NOTES for Luk 4:16-22
The year of the Lord's favor, or the year of the Lord's mercy in another translation, is what Jesus came to announce to us. Under the pressure of difficult circumstances in life, we often forget that the true purpose of His coming is precisely this. And that this year has already been brought into the world by Him, although for now it remains hidden. What is it? Where can it be seen?
Perhaps today's Gospel passage itself serves as the answer to this question. Christ passed through the hardest trials in the wilderness, endured them, and came to possess some special power, some special peace, radiating uncreated light. We understand this from the reaction of the people in the synagogue, who had come to an ordinary Sabbath gathering. The reaction was unexpectedly fitting, which was rare with Him in the synagogue, at least at first. Yes, later they were filled with rage, but at first they "bore witness to Him." Perhaps in that brief opening moment He in some especially obvious way manifested the year of the Lord's favor in Himself.
Yes, but that is Him; what about us? Let us remember a time when we honestly prepared ourselves, fasted, prayed with some special strength, then came to the liturgy, brought our repentance to the Lord, received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and... do we not feel the year of the Lord's mercy in our soul at that time? Perhaps it is exactly like that.