At one time, many new priests chose for Gospel reading a short passage from the Gospel of Luke (4:16-19) at their first Mass. Jesus’ arrives in Nazareth and going to the synagogue on the Sabbath it was this passage that he read from the book of Isaiah. Opening the scroll Jesus' eyes got stuck upon the first verses of chapter 61 of Prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord” – that is all Luke records Jesus reading. After the reading, Jesus declares, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

His statement included the fact that he was the ‘anointed one’ – the ‘Messiah’ or ‘Christ’ – and that he had just inaugurated the ‘Messianic Age’.

The mission of the Messiah is to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and the acceptable year of the Lord. These becoming reality are the signs of the ‘Messianic Age’. All of this is part of the gospel for the poor.

In the midst of Jesus’ ministry, the Baptist, who was in prison then, sends two of his disciples to Jesus with the question, “Are you the one who is to come?” -meaning Messiah. Jesus’ answer to them is 'Go and report to John, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Luke 7:22).

In Jesus’ reading (Isaiah 61 in Luke 4) there is also the proclamation of a year acceptable to the Lord. The year acceptable to the Lord is the Jubilee (Leviticus 25). The Jubilee is a time of forgiveness, showing mercy, freeing slaves and prisoners, canceling of debts, and returning the land to its rightful owners - the poor. These are what make the Jubilee year acceptable year to the Lord.

In other words, the Jubilee is not just an year. The Jubilee is the Messianic age itself.