After Epiphany – Thursday. January 8, 2026
1 John 4,19-5,4; Luke 4,14-22a
H O M I L Y
After Matthew on Monday, Marc on Tuesday and Wednesday; today it is Luke that tells us something about the early ministry of Jesus.
In his chapter 3, Luke had described the baptism of Jesus and how, when Jesus went into the water, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in the form of a Dove, and the voice of the Father was heard: "You are my most beloved Son". Then, at the beginning of chapter 4, he says that Jesus, full of the Spirit crossed the Jordan and that He was led by the Spirit to the Desert, where he spent 40 days and forty nights. After which, "with the power of the Spirit in him" he returned to Galilee and began preaching in the Synagogue. Then, one day he went to his native town, Nazareth on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And he read the text: “The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me...”
By saying afterwards "This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen" Jesus announces that the Messiah has come. He does not yet presents himself as this Messiah. But a little later, when the disciples of John will come and ask him : "Are you the one who is to come..." he will answer : “Look at what you see: the cripple walk, the deft hear, etc.”
So, here are the sign of the works of the Messiah, the works for which the Spirit has been given him: His mission was to bring the good news to the poor, to free the captives, to give new sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free and to proclaim the Lord's year of favour.
Those are the works of the Spirit. We also have received the Spirit on the day of our Baptism and of our Confirmation. Our mission is also to spread love -- very concrete love -- around us, beginning with those closer to us, those with whom we live. That was also John’s message in the first reading.