MONTHLY DEVOTIONAL FOR 8 JANUARY
January 8, 2026
FEAST OF SAINT ADRIAN OF CANTERBURY – 9th JANUARY
January 9, 2026
TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
8 JANUARY, 2026
Luke 4:14-22
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.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!
REFLECTION
Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit went to Galilee and there he taught in the Synagogues and was praised by everyone. Yet what happened in that place was opposite to what had happened when He went to Nazareth for there He was not welcomed by His own people. It happened the moment He unrolled the scroll, then read the Scripture written by Isaiah emphasizing it’s fulfilment that very moment. Then the crowd grumbled and talked to each other about Jesus whom according to them was an ordinary man.
Indeed what Isaiah had prophecied was true, and the fact that Jesus had spoken of it’s fulfillment, for that time He begun His work in Galilee where He taught many things and performed miracles. And the most is, He end up sacrificing His life on the Cross for the sake of humanity and in three days was risen leaving His Holy Spirit. Truly that event had brought hope and enlightenment to everyone, yet many did not believed due to lack of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
On the part of the crowd who listened to our King as He read the Scripture, truly I could see the doubts in their hearts, for they thought Jesus was just an ordinary man, a Son of a carpenter and of Mary. Yet that cold welcome of His people was not a hindrance on His mission for Jesus was triumphant and through His death humanity will enter heaven if we believe and receive Him as our Lord and Savior.
PRAYER
My most powerful Lord, please grant me a merciful heart able to love others especially my enemy and wisdom to comprehend your Gospel daily. And despite of the doubts that bothered me, may your Holy Spirit will continue to empower and lead me to the true path. Amen
