Third Sunday of the Year

Ordination day

Alleluia, alleluia!
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
Alleluia!


GOSPEL: Luke; 4:14-21


Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord's year of favour


He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen'
[and he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips].

 The Gospel today seems rather appropriate to day as we read from the Gospel of St Luke the passage following Jesus’ baptism as Jesus returns from the wilderness to take up His public ministry the gives the shortest sermon ever: 'today this word is being fulfilled even as you listen.'

Today having been on a retreat to prepare himself spiritually Canon Crean has in the words spoken today to be appropriate

This ‘today’ is appropriate because Jesus fulfils all the hopes and longings and yearnings of the people of Israel. Without their fully realising it the longed for Messiah is in their midst.

I hope it is not too fanciful for me to extend this metaphor to Bishop-elect William Crean's ordination today:
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord's year of favour


Firstly

Jesus proclaims the words of the prophet Isaiah, on the Sabbath day, who speaks of a choice, an anointing, a call to proclamation of good news to those who need to hear it, news of freedom and light in a year of favour.

In the choppy waters of a recession, but more importantly at a crucial time in our history with the many the challenges to faith and to vulnerable life

It is the Lord’s work – the year of favour - a year of blessings, of a renewal of faith, a return to the doorway of our baptism and re-entering and rediscovering the richness of our faith heritage. And the truths of our faith set us free.

It is good news today as our diocese can now take a new course in the Year of faith symbolised by boat – as we can now set sail with a captain of the boat in our diocese again

Secondly, we hear the words:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.

We pray for canon William Crean who on this our Sabbath day - who will receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of holy Orders, who will receive a divine commissioning : -

He, likewise, will be anointed on the palms of his hands with the oil of chrism who has been sent to us fittingly in the year of faith.

Also he is called to take and to urge us also to take up the call, the challenge of the year of faith, the call of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly,
Referring back to the Gospel reading, we read that ‘They handed him the scroll’

In the ordination ceremony today Bishop elect Crean is blessed with the Sacred Scriptures – the book of the Gospels is placed on his head,  and in the prayer of consecration we hear the words: ‘so now pour out upon  this chosen one that power which is from you the governing Spirit whom you gave to your son Jesus Christ..’
After his anointing Bishop Crean is presented with the Book of the Gospels by the presiding celebrant, Archbishop Brown

Fourthly,

Jesus after reading from the prophet Isaiah sits down and takes his seat and all eyes are fixed on Him.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him

The bishop takes his seat today over there on the sanctuary we have the specially designated seat called the ‘cathedra’ which is assigned only for the bishop and from which he speaks with the authority as a successor to one of the Apostles.

All eyes were fixed on him as he took his seat- with a look of expectation, joy and hope as he takes his seat. Likewise today the eyes of at least 1100 people will be fixed on Canon Crean today.

Finally,

May Bishop-elect Crean he win the approval of all as Jesus does in the next verse of the Gospel of Luke

May he receive wisdom strength and courage

May God bless him and our diocese

St Colman Pray for us

Blessed Thaddeus pray for us

 

1 comment:

  1. Lovely prayerful ceremony this afternoon, with best wishes to Bishop William Crean today and always.

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