Author Archives: Deacon Joe Shriver

Writings as early as the second and third century and the Council of Ephesus in 431 confirm that the early Church believed in the Assumption of Mary.  Deacon Michael Bickerstaff wrote: “Testimony from sources, such as the Patriarch of Jerusalem in 451 A.D., reveal the accepted belief that no relics of Mary existed because she had been assumed, body and soul, into heaven; and that this belief came from apostolic times.”  The Assumption is the oldest of the Marian feasts in the Liturgical Calendar.

We as Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary was born without sin.  If Mary was born without sin, then it is natural for us to believe in the Assumption of Mary.  It is original sin that makes our bodies decay.  Without sin, Mary’s body would not decay.  Jesus, her son, wanted her to be with him because of the special relationship he had with her as his Mother.  Mary was the first to be assumed, body and soul, into the glory of heaven after Jesus’ Resurrection.

Because of this, Mary became a great intercessor on our behalf.  She is there to plead to her Son for our needs and the needs of the world.

Elizabeth asked Mary how it was that she was honored by the presence of the Mother of my Lord?  We heard Our Blessed Mother’s response from today’s Gospel.  It is frequently referred to as the Magnificat.  For those who pray evening prayer, it is recognized as the Canticle of Mary.  A canticle is a hymn, chant or song that is taken from biblical texts that are not from one of the Psalms.

What is the Magnificat or Canticle of Mary?  It is a prayer that our Blessed Mother prayed.  There are three prominent themes in this prayer.  First, Mary glorifies God for his blessings.  Then she emphases how God honors those who are humble.  Finally, Mary reminds us that God always takes care of his people as he promised from the beginning of time.

It is a good model for us in our prayers.  We start by thanking God for his many blessings to us.  We must always remember that God provides everything that we possess.  We acknowledge that we serve Christ through the kindness and respect we give to others.  It is only through our unselfish service to others that we serve Jesus.  The last theme is the most difficult – the promise that God will take care of us.  It is difficult for us to accept this promise when we are in the mist of life’s troubles and trials.  But the promise is there for us to receive and believe.

Through prayer, we find comfort and peace in a troubled world.  Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth, Michigan, was dismayed by the turmoil of the election politics, the terrorist acts of ISIS and the violence in America between police and protestors.  He asked his parish to fast and pray for our nation on Wednesday, then pray a Rosary in the evening and end by receiving the Eucharistic.

How often we ask Mary to intercede for us.  We frequently do this by praying the Rosary.  We know that she will hear us our prayers and be our intermediary with her Son.

I ask you to join me:  Hail, Mary, full of grace …..

Love for our neighbor and love for one another are different. Jesus gave us a new command in today’s Gospel. First: “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” And he continued: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

Jesus gave a new commandment to love one another as he loved us. The Old Testament law required a person to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. This was even understood to include a person’s enemies. Jesus reiterated the law when one of the Pharisees who was a scholar of the law asked him “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Now Jesus is taking this love one step further. This is a new teaching that is different from just loving our neighbor. Love for one another is deeper and more demanding than love for a neighbor that we may know or possibly even just tolerate. Love for one another is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It was important to Jesus that people know who are his followers. He continued “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The early church followed Jesus’ commandment to love one another. At the end of the second century Tertuallian wrote that the people said “See how they love one another”. The world knew that they were Christians because they showed their love for one another by their actions.

So how do we define love for one another? Jesus defines it in the next statement “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Loving one another as Jesus loves us is quite a stretch for us. Jesus loved us so much that he willing died to bring salvation to all people for all generations. That kind of love is far beyond what we are capable of giving; and yet Jesus told us to love others as he loved us. We must follow Jesus’ example to love to the best of our ability and ask for his forgiveness when we fail.

