When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Anointed and sent

 

What struck me today as I read Luke’s gospel were the words pointing to the central role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life. “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” and as He read from the scroll handed to Him this quotation from Isaiah “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me….He has sent me…” [Isaiah 61:1-2] and there follows the wonderful series of blessings: glad tidings to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” [Luke 4:14-22]

It seems Jesus senses the Spirit is intimately one with Him, moving Him to amazingly announce to the assembled: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus lives and moves in the power of the Spirit.  This courageous proclamation spells out Jesus’ mission, His life purpose and ultimately will result in His death.  All in the power of the Spirit.  Anointed and sent.

There have been times when I’ve uttered words that seemingly came “out of nowhere,” words of comfort when I volunteered at the hospital as a Eucharistic Minister, words of love or forgiveness that surprised me even as I uttered them…where did that come from??  My hope is that those times when I was better than I expected, more loving than is my custom, more forgiving than my recent ruminations on times of personal slights would seem to allow – that perhaps that was the Spirit nudging me out of the way, showing the Way.  Letting me move in the power of the Spirit.  We can all claim this.  After all, we also are anointed in Baptism and sent in Confirmation.

May we all walk the way Jesus walked, in the power of the Spirit.  Anointed and sent.  All love and healing.

No comments: