Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 25, 2004)

Suggested Emphasis

"Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength…"

Salesian Perspective

Theophilus and Philothea!

Today's gospel begins with Luke's dedication of the gospel to Theophilus. Francis de Sales addresses the Introduction to the Devout Life to Philothea…male and female "lovers of God." While Luke wanted his audience to "realize the certainty of the teachings you have received", Francis wished to guide his audience to live a devout life, that is, to be holy. In both instances, the writers wanted their listeners to rejoice in the Lord, as the first reading from Nehemiah tells us.

The Gospel reading includes Luke's description of Jesus inaugurating his ministry: it should be good news to anyone who hears it. The poor hear glad tidings; freedom is proclaimed to captives, the blind see; the oppressed are liberated.

This Good News doesn't appear to apply to many of us. Why? Few of us think we are poor; fewer still consider ourselves prisoners; even fewer believe ourselves to be blind. So there might be good news here for somebody else, but not for me! At the same time, few of us feel personally responsible for bringing glad tidings to the poor, liberating captives, freeing the oppressed or helping the blind to see. Either way, experiencing good news or sharing good news seems to be for someone else…for anyone but me.

What must I do to hear and experience this Good News in a new way? Despite my reluctance to recognize my own poverty/neediness, imprisonment, oppression or blindness, I have to take the time to uncover the ways in which I need to be healed, empowered and liberated. I need to be freed from being a prisoner to the inordinate desire to be perfect, to be wholly self-sufficient, and to be an island unto myself. St. Francis tells his readers, "The task of purifying the soul cannot, may not end as long as we live; however, our imperfections should not make us anxious, for perfection consists in fighting against them, and we cannot fight them unless we first see them; we cannot overcome them if we do not first face up to them."

I will never be able to rejoice in the Good News unless it personally becomes Good News for me. This requires me to recognize my own poverty, my own oppression, my own blind spots, my own imprisonment; I need to recognize how living in Christ changes everything, liberates me, frees me, and enriches me. This kind of self-knowledge is necessary and very demanding. It is precisely because it is difficult and challenging that St. Francis devotes so much time describing true humility (really, clearly and bravely knowing ourselves before God) and the need to be patient with ourselves as we embrace our weaknesses and struggle to grow our goodness.

The Good News? Despite the effects of sin and weakness in our lives, Jesus offers us the power and promise of having life, and having it to the full. Notwithstanding the ways in which sin oppresses, imprisons and blinds us, Jesus can strengthen us, to make us free enough to live as true lovers of God…and true lovers of one another.

Edmund F. Gordon is Director of Religious Education for the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.