We love others through our actions: The moment of kindness to the elderly person struggling to get groceries out of their cart onto the checkout station. The times when we speak out when someone puts another person down for the way they dress or their culture or their religion. When we volunteer to help build a house in another country for someone who is unable to afford a house. When we spend some time in prayer for those we love, for those we can’t stand and even for those we hate.

Another action that we show our love is through the support we provide through the Annual Catholic Appeal. Sixty-one ministries of the Archdiocese are funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal. Some of these ministries are: the seminarians who are preparing to become priests for our archdiocese, meals for the homeless, medical care for our retired priests, nuns, religious brothers and sisters who have served the church for so many years and catholic schools for our children. Criminal Justice programs, including jail and prison ministries, are supported as well as Deacon programs and formation, cultural and ethnic ministries and youth programs.

This past week everyone should have received letters from Archbishop Sartain and Father Jay asking us to support the Annual Catholic Appeal. The Appeal provides the financial support needed for over sixty-one ministries in the Archdiocese of Seattle.

We have a parish goal of $28,943 for our share of the Annual Catholic Appeal in the Seattle Archdiocese that supports the Catholic church in Western Washington. Any amount over this goal is returned to the Holy Cross to help fund our parish ministries.  It is critical that each person contributes so we can reach our goal.  If we could give one dollar a day, that would be $365 each. If you are able, please increase your donation this year to help us support the ministries of the church.

If you completed the pledge card you received in the mail and brought it with you, thank you. Otherwise, please complete a pledge card that the ushers have passed out today.

Jesus made our works of charity for others the defining characteristic that makes us different from others; that all people will notice. There are many saints throughout history who lived their lives serving others. When we think of people from our day who fit this description, we immediately think of Mother Theresa. She gave her live to selfless love for the abandoned, the sick, the orphaned and the dying. Her kindness and non-judgmental attitude toward others showed her for others. The whole world knew that she was a Christian by her actions. We will probably not go to another part of the world to serve as Mother Theresa did but we must serve where we live.

Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another as he loved us. He said “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Does the world know that we are Christians? Do we show our love for others by our actions? Do we love one another as Christ loved us?

Let’s take a moment to complete the pledge card that the ushers passed out today. Thank you for your prayerful support of the Annual Catholic Appeal through our prayers, our acts of kindness and our gifts from what God has given us.

Scourging and crucifixion were the two principle methods of punishment used by the Romans. Scourging with a whip of multiple ends, sometimes embedded with metal, was more than most men could survive. Thirty-nine lashes were considered one short of what a man could survive without dying. Crucifixion was a painful method of death. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminal offenses, especially those accused of rebellion against the government.

Crucifixion was devised and designed by the Romans with more multiple goals in mind. First, crucifixion was designed to inflict optimal physical pain. The procedure was dragged out over a number of hours and the amount of pain inflicted at any given moment was carefully calculated so as not to cause unconsciousness and thus ease the pain of the one being crucified. Sometimes they even gave wine mixed with morphine to the person being crucified, not to ease their suffering, but to keep them from passing out from pain, so they could endure it longer. Crucifixion was designed to humiliate the person being crucified and cause fear in all the people watching it.

Pilate had Jesus scourged which was one lash less than killing a person. Then the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and placed it on his head. The thorns cut deeply into his skull causing great pain. In all of this agony, Jesus is alone without anyone to comfort him in his pain and suffering. Everyone who knew him ran away and hid from the Romans so they would not be treated with the same punishment.

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark both have some added details of Christ’s crucifixion.

“At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus cried out on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Have you ever felt forsaken? Alone? Forgotten? Misunderstood? Despised? Afraid? Abandoned? Totally abandoned? So deep into the depths of despair that you felt there was no way out?

Most of us have never been into the depths of despair to the point that we felt it was better to die than to continue on living. While some of us may have felt that way in our life it is hard to imagine the complete desolation that Jesus experienced on the cross. He was the Son of God. He and his Father were one. Jesus knew the plan of salvation and prayed that his Father would let this cup pass, but not his will, only his Father’s. Jesus willingly accepted his Father’s plan for the salvation of all.

