Dear St. Gabriel Parishioners:
- We enter the Third Week of Ordinary Time, today's first reading is taken from the Book of Nehemiah (8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10), a book that tells of the reconstitution of the Jewish community after the Exile. It tells the story of the new beginnings of a community and is full of hope, even, through great difficulties still loomed ahead.
The moving scene depicted in today's first reading was the moment of the public re-proclamation of the law on which this community's life was based. The gathered assembly listened to this proclamation in a deeply spiritual atmosphere. Some began to weep for joy at being able once again to listen freely to the Word of God after the tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem and to begin salvation history once again.
Like the people of Israel in the first reading, who gathered around the priest Ezra and listened to the word of God with deep emotion, we, too stand to hear God’s saving message and feel his presence in this and every liturgy.
In the Gospel Story of Jesus came back home, with the people gathered in the Nazareth synagogue, we, too, see and hear God's Word fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the Word made flesh. To this proclamation, our voices also cry out: "Amen." And "I believe!" May the Spirit that anointed Jesus build us up into one body and send us forth to proclaim God's freedom and favor for all people.
- Continue The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18-25) has a history of over 100 years in which Christians around the world have taken part in an octave of prayer for visible Christian unity. By annually observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christians move toward the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper "that they all may be one." (cf. John 17:21)
Also, this past week, January 20-22, a “March for Life” was held in Washington D.C. and was the forty-ninth anniversary of the U. S. Supreme Court Decision. This year’s March for Life to be historic, with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case before the Supreme Court, it’s closer than ever to building the culture of life since Roe v. Wade nearly 50 years ago.
While, we Christians can and ought to build a pro-life culture through many avenues, and not only through changes in law, it remains the case that as Christians and as Americans, “in God we trust”. God expects us to make needed changes in our world, but we can only do so through God’s truth and grace.
- Please support the Northwest Catholic Magazine – the official publication of the Archdiocese of Seattle. Its mission is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to Catholics in Western Washington, to teach, inspire and form disciples who know the Lord and live their faith to the full. There will be a special collection at all Masses next weekend. Thank you for your generous donation.
Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Phuong Hoang