My Dear People, 

In the Gospel today, Jesus, after being baptized by John, received the Holy Spirit, and began His ministry, performing miracles and curing the sick.  From Isaiah, chapter 61, we read this. The prophet is indeed predicting that at some time in the future, a mysterious “servant of the Lord” will arrive, bearing the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and will proclaim the “year of the Lord’s favor.”   It is, A Great Jubilee Year involving debt forgiveness, freedom for the slaves, and restoration of families. 

It was declared in the Scriptures that the people of Israel would dedicate a Jubilee Year after calculating 7 times seven years. The next year, or 50th year, the Jubilee Year was scheduled.  The Jubilee years consisted of forgiveness of debts and freedom for slaves.  If one had a debt, in the jubilee year, his debt was forgiven. In the Jubilee Year read in Isaiah, Jesus talked about freedom from the slavery of sin. Jesus was the one who was qualified to forgive sins. Later on, He gave the power to forgive sins to the apostles. 

The beginning of Jesus’ sermon is sensational: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” This is acclaimed to be the “servant of the Lord” of whom Isaiah spoke; to be the “Melchizedek” that the Essenes were anticipating; the savior figure who would announce the Great Jubilee. 

But how did Jesus inaugurate this “Jubilee Year”? Through his ministry, which involved freeing people from the worst kind of slavery, disease and the devil. His healings and exorcisms are powerful testimonies to the jubilee he has come to actualize. It is not accidental that immediately following this sermon in Nazareth, Jesus performs his first exorcism, recorded in Luke (4:31-37). Furthermore, his bold declarations of forgiveness of sins—for example, to the paralytic in the very next chapter (5:20-24; see also 7:48)—are a release from the debt of sin, just as the Essenes had expected. 

The word forgiveness is clearly emphasized in the Gospel of today. This illustrates the mercy of God. The Church emphasizes God’s mercy.  Often it is misrepresented by many. There are Christians who limit themselves to the first step, which is condemning evil, and they do not go to the second step, which allows forgiveness.  The mercy part is either omitted or it becomes obfuscated. This aspect is what gives the Church the “just negative.” Many do not see or hear the second part, the part of forgiveness.

The church is the instrument of Christ through which individuals are reconciled with God. The Church is the best vehicle through which one can be forgiven of their sins, even though some say they can go directly to God. The Church uses Jesus’ authority, which was given to the apostles on the evening of His resurrection. It is written that Jesus breathed on them, and said:  “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive are forgiven.” The Apostles and Jesus’ successors have fulfilled this command by Jesus. This very important role of the Church is the vehicle through which people are forgiven of their sins. This indicates that the Jubilee, which began with Jesus, still continues today. Through the Church, there is forgiveness of sins. We are freed from the slavery of sin. 

The whole idea that God offers us mercy implies we deserve something worse, but he refrains from administering it. Instead, he offers us undeserved forgiveness and reconciliation. 

In a very real sense, as we participate in Mass this weekend, the Scriptures are “fulfilled in our hearing.” The same Jesus who fulfills all the prophecies comes to us and is truly present to us in the Eucharist, the Word made Flesh, and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. His healing power, and specifically his offer of forgiveness of sin, and freedom for those held captive by evil, is still available to us if we will have faith in Him and in His promises. 

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Vincent Clemente