Jesus had every reason to feel abandoned. Even the disciples who walked with him for the last couple of years, who at the supper table last night said that, they would never abandon him – that they would die for him, completely disappeared. The disciples feared for their lives and left Jesus to die alone.

Then Jesus took on the sins of the world; the sins of the past, the sins of those who were killing him and the sins of all future people. When he took on the sins of the world, his Father was unable to remain with him and for the only time in his earthly life, he felt forsaken – abandoned.

When Jesus accepted our sins so that we might have hope in his resurrection he was totally abandoned. Even in the darkest hours of our lives, we will never experience the abandonment that Jesus felt on the cross. He did it for me and he did it for you. Jesus willing did it for all people throughout all time.

Throughout his Passion it is Jesus who is in control, not the Jews or the Romans. Jesus decides on the moment of his death; he willing gives up his spirit to fulfill the Father’s plan. Jesus announces the completion of his sacrifice when he said “It is finished”. The Vulgate’s translation of “It is accomplished” states it better.

His Father’s plan of salvation for all of us was accomplished! We have the opportunity to have our sins forgiven because Jesus accepted our sins and accomplished what was planned to give us life in his kingdom. Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught “Repent and believe in the Kingdom of God!”

It is not easy to follow Jesus. Today, many Christians throughout the world are dying for their faith. This is especially true in the Middle East where not only ISIS but even the “friendly” governments are trying to wipe out the Church. Regardless of how difficult our life is, Jesus is always with us to guide and comfort us with his love. During this Year of Mercy, let us remember that God’s grace and mercy is always there for us.

How will we respond? We can reject God’s love, forgiveness and mercy or we can accept it. Jesus is hanging there on the cross; his out stretched arms welcoming us to accept his love, his forgiveness and his mercy. Will we repent and believe in the Kingdom of God? If we had to face death because we are Catholic; would we deny him like Peter? Would we desert him like the disciples? Or would we die for our faith like the martyrs throughout history and even today?

Today, the first reading gives us the story of a family. It is a typical story of many families throughout history. Unfortunately, it is a story of pain and suffering. Joseph was the youngest of the sons and was his father’s favorite. His father loved Joseph very much and had an ornamental coat made for him. His brothers began to resent him.

It didn’t help that Joseph had dreams and shared them with his brothers. The dreams had the brothers worshiping him. That resentment grew until it became an outright hatred for their brother. It eventually led them to so much jealousy and hatred that they wanted to kill him.

Fortunately, one of his brothers, Reuben, suggested that they just put him in a cistern instead of killing him. They stripped Joseph of his coat and put him in a dry cistern. While his brother Rueben was taking his turn with the flock, another brother suggested that they sell Joseph to a caravan that was traveling through the area on the way to Egypt. Reuben planned to get Joseph back to their father so when he returned, he went to the cistern to release Joseph but he was gone. It was then that he learned that Joseph was sold to the caravan for twenty pieces of silver.

The brothers decided to take a kid goat and kill it, put the blood on Joseph’s coat and had someone else take it to their father to ask if it was his son’s. Their father recognized it and said that a wild animal had killed his son Joseph.

That’s the way that sin develops. First it is a little sin, then it happens more often, then the magnitude of the sin gets bigger and bigger. Eventually, the sin begins to overtake us. That is what happened to Joseph’s brothers. It started with resentment because Joseph was Dad’s favorite. It grew to jealousy and hatred. It then turned into selling their brother to become a slave and a conspiracy to lie to their father. They even involved someone else to carry out their sin. Their acts broke their father’s heart.

The tenants in the Gospel followed the same path. First, they beat a servant, killed another and stoned another. Then the owner of the vineyard sent more numerous servants and the tenants treated them the same way. Then the owner sent his son thinking that they would honor his son. Instead, they killed the owner’s son so they could get the inheritance for themselves.

