DT 18:15-20; PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1 COR 7:32-35; MK 1:21-28
Our readings today remind us of God’s authority. If we willingly
give God authority over our lives and trust in His provision, He will take care
of us no matter what.
In our First Reading, Moses announces to the Israelites that God will send them
another prophet through whom He will communicate His commands. Regarding the
prophet, the Lord says, “Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in
my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to
speak in my name an oracle I have not commanded… he shall die.”
These are tough words to hear from our Lord, but they are a good reminder for
us. We, too, will answer to the Lord one day as to how well we listened to His
words and lived by His commands. The thought of our final judgment may cause us
to cringe in fear. And while it is good to have a holy fear of being separated
from God for all eternity, fear is not to be the motivating factor on our faith
journey. As Christian stewards, it is our job to imitate Christ and follow His
commands out of gratitude for all that He has given us. We are more willing to
live by God’s commands when we are motivated by love and gratitude.
In our Second Reading, St. Paul tells us how to give God authority over our
lives. St. Paul was preaching to the people of Corinth regarding Christ’s
Second Coming. Because he thought the Second Coming was approaching fast, he
encouraged them, if unmarried, to remain that way so they might fix their hearts
on Christ with the time they have left. It might seem that St. Paul’s message
cannot apply to us in our present-day — however, what he said has great value
to us. No matter our state of life — bishop, priest, deacon, religious,
married, single — we are called to put Christ first in our lives and to strive
to please Him in all that we do. We are inviting God to have authority over our
lives when we make Him our top priority. As a result, we will be more prepared
to meet Christ at His Second Coming, and we will have an overwhelming peace in
our hearts.
Our Gospel today reminds us why we want to give God this authority. Jesus was
teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath. All were fixed on His words and
astonished at what He had to say. Suddenly everyone’s attention shifted to a
man with an unclean spirit who began to question Jesus and His authority. Jesus
responded, “Quiet, come out of him!” and removed the evil spirit from the man.
All were amazed at the healing of this man.
Life can sometimes look like the synagogue in Capernaum. We are living as
disciples of Christ, when we suddenly recognize evil around us — through events
in our lives, temptations we are enduring, or by falling into sin. It can
distract us, consume our attention, or even cause us to despair. In these
moments of trial, we must remember the Healer in our Gospel today. Recall His
words, “Quiet, come out of Him!” Jesus has the power and authority over evil,
for He has conquered sin and death. He also has the power and authority over us.
And when we invite Him to have that authority, He will heal us and help us
persevere.
Today, we are reminded that God is in control and that we want Him to be in
control. He is the loving Healer that will work miracles in our lives if we
give Him the authority to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment