Thursday (January 10): “All were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. “

Mabuhay at Mabuting Balita!
Month of the Holy Name
Thursday after Epiphany

Let us understand that God is a physician, and that suffering is a medicine for salvation, not a punishment for damnation. — St Augustine http://origin.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.asp#10

First Reading: 1 John 4:19 — 5:4
Psalm 72:2, 14-15, 17 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
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. http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011013.cfm

Video Reflection: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/

Reflection: In Jesus we see the love and mercy of God in action. Wherever he went, people gathered to hear him speak about the kingdom of God. His gracious words brought hope, joy, and favor to those who were ready to receive him. Jesus began his public ministry in his own land of Galilee where he was reared. His proclamation of the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah brought wonder to the people. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus awakened their hope in the promises of God. They, in turn, received his words favorably and wondered what would become of “Joseph’s son”. Their hearts were hungry for the word of life and they looked to Jesus with anticipation and wonder. Do you look to Jesus with confidence and hope in the fulfillment of all God’s promises?

The word “gospel” literally means “good news”. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those who suffered from physical, mental, or spiritual oppression (see Isaiah 61:1-2). Jesus came to set people free – not only from their physical, mental, and spiritual infirmities – but also from the worst affliction of all – the tyranny of slavery to sin, Satan, and the fear of losing one’s life. God’s power alone can save us from hopelessness, dejection, and emptiness of life. The gospel of salvation is “good news” for everyone who will receive it. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?

What did Jesus come to do for us? He came to set us free from the worst tyranny possible — slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the eternal destruction of both body and soul. God’s power alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from hopelessness and the fear of annihilation. The gospel of salvation is “good news” for us today. Do you know the joy and freedom of the gospel?

“Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams. Through the gift of your Holy Spirit you bring us truth, freedom, and abundant life. Fill me with the joy of the gospel and and inflame my heart with love and zeal for you and your will”. http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/jan10.htm

Saint of the Day: Servant of God Vico Necchi (1876-1930)
On January 9, 1930, Ludovico (Vico) Necchi, professor of biology at the University of Milan, died. According to his will, his headstone was to be inscribed with the simple words: Vico Necchi, Franciscan Tertiary. An extraordinary man, he is buried in the chapel of the University of the Sacred Heart in Milan in the expectation that one day he will be raised to the altars.
As a young man Vico was deeply in love with Christ, St. Francis and the Church. Invested in the habit of the Third Order, he displayed the enthusiasm of Paul and the gentleness of Francis. He used his position as a physician to counter the secular, anti-Christian attitudes of his age and to bring others to Christ. One of his converts was the radical, Augustine Gemelli, who with Vico was the cofounder of the University of the Sacred Heart.

Vico himself was a prayerful, humble, charming and cheerful man who stood at the forefront of the new Italian Catholic Action. Despite opposition and trials, he used his medical profession as a holy apostolate for the conversion of his patients while his charity was being lavished on retarded children. http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1888

More Saint of the Day
• St. Agatho
• Bl. Anna of the Angels Monteagudo
• St. Dermot
• St. John Camillus the Good
• St. Marcian
• St. Nicanor
• St. Peter Orseolo
• St. Peter Urseolus
• St. Petronius
• St. Saethryth
• St. Thomian
Let me be the change I want to be. Even if I am not the light, I can be the spark.