The tenants started by beating a servant, then killing and then stoning others. This same treatment escalated to more and more of the servants that the owner sent to collect his rightful harvest. Their sin grew and grew until they killed the owner’s son.

During this Lent let’s take some time to find a quiet place that we can reflect on our lives, our innermost thoughts and feelings, the very depths of our hearts, to determine where we have started to let little things creep into our lives. Unless we do this, the little things will become bigger things. We must build our lives on Christ, the cornerstone of the Church.

It is worth a few moments of quiet time to reflect on our own lives and what is in our hearts. Are we jealous of others? Do we covet what others have for possessions? Do we lie when it is convenient? Are there people we really can’t stand? Do we get really frustrated when we have to deal with some people?

The Gospel acclamation says it so well: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

I believe Lord. Help me to live a life that will bring honor and glory to you.

Caring for those who are in need is the critical message of the Scriptures; both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is really pointed out to us in the Gospel; every person has dignity regardless of their position in society, their position in the church or the amount of money the person possesses.

Vatican II teaches that out of respect for the human dignity of each person, we must help those who are experiencing any material or spiritual need: “Wishing to come down to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind above all his life and the means necessary for living it in a dignified way lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored Lazarus, the poor man”

Everyone in the world knows that Catholics have always had a strong social justice doctrine. While I was in the formation program to become a deacon, it really surprised me the importance that Catholic doctrine placed on respect for the dignity of each person. That was the way that I was raised, not as a Catholic but as a Protestant. I was taught that it was important to treat everyone with respect regardless of their position in life, the color of their skin or how wealthy they were.

Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdome of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel. He treated everyone as a Child of God, even the religious leaders that he scolded for their hypocrisy. He healed the masses of the people and forgave their sins. And he always treated each person the same whether it was a wealthy man’s son, a religious leader’s daughter, a leper, a tax collector or a prostitute. This is beyond obtaining social justice for those who are oppressed or mistreated. Treating everyone with respect and being the servant to care for those who are in need is the fundamental teaching of Jesus.

Was the rich man condemned because of his wealth? No, he was condemned because of the way he ignored the suffering of Lazarus. The rich man could have helped Lazarus by chasing the dogs away, by giving him some food from his table and clothing. The rich man could have helped Lazarus get some strength and then provided employment so he “get back on his feet”. Unfortunately, the rich man ignored Lazarus.

Tikkun Olam, the Jewish belief that we all have to make the world a better place to live by helping to remove pollution, oppression, mistreatment of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger. The rich man’s sin was his total disregard for the person he passed numerous times every day without caring for his neighbor. The rich man’s actions were against his own Jewish teaching.

As Christians, we must take action to bring social justice to the disadvantaged, the hungry, the homeless and the poor. But it is more important that we teach others to respect for each person as an individual, a child of God, by the example we live.

Let’s try to find a way to be an example to others this Lent. Let us silently be an example of serving others the way Jesus taught us. At times, it will take extreme courage to go over and help someone who is being mistreated or laughed at. It will take courage to take a meal to a homeless person on the corner. It will take courage to identify ourselves as a Christian.

Will we have the courage to show respect to the leper, the outcast from society, the person who is disabled or the person who doesn’t dress like we dress? Or will we commit the sin of the rich man by ignoring those who are in need that we see every day?

Every family is very different. Some are close to each other, some are boisterous, some are happy most of the time, others are sad most of the time and others are always fighting with each other. Quite frequently, groups become like families. The work group that has been together for a long period of time, the friends that have gotten together once a month for many years or the group that only gets together once a year to fish, hunt, go to the spa, go wine tasting or enjoy good food form bonds that often become like families. Think about your own experiences with your own families or friends.

The apostles became a family very quickly. They were together all the time and soon had all the familiar joys and struggles of any family. When the mother of two of the disciples went to Jesus and requested a place of honor for her sons, Jesus turned to the two sons and asked if they could drink the chalice that he would drink. They quickly answered yes without even knowing what was in the chalice. Jesus told them that they would drink the chalice that he would drink.

