Readings for the Day:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11: Though the people had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, they continued to face hardship and oppression. In the language of the jubilee year described in Lev. 25, the prophet, moved by the spirit of God, announces deliverance for those who are oppressed and comfort for those who mourn.
I Thessalonians 5:16-24: Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians by encouraging them to live lives of continual joy, prayer, and thanksgiving. The closing blessing is grounded in the hope of Christ’s coming.
John 1:6-8, 19-28: Johns gospel describes Jesus as the ‘light of the world.’ John the Baptist is presented as a witness to Jesus, one who directs attention away from himself to Christ, the true light.
‘From Sunday & Seasons, copyright 2023 Augsburg Fortress’
Questions To Ponder:
1— What are you being called to do and/or proclaim? (Isaiah 61:1-4)
2—How do you ’hold fast to everything that is good’? (I Thessalonians 5:21)
3—How do you testify to the light? (John 1:7-8)
4—How do these texts speak to you today?
Prayer: Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the words of your prophets, that, anointed by your Spirit, we may testify to your light. Amen.