them be imbibed in the deep spiritual treasure that the religion gives them.

Today is the feast of St.Timothy our parish patron. St.Paul his spiritual master praises his grand mother Lois and mother Eunice for helping Timothy grow in faith. If the parents and grandparents stir into flame the faith of their children and grand children by reading to them the Word of God every day, and challenging them to live according to the Word of God, the Church would not be in want of saints for every generation. How many potential saints are there in our world today that will never be set on fire by the Holy Spirit because their grandparents, godparents, and parents are not open to God’s word.

The scripture illumines our hearts and removes the falsehood from our minds. It teaches us the truth.  The Scripture reveals who we are in God’s eyes: I am what It says I am. I have what It says I have. And I can do what It says I can do. I can become what It says I can become. So I will build myself upon this Word of God. It will satisfy the hunger of our souls. Jesus says one who listens to him will never be thirsty again. So drink from it.

Years ago a ship on the Atlantic was in distress because its supply of fresh water had run out. The crew faced a horrible death from the thirst, and that with water all around them.

When hope was almost gone, they sighted a ship approaching them. At once they hoisted distress signals. But the only answer they got was "dip it up."

"Dip it up?" What heartless mockery, they thought to
themselves. To dip up buckets of salt water!

They signaled again, but got the same answer. Finally in despair, they lowered a bucket. Imagine their amazement and joy when it turned out to be fresh, living water. They didn't know it, but they were at the mouth of the mighty Amazon river, whose fresh water flows far out to the sea.

God's fresh living water in his teaching and in his word are always there. Why do we despair? "Dip it up!"

Jesus says, I am the living water, one who comes to me will never thirst. Dip it up.

We can expect a sea of changes to our life if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones.

If we carried it around in our purses or pockets.
If we turned back to go get it if we forgot it.
If we flipped through it several times a day.
If we used it to receive messages.
If we treated it like we couldn't live without it.
If we gave it to kids as gifts.
If we used it as we traveled.
If we used it in case of an emergency.

If we upgraded to include 24/7 tech service from the Holy Spirit.

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill! 

Now choose which one is more important for you..