This was simply a mother and her two sons trying to get a place of honor for themselves. As we have talked many times, honor is everything in Middle Eastern culture and lying, stealing – even murder is considered acceptable to preserve honor. A place of honor at Jesus’ side would be a great accomplishment.

When the rest of the disciples heard what the two disciples and their mother asked Jesus to do for them, they were angry with the two disciples even though Jesus rebuked them. Whether they were angry because they didn’t have the opportunity to be the one to ask or they were jealous that they would not receive the honor.

Jesus called all of them together and talked to them about how all those in authority take great pleasure ruling over those who are under their authority. Then Jesus said “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”

It is hard to be a servant. Sometimes we think it is beneath us. Other times we are compelled by peer pressure to conform to the group standard and avoid those who are different or dress below the group norm. This even happens in churches sometimes.

But Jesus said that we had to avoid greatness as the world knows greatness and serve others. He did not make any exceptions. It is important that we understand this lesson. The place of honor as the world defines honor is not how Christians are to live their lives.

Our natural tendency is to want the place of honor but Jesus said that we must serve others. Pope Francis is a great example of serving others; especially the outcast, the prisoner, the sick, the homeless and the disabled. The Church must be different, to be so different that the world has to take notice that we are walking away from the place of honor to help others.

How will we be the servant to all in this Year of Mercy? How will we be a slave to those in need in this Year of Mercy? Especially during this Lenten Season, will we just go out of our way to show an act of kindness to the person on the corner asking for money? Will we pray an extra prayer that God will help each person who is in need? Will pray for the Church in lands where Christians are being martyred? How will we serve others in this Year of Mercy?

In the verses just prior to where today’s Gospel starts, Jesus was teaching how to be a disciple.  He said “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Jesus ended with the statement “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus always found time to pray and talk with his Father.  This was especially true when the burden of dealing with the crowds and religious leaders grew heavy.  Eight days after Jesus’ statement that some of them would see the Kingdom of God before they died, he took Peter, John and James up the mountain to find a quiet place to pray.  While he was praying, he took on the glorified body that he would have after his resurrection.  Moses and Elijah appeared in the same glory.  The disciples recognized each of them.

Moses represents the Law.  The first reading describes the covenant; “It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram….”  But the Israelites struggled to keep the covenant with God.  The Ten Commandments were given to Moses to help the Israelites keep the covenant with God.

Elijah represents the Prophets.  The prophets were sent to remind the Israelites that God still loved them and would keep the Covenant even though they did not.  God wanted them to know that his love and mercy were always there for them.  If they would only turn from their sinful ways and keep the covenant, God would bless and protect them.

Peter wanted to dwell on the top of the mountain.  He wanted to build three tents, one for each to transfigured people on the mountain.  And wouldn’t we want to do the same if we saw what Peter just experienced?  But then, a cloud covered them and they were afraid.  After God said “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” they were alone with Jesus.  And they fell silent.  How many times have we experienced the same feelings?

Peter, John and James just had a glimpse into the Kingdom of God!  All of the scriptures in the Bible describe God and the angels as beings of bright light.  In the Book of Revelation, John wrote that there was no need for the sun or the moon because heaven was filled with the light of God’s love.

It’s a great opportunity to be able to get away on a retreat for a weekend or even a week.  We have a great experience; feel close to God because we made time be quiet and pray; quiet to listen for God’s direction and strength.  Like Peter, John and James, we get a glimpse into the Kingdom of God.  Then we go home and the whole world crashes in on us.  We have to get ready for work the next day, we have to prepare school lunches for the children and there are twenty more tasks to get done before we can go to bed.  The closeness to God is gone.  The quiet and peace are gone and there is just the silence in our hearts.

God said “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

Listen to him!

