Schooler's Sagacity and Senility: Homilies from Fr. Bill

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

20 JANUARY 2018

          Moses was the greatest figure in the Old Testament.  As a prophet, he spoke God’s Word directly to his people.  Long before Israel had priests or kings, he sacrificed himself for the good of his people and led them from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.  But, as great as he was, he tells his people today that God would raise up a prophet like him from among his kin who will speak in God’s name.

            Throughout the history of Israel, Rabbis would remember that promise.  When they taught, they would cite Rabbis who had gone before them, much as lawyers today base their arguments on legal arguments that preceded them.  Ultimately, any Rabbi would trace his teaching back to Moses, the greatest teacher.  However, that is not what Jesus does when he teaches in the synagogue in Capernaum.  He does not cite previous authorities.  He speaks on his own authority.  His teaching astonishes those listening to him.  Ironically, it is the unclean spirit who knows exactly who Jesus is.  He is the one promised by Moses.  He does not cite any authority, because he speaks the truth in his own name as the Son of God. 

            It will take the rest of Mark’s Gospel for the disciples to understand who Jesus truly is and what he accomplishes through his death and resurrection.  It is the new reality that Paul explains to the Corinthians, a new turning toward Christ that will take priority over everything else in our lives, even the many blessings of married life. 

            During this liturgical year, we will hear the words and actions of Jesus Christ on most Sundays from the Gospel of Mark.  Through this Gospel, Jesus will invite us to deepen our understanding of him and make a new commitment to be his faithful disciples.  He will invite us to hear his voice and to let go of our hardened hearts.  He will invite us to trust that he has power over unclean spirits.  And we all have our demons:  whether they are addictions, habits that rob us of true freedom to embrace the person of Jesus Christ, or hearts so hardened that we cannot recognize Christ in the people around us.  In our contemporary culture, there are demons lurking in all kinds of instant communication:  email, Instagram, twitter, Facebook, and on and on.  Recently, Pope Francis proposed a prayer modeled after the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi:

            Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

            Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.

            Help us to remove the venom from our judgments.

            Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.

            You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world:

            Where there is shouting, let us practice listening;

            Where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;

            Where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;

            Where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;

            Where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;

            Where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions;

            Where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;

            Where there is hostility, let us bring respect;

            Where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.  Amen.

            The Internet did not exist in that synagogue in Capernaum.  But, faced with its reality today, both good and bad, the Pope’s prayer might help us to recognize the truth about Jesus Christ and learn to respond better as faithful disciples.