The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
Our Gospel acclamation today comes from Isaiah 61:1. It is the beginning of a passage about a year of favor from God, a time when the brokenhearted will be healed, captives freed, and mourners comforted. The prophet is to proclaim joy and peace and love, and the people will worship God.
Jesus takes these words as His own at His baptism in the Jordan river. He is the fulfillment of this prophecy. He is anointed directly by the Holy Spirit, Who descends upon Him like a dove, and He enters into His public ministry to bring glad tidings to the poor.
Now Jesus passes this duty on to us. We, too, have been anointed by the Spirit. When we are baptized and confirmed, we become vessels of God. His indwelling presence is within us, and His grace fills us. We are called and commissioned to bring glad tidings to the poor, to tell people the good news of the Gospel, to introduce them to God, to proclaim His love for all of us, and to guide them on the path to God. We are to cooperate with our Lord in this important work as the Spirit of the Lord rests upon us, guiding us and filling us with His gifts.
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