“God Has Sent Me to Proclaim Liberty to Captives”

Today’s reflection is by Bondings 2.0 contributor Yunuen Trujillo.

Today’s liturgical readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time can be found here.

“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.” Luke 4:18-19

Today is the first Sunday after the 2025 U.S. Presidential Inauguration. Many of you may be feeling confused, afraid, upset, or even hopeless. I write this reflection with my transgender and undocumented siblings especially in my heart and mind.

Today’s readings are exactly what we need in this moment because they remind us of fundamental truths that society—and we ourselves—must hold onto now more than ever. The first fundamental truth comes from today’s second reading. Paul tells the early church—and us—that despite our differences, we are all part of one body. Each of us is important and needed; in our diversity lies our strength, and we all belong to one another.

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13

Paul also reminds us that the parts of the body often considered “weaker or less honorable” must be treated with greater honor. This echoes a well-established principle of Catholic doctrine: the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. We all belong to one another, and now more than ever, we must care for one another as though caring for a part of our own body. We must stand alongside those most vulnerable in this moment.

This fundamental truth is our Christian vocation and Jesus’ mission. In today’s Gospel, Luke reminds us that Jesus came to free the oppressed and bring good news to the poor. In Jewish law, the Year of Jubilee was a time when slaves were freed, debts were forgiven, and land was returned to its original owners—acts symbolizing reconciliation and justice. Jesus’ liberation is twofold. It is a spiritual liberation that reminds us we are all children of God, created in God’s image and endowed with inherent dignity. It is also a social liberation that calls us to stand with one another in difficult times and to fight for social justice, reminding the powers that be that the categories used to marginalize and separate us will no longer hold us back from loving, and protecting, one another.

This liberation is not primarily political, but itoften results in societal victories. Those who seek to marginalize us only succeed if we are divided. Our intersectional struggles are interconnected: “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.”

But how do we live out our Christian mission in these times? Today’s first reading gives us a clue:

“Do not be sad, and do not weep. Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!” Nehemiah 8:8-10

This is not the time to lose hope. Those who have hope must share it with others. We must resist falling into despair, which is exactly what oppressive powers want. Instead, we must remember who we are: Children of God.

Say it with me: “I am a child of God. I have inherited Jesus’ mission and prophetic seal. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives.” Now, more than ever, we must free one another and stand up, in our own communities, contexts, and within our own possibilities—for one another, both within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community. We are one body. We must have the bravery of leaders like Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who spoke truth to power and stood for mercy this week, creating a ripple effect of hope in all of us.

I leave you with this week’s prayer, translated from Spanish, from the series of books titled Diálogos Semanales con Jesús (Weekly Dialogues with Jesus):

Dear Jesus, how difficult it is to predict the future. I have no idea what will happen or how my siblings will be affected, but I want to follow in Your footsteps. Show me what You want of me in this moment. Give me Your Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that filled You when You began Your mission, and allow me to serve and love as You do. Amen.

—Yunuen Trujillo, January 26, 2025

Yunuen Trujillo, a New Ways Ministry Board of Trustees member, will be a panelist at an upcoming Zoom event entitled “Conversations in the Spirit: Understanding and Honoring the Lived Experience of Our LGBTQ+ Catholic Siblings, Parents, Family, Priests, and Allies,” sponsored by the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests.

The event is in honor of the late Alana Chen, a young Catholic lesbian woman who committed suicide after receiving negative advice from church ministers. 

The event will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 3:00-4:30 pm, Eastern U.S. Time.

Other panelists include Father Bryan Massingale, a theologian and openly gay priest; Joyce Calvo, the mother of Alana Chen, and Bishop John Stowe, OFM, Conv., Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky.

For more information, click here. 

To reigister, click here .