Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:



 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

   because he has anointed me

       to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

   and recovery of sight to the blind,

       to set free those who are oppressed,

 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:14-19)

Isaiah proclaimed to an oppressed people that soon they would be freed. But God also proclaimed to the oppressors that they must let his people go! Martin Luther King Jr. zealously preached, “It's alright to talk about streets flowing with milk and honey, but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.” Today we offer you the ability to enter into this scripture by doing an act of service for your community during this Martin Luther King Jr. Week.

“Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to zealously preach to them,

 "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing"(Luke 4:20-21).

Jesus sums up what he is preparing to do in the shortest sermon you’ll ever hear. “The scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus is going out into the world to demonstrate God’s love and mercy through his ministry. That is what evangelism is all about, being the light of Christ in a self-indulgent, greedy, violent, and sinful world. St. Francis of Assisi asked us to preach the Gospel through our deeds. If we are to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we must do so by active participation. Did you think fulfilling scripture is only open to Jesus and saints like Martin Luther King Jr.? In fact, it is open to each and every one of us. The Good News is that when you follow the path of God in helping people in need, the whole universe conspires to help you. God just puts wind in your sails when you are on the right course. Maybe you haven’t stopped to think about it, but while most churches are struggling, we are thriving. I give credit both to God who sends the Holy Spirit to help us and to those individuals that give of themselves for the sake of others. There never seems to be enough money for next year, but we always seem to enough. The fact is that God provides everything we need to do the ministry that God calls us to do.

Today our youth are called to serve 44 dinners to homeless folks in Huntington Station. Please be a part of the HIHI ministry by praying for the homeless, making chicken and rice today at 4:00PM in the St. John’s Kitchen, or by providing some Burger King or McDonald’s coupons so the men can get out of the cold for a hot lunch. We are called to go out into the world and confidently shine the light of Christ to the world. I urge you to pray for the poor, give a little of what you have to those in need right here in Huntington, or to help those in California that were devastated by wildfires. Be the light of the living Christ to a world that sorely needs God’s love and mercy and fulfill the scripture by your actions.   

In Christ's love,

Fr. Duncan