Nick's Sunday Gospel Sharing

Cycle B - Year I:   

1 February 2015: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Mark 1:21-28

The Lord teaches with authority!

Someone with a gift of eloquence may not necessarily be an authoritative speaker. And so, impressive is the person who can speak both with eloquence and also with authority.

In our Lord Jesus Christ we find both an eloquent speaker and an authoritative teacher. Because Jesus speaks from the heart and knows what He is talking about.

In this Sunday's Gospel, Mark narrates that at Capernaum Jesus entered the synagogue on the sabbath and taught. His audience were vastly impressed by His preaching and were amazed by the Lord's authority to exorcise demons. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him. Evil spirits are real entities and our Lord has authority over them.

Well, that is not surprising because the reality is that Jesus is Lord of the whole universe, that is both the natural and supernatural orders.

That is why our Lord teaches with authority. And this teaching authority He left with the Church, through the ministry of the pope and the bishops in communion with him.

It is important to clarify how Catholics understand "authority". The pope and the bishops, as authorities of the Church, are really custodians of an authoritative tradition. This means that the pope and bishops do not invent Church doctrines, but rather the servants, and not masters, of the tradition, or the truths, that define the Church. In this proper context, we refer to the pope and bishops as authoritative teachers, not authoritarian strongmen that force and coerce others into doing or believing in something by threat and intimidation.

By His own examples, our Lord Jesus reveals that true authority is based in service to others. It is the service or ministry that the pope and bishops render to the Church when they faithfully transmit the deposit of faith down through the ages. This authority is rooted in Christ Himself, who maintains dominion over all creation by virtue of His divinity.

In his recent pastoral visit to our country, Pope Francis wanted the faithful to focus on Jesus, rather than his person, because it is Jesus' authority that he represents as the Vicar of Christ on earth, through his mission of "mercy and compassion" for the poor, especially the victims of recent natural calamities.

The Christian faithful, through our baptism and confirmation, receive the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us, or gives us the authority, to defeat evil in the world and lead people to Jesus. And it is through the Holy Spirit that we also preach with authority by our authentic Christian living.

The Church also celebrates today Pro-Life Sunday. Let us promote Christ's life-giving love and defend the dignity and sacredness of every human life.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!