How often do we really “listen” anyone?  There is so much noise and distraction around us that we never have time to be quiet and listen.  Think about it?  When was the last time you sat in a quiet place for any amount of time?  The television or the radio is blaring in the background.  The phone is ringing, the smart phone is beeping to tell you that e-mail or a text message arrived.  The sound of people talking or traffic or doors shutting – noise is all around us.

Besides the noise, there are things to do.  We have to get the children to soccer practice, pick up the laundry at the cleaners, get a gallon of milk and stop for a latte at Starbucks.  We are always multitasking even though the experts tell we are incapable of doing that.  And how can we stop and listen when we have twenty more tasks to get done today?

But that is exactly what we need to do.  Follow Jesus’ example; retreat to a quiet place to pray and communicate with our Lord.  It is hard, and at times, it is almost impossible.  Think about Jesus’ life and ministry for moment.  The crowds were always around him pushing, trying to touch him.  They wanted healing for themselves, a member of their family or a friend.  And the religious leaders were always there in the background ready to criticize every word or act.  Was Jesus’ life really any different?  Talk about stress and anxiety.  Jesus took it all in stride because he was at peace within.  This peace and strength came from the times he spent with his Father in prayer.

If Jesus could make the time to find a quiet place to pray and talk with his Father in the extremely hectic life he lived, why can’t we do the same?  We let too many distractions into our lives.  It’s easy to put pray time off.  We watch a television show, or two, or we get on the computer or smart phone to check e-mail, text messages and Facebook.  Just taking care of our family takes a lot of effort and time.

So how do we find the time to “Listen” to God?  It’s difficult in our fast paced world.  It requires us to schedule the time, to make the time to be quiet, to read the scriptures, to pray and to listen.  The Law and the Prophets are there to guide us and point us to Jesus.  The transfiguration miracle in today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse into the glory of the resurrection and eternal life.  In the Eucharist, the breaking of the bread and the wine, we are reminded of the promise of the Kingdom of God that Jesus gave us.  Through his resurrection we too will have a glorified body and worship God in heaven.

This Lent, will we schedule fifteen or twenty minutes for prayer at least once each day?  Will we listen for God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit?  Will we listen for the Holy Spirit leading us to help a person in need?  Will spend some of that time praying that God will help us to forgive those who have trespassed against us during this Year of Mercy?  Will we pray that God will give us the courage to ask a person to forgive us that we have trespassed against in this season of penance and preparation?  Will we stop our busy lives to spend a few quiet minutes to “Listen to him”?

Let’s review what happens just before the start of today’s Gospel.  You may remember it from last Sunday.  Father Jay said that this was Jesus’ Mission Statement.  That thought has stuck with me all week.  What is a Mission Statement?

Wikipedia tells us that “A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company, organization or person, its reason for existing.  The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making.

A mission statement is a statement which is used as a way of communicating the purpose of the organization.  Although most of the time it will remain the same for a long period of time, it is not uncommon for organizations to update their mission statement and generally happens when an organization evolves.  Mission statements are normally short and simple statements which outline what the organization’s purpose is and are related to the specific sector an organization operates in.

Properly crafted mission statements serve as filters to separate what is important from what is not, and communicate a sense of intended direction to the entire organization.”  Let’s listen to Jesus’ Mission Statement again.  Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed back to the attendant and sat down.  Everyone was watching him to see what he would say or do.  Jesus said “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Let us examine Jesus’ Mission Statement to see how it applies to our lives.  The Mission Statement starts with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  We must be willing to let the Spirit of the Lord come upon us, to change our lives and the lives of those we meet.  The Spirit of the Lord called the prophets to speak for God to the people, to admonish them when they sinned and to direct them to path that would lead them back to the God who loves them and wants to protect and care for them.

