| LIVE IT WEEKLY Sunday, January 26, 2025 |
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GOSPEL | Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
GOING DEEPER
Can you imagine hearing someone you grew up with claim to fulfill centuries-old prophecy?
This Gospel recounts a dramatic moment when Jesus, returning to His hometown synagogue, declares Himself the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. His words, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing,” would have stunned His audience. For the people of Nazareth, Jesus was the carpenter’s son—a familiar face, not the promised Messiah. His declaration directly challenged their assumptions about God’s work and mission.
The passage Jesus reads, from Isaiah, proclaims liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind. While Jesus performed miraculous healings, His ultimate mission was to liberate souls from the captivity of sin. The Catechism (CCC 549) reminds us that His physical miracles were signs of spiritual freedom. Yet, captivity persists today—not in chains of iron, but in the subtle and devastating chains of sin and brokenness.
It’s worth considering: What are the prominent chains that hold us captive today?
Modern sociological and psychological research reveals the devastating consequences of living against God’s design. Studies show that pornography, for example, rewires the brain, reducing empathy and impairing one’s ability to form deep, meaningful relationships. A Barna Group study found that 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women regularly view pornography, contributing to relational dissatisfaction and even divorce. Similarly, cohabitation—a common alternative to marriage—has been linked to higher rates of depression and a 33% increase in divorce rates among those who marry after living together (Journal of Marriage and Family, 2021). These choices often masquerade as freedom but lead to profound isolation and pain.
The societal effects are equally devastating. Unplanned pregnancies place immense strain on families, with single mothers experiencing poverty at nearly double the rate of two-parent households (US Census Bureau, 2022). Even darker is the shadow of child trafficking, which preys on vulnerable populations and thrives in cultures that commodify human bodies. Every act of sin distorts not only our relationship with God but also the fabric of human relationships, leading to societal breakdown and despair.
Pope St. John Paul II, in Theology of the Body, emphasized that human sexuality is a gift meant to reflect God’s covenant love—a love that is free, total, faithful, and life-giving. When we distort this design, we not only harm ourselves but also wound our capacity for intimacy with others and with God. This is the captivity Christ came to break.
Jesus’ proclamation in this Gospel is not distant or abstract. His words, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled,” call each of us to examine our lives. Are we blind to the ways sin holds us captive? Do we ignore the harm our choices bring to our relationships, families, and communities? Christ’s mission is as urgent today as it was in Nazareth: to heal, to free, and to lead us into the fullness of life. Will you allow Him to transform your heart and relationships?
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Examining your own captivity: What sinful habits or attitudes in your life keep you from fully experiencing the freedom Christ offers? How can you take a concrete step this week to seek healing and liberation through prayer, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or spiritual direction?
Pursuing greater freedom in Christ: Are there areas in your relationships—within your family, friendships, or community—where unhealthy patterns or unresolved issues keep you from true intimacy and peace? What practical action can you take to address and heal these divisions?
Being an instrument of freedom for others: Who in your life is struggling with spiritual, emotional, or physical captivity? How can you walk alongside them, offering encouragement, support, and hope, as a reflection of Christ’s mission to set the captives free?
LIVE IT: Go around the group and share one area where you feel bound or struggle to live in freedom. Encourage one another by offering words of support, prayer, or practical suggestions to help each person grow closer to Christ’s liberating grace. Affirm the steps each person is taking to live in greater freedom and truth.
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Greg & Stephanie Schlueter,
Image Trinity | Mass Impact
Greg@MassImpact.us | (814) 449-8808
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| EPISODE 449 | Setting Captives Free
- This week on IGNITE Radio Live, we delve into the edgy and challenging aspects of living our Catholic faith in a world longing for true freedom. We explore the profound reality of captivity and freedom in a week marked by consequential events—including the "national championship" of Trump’s inauguration (our take). Through the lens of Sunday’s Gospel, where Jesus emerges from the desert, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to proclaim His mission to set captives free, we turn inward to confront the spiritual captivities that bind us: our anxieties, desires, and distractions. True freedom begins in our souls, flowing into our families, communities, and nation. We invite you to embrace the daily discipline of cultivating an intimate connection with God. We also introduce my new book, Twelve Roses (Amazon)—a deeply moving story of redemption and hope inspired by the powerful witness of our respective families.
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"A deeply stirring story of redemption"
MY BOOK, "TWELVE ROSES," is now available through Amazon, in honor of Michael and Joanne Wagner, whose story has shaped my life and many generations. On January 21, 1976, as parents of twelve, they boarded a bus to Washington, D.C., Joanne carrying their thirteenth child. Passing through Pittsburgh, her head resting on her husband’s shoulder, God called her home. Michael, earning no more than $25,000 a year, faced the impossible: burying the love of his life and their unborn child while continuing to provide for their family. Among their children was five-year-old Stephanie—now my beloved wife. Their story remains a testament to enduring faith and grace in the midst of sorrow, a reminder that what God calls us to, He provides for.
TWELVE ROSES. 12 MESSAGES. ONE LIFE.
Anna's life is unraveling. Alone, pregnant, and grappling with a broken heart, she awakes each day to the weight of decisions she can't face. Until the roses begin to appear. One by one, for twelve days, she finds them—delicate yet resilient blooms, each carrying a message she longs to believe but can’t yet embrace: You are loved. You are brave. You are enough. As the roses keep coming, so do the questions. Who is leaving them? And why do their simple truths touch wounds she thought she'd buried? Through pain and beauty, loss and renewal, Twelve Roses is a poignant story of healing and hope. In the sharp but tender thorns of each rose, Anna discovers that life’s greatest gifts often bloom in the soil of suffering. Will she find the courage to raise her sails to the wind, to let love and grace breathe life back into her heart?
WORDS FOR TWELVE ROSES:
"Twelve Roses is a poignant and transformative tale that deeply explores themes of faith, love, loss, and the boundless power of God's grace in our messy and often painful lives."
~ Mary Guilfoyle (Acts XXIX), co-host with Fr. John Riccardo, "You Were Born for This"
"To win the cultural battle the nation is in right now for life we need to tell more good stories and this story, poignantly written, gets to the heart of family, to the importance of a mom and dad, and ultimately a look into the heart of Our Father who loves us beyond what we can ask or imagine. Read this story, share this story, and then go and live this story so all may say, 'Hallowed' be His Name.”
~ Peter Range, Center for Christian Virtue, Senior Fellow for Strategic Initiatives
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