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January 26th, 2025 | The 23rd Times

By January 22, 2025No Comments

A Message from Fr. Jay

Dear Friends,

This week would just be a passage reading by Jesus from the Old Testament in the synagogue, if He had not said: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing”.

Jesus is the Man and Messiah of the present. “Here and Now”- (Hic et Nunc in Latin). The Jews were waiting for the Messiah who was to come (in the future), but Jesus lived in the present, the here and now moment, all through His life. All His miracles, preachings and healings happen with ‘here and now moments’. Starting with His first miracle at Cana, He said to the waiters: “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter”. The crowning moment of ‘here and now’ was while He was hanging on the cross. He told one of the two thieves hanging with Him: “I tell you the truth, Today you will be with me in paradise”. In the famous prayer He taught, ‘Give us this day our daily bread’.

Many times, we tend to live either in memories of the past (sad or happy), or with the expectations of the future (fear or anxiety). Jesus makes us realize that the Kingdom of God is already with us here, initiated and sealed with the grace from baptism. Every day, every moment is a call to live, refresh and cherish the grace, which is why we call it the “present”.

In the first reading, Nehemiah, Ezra and Levites invite all the people to celebrate, rejoice and to live in the present with the presence of the Lord.

The second reading tells how to live in the present (here and now), by considering everyone is part of Christ’s body and celebrating this joy with everyone. Let us not get hung up on the past or future (negatively) but learn from the present and bring joy to everyone. “Hic et Nunc”

The Jubilee year of Hope reminds us that grace is possible for us here and now. Let our prayers help us to forget the past and not to worry about the future. “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts”. (Psalm 95: 7-8)

God Bless,
Fr. Jay Ruju

Reading 1: Nehemiah 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Reading 2: I Corinthians 12:12-30
Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21