Today’s Gospel reading is in two parts. The first consists of Luke’s prologue while the second is Luke’s account of Jesus’ first public teaching in the synagogue at Nazareth. Luke assures Theophilus (translated as friend of God) that his contribution to a developing tradition is a complete and accurate narrative of all that Jesus said and did among the people. Luke’s readers, including us today, are thus assured that we are about to hear the inspired Word of God being proclaimed! It is almost too much to grasp. The second part of the reading gets even more dramatic: Luke describes how Jesus gives His first public teaching in the synagogue by reading from the Book of Isaiah. We hear how the Messiah will perform miracles like restoring physical sight to the blind and liberating us from spiritual blindness and captivity to our sins. The Messiah will bring forth God’s own kingdom. Then Jesus proclaims: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” The shock of these words of Christ cannot be underestimated. Can you imagine the Jewish audience hearing this proclamation for the first time? They are being told they are in the real presence of the Messiah, right here, right now. So here we are 2000 years later. Christ is in our presence too. He speaks to us at each Mass in Scripture. We receive Him in the Eucharist. We encounter Him in prayer and sacraments. He walks with us in our sorrow and trials. He is present every moment from our conception to our final breath ready to welcome us in His eternal Kingdom. Do we welcome Him and take strength and comfort from His presence? Or do we ignore Him and shy away from His blessed Light? It is our free choice. For those who choose Him, rejoice in His promise, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20) Reflection by St. Catherine’s parishioner, Dale Gerber