Anointing is an act that empowers a special position or power on an individual or object.  The first time the word anointing appears in the Bible is in the book of Genesis.  Kings, Priests and Prophets were anointed with oil to serve the people and God.  Jesus is all of these: King, Prophet and Priest.  The word Messiah means Anointed One in Hebrew.  Christ is derived from the word Greek for “anointee”.  We too are anointed at our baptism and again at Confirmation with oil marking us with the seal of the Holy Spirit.  This anointing helps us to understand our faith and live a life of service for God.

The religious leaders and the social elite considered poverty something to be avoided.  Many of the ancients believed that poverty was caused by a person’s sin or the sin of their parents.  If you were poor in ancient times, life was very harsh.  Many became slaves if they were unable to pay their debt to person who loaned them money.  A person could be a slave for six years and then in the seventh year, the slaves were set free.  The poor only wanted relief from the oppressive burden of living.

Whenever the Israelites sinned, they were conquered and taken into captivity.  Oppression and captivity by their enemies left the Israelites wanting liberty more than anything else.  Eventually, they would repent and God would return them to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and serve him again.

Blindness was a big problem in ancient times.  Blindness was considered to be caused by the sins of the parents.  Jesus performed many miracles by healing people who were blind.  Many children were blind as a result of poor hygiene or disease transmitted by flies.  Today all newborns are given antiseptic eye drops to prevent blindness.  In the poorer parts of the world where medicine is not available or customs prevent the mothers from taking precautionary measures, physical blindness is still an issue today.

Oppression by a conquering army or the social leaders was common.  Life was difficult at best and in many cases almost impossible due to the oppression of captors or debtors.

The last phrase is “to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  The year acceptable to the Lord refers to the Jubilee Year that was decreed in the book of Leviticus.  Every forty nine years, the books were wiped clean.  If you could not pay your debts, you, and in some cases, your family, became slaves to the debt holder until the debt was paid off.  In the Jubilee Year, those who were slaves returned to their families as free individuals.  Those who pledged their land as collateral had their land returned to them if it was farmland.  (This was not true for urban property.)  The Jubilee prevented the permanent sale of farmland so the value of the land was determined by the number of harvests until the Jubilee Year when the ancestral land was returned to the family.

If we look at the original reading in Isaiah, it reads: “To announce a year of favor from the LORD.”  The year of “Favor” was a time of renewal for everyone; the Gentiles as well as Israelites.  It was a time of forgiveness.  Jesus referred to the Jubilee years when he answered Peter’s question: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”  Peter thought that he was being really generous by forgiving the other person seven times.  But Jesus said that he must forgive seventy-seven times.  This is an odd way of writing it but it really means seventy times seven or four hundred and ninety which is ten Jubilee years or would in essence is forever.  In other words, we are to forgive a friend as many times as they ask us to forgive.  We too must forgive as Jesus commanded us.

While we have talked about the physical aspects of these conditions, there is also a spiritual aspect for each one.  We can be poor in spirit and captive to sin.  We can be blind to God’s ways and teachings.  Sin and despair can oppress us to the point that we wonder if there is any reason to live.  Bitterness and revenge destroys us as well as the other person.  In spite of all this gloom and sadness, there is hope.  Jesus came to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord, a time to redeem us from our spiritual and physical chains that hold us captive.

Jesus came as the anointed one to free us from all the things that bind us, from all the weight of sin that oppresses and overcomes us, from all the bitterness and hatred for people who have wronged us.  He came to free us from Satan, sin and even death.  Jesus came to show us the way back to God the Father and our heavenly home to live with him forever.

Jesus’ Mission Statement is really a guide for all Christians.  The goal for all Christians is to live as Jesus lived.  Are we willing to accept it as our own?  Are we willing to forgive as Jesus taught us?  Are we willing to forgive as Jesus forgave us?  Are we willing to live our lives as Jesus taught us?  Will we serve those we meet in love to help the poor, the blind, the oppressed?  Will others know that the scripture passage was fulfilled in their presence by the way we live our lives?