22-Jan-2018 Dear Friend, We have all come across persons whom we accept as authorities on some subject or topic. Most often we accept them not merely because they have a string of degrees attached to their name but because we have personally heard them speak or seen their work. Do we truly accept the authority of our religious leaders and preachers? Do we speak about our faith with authority? Do we believe what we are talking about? Have an enlightened weekend! -Fr. Jude Sun. Refl. 4th Sun. of Year “Speaking with authority and cleansing evil spirits” 28-Jan-2018 Deut.: 18:15-20 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28
The first reading from Deuteronomy reminds the people that in the desert the word of God was made known through Moses. When they settled down they would learn the will of God through the prophets God raised in their midst. The people lived in fear of God and did not wish to see or hear God face to face. They wanted the prophets to speak in the place of God. God acceded to their request. What was expected of the people was that they listen to the prophet as they listened to God. Are their prophetic voices in our midst today? Can we discern their presence among us? Commonplace ProphetsAn Amos walks the beaten paths of Tekoa, but he hears a divine voice which no other vine dresser in Tekoa ever caught; a Bunyan tramps about England mending pots and pans, but above the din of this lowly task he catches voices that presently are to reverberate immortally through Pilgrim’s Progress; a Lincoln steers his awkward raft down the Mississippi and ties up near a slave-auction block. But out of his rough routine labour a voice sounds which no other raftsman ever heard; a Riis tramps the round of a New York Reporter in search of news, and out of the ugly tenements through which his duties carry him catches a challenge from the God of social justice which makes him a veritable prophet; and a lad of Galilee at a common carpenter’s bench, shaping the same yokes of wood for the necks of cattle, dreams his way into a vision of the coming kingdom of God. In every case the majesty of the commonplace lies not so much in the task itself as in the spirit which the great soul brings to the task.Frank S. Hickman in ‘Quotes and Anecdotes’ In the gospel of Mark we are introduced to the two activities that characterized the ministry of Jesus: preaching the good news and the casting of demons. We note that as soon as the Sabbath came Jesus preached and his preaching made a deep impression. He spoke with authority and his authority came not from other authorities he quoted but from his own convictions and experience. The man himself was the message. But while the people listened to the message of Jesus there was not full acceptance of his message by all. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, which tried to disrupt the preaching of Jesus. This struggle continues to take place every time goodness confronts evil. Now in the synagogue itself they see that the evil spirits are threatened by the presence of goodness in the person of Jesus. Jesus’ response was: “Be quiet.” God’s power is gentle, for he is the source of peace. With authority he urges the evil one to leave the possessed man. And the spirit with a loud cry went out of him. God’s word is always efficacious and has a profound effect on us. The people in Capernaum were deeply impressed and astounded at what they heard and saw and started asking what it all meant. The journey of faith often begins in an honest search for meaning or in that openness of mind that sees the wonders of everyday life. People Believe What You DoI was out for an early morning walk. The sky was clear all over. At a certain point I heard the noise of a jet plane. I stopped to see if I could locate it. In my search I was guided by the sound, which seemed to be coming from directly overhead. That was my mistake. I searched there, but saw no plane. Then I saw a trail of vapour in the sky. By following this trail to its origin I found the plane – a tiny silver triangle that was barely visible against a canopy of blue. The plane was way out in the front, whereas the sound was still only overhead. But that sound was loud enough to awaken the dead. In a manner of speaking, the plane acted first, and spoke later. Ideally that is how it always should be –deeds should precede words. When people who have done something, or are doing something, begin to speak, people listen. Their words carry enormous weight. They have real authority. People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do. The weakness of a lot of words arises from the fact that they are not preceded or accompanied, or even followed by words. At the root of innumerable wrongs in our world is the discrepancy between word and deed. It is the weakness of churches, parties, and individuals. It gives people and institutions split personalities.Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’ Freedom to ServeDuring the early days of the nineteenth century a wealthy plantation owner was attracted by the heartbreaking sobs of a slave girl who was about to step up to the auction block to be sold. Moved by a momentary impulse of compassion, he bought her at a very high price and then disappeared in the crowd. When the auction was over, the clerk came to the sobbing girl and handed her bill of sale. To her astonishment, the plantation owner had written ‘Free’ over the paper that should have delivered her to him as his possession. She stood speechless, as one by one the other slaves were claimed by their owners and dragged away. Suddenly, she threw herself at the feet of the clerk and exclaimed: “Where is the man who bought me? I must find him! He has set me free! I must serve him as long as I live!”Anthony Castle in ‘More Quotes and Anecdotes’ Speaking with AuthorityAntiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, had a great interest in Egypt. He amassed an army and invaded that country in 168 B.C. To his deep humiliation the Romans ordered him home. They did not send an army to oppose him; such was the might of Rome that they did not need to. They sent a senator called Popillius Laenas with a small and quite unarmed suite. Popillius and Antiochus met on the boundaries of Egypt. They talked; they both knew Rome and they had been friendly. Then very gently Popillius told Antiochus that Rome did not wish him to proceed with the campaign and wished him to go home. Antiochus said he would consider it. Popillius took the staff he was carrying and drew a circle in the sand round about Antiochus. Quietly he said, “Consider it now; you will give me your decision before you leave that circle.” Antiochus thought for a moment and realized that to defy Rome was impossible. “I will go home,” he said. It was a shattering humiliation for a king. But that was the power and the authority of the Roman Caesars. – In today’s gospel we hear of another man who exercised authority; not the authority of brute power that subjugated people, but the power that comes from God. His authority was different from anyone else. His authority was divine.John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday Homilies’ Speaking with AuthorityIn one of its issues Newsweek addressed in depth the Women’s Liberation Movement. It observed that once the revolution was declared, the nation was flooded with books on the subject. Some books, like those written by Nancy Woloch and Phyllis Schlafly, were serious studies of the significance of the movement. Other books, like those authored by Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, were more strident and dogmatic. The latter illustrate what often happens in a movement – self-styled prophets emerge who presume to speak with full authority. And so we have had such figures as Hugh Hefner as the spokesman for the Playboy Philosophy, Guru Timothy Leary for the LSD cult and the militant Malcolm X for the Black Power movement. History shows that many of these movements die out and that their prophets fade away. But there is one movement that endures, one prophet who lives forever. The movement is Christianity and the prophet is Jesus Christ. Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ Authority is a Strange Thing!Authority is a strange thing. A fourteen year-old boy argues about the curfew imposed by his parents. Then the next day in the freshman baseball game, he dutifully lays down a good bunt, forgoing a mighty swing at the fence, because the coach flashed a signal from the bench. Instant obedience to the coach; reluctant submission to mum and dad! On an airliner the captain flashes the seat-belt sign and everybody complies. Four hours later in a rented car, the passenger disregards the seat belt. The irony: for the same distance travelled, the airliner is three times safer.Gerard Fuller in ‘Stories for all Seasons’ All change must begin with selfMohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Father of the Indian Nation, once said: “There are seven evils that destroy not only individual persons, but also entire countries. They are politics without principle, pleasure without conscience, wealth without work, knowledge without character, business without morality, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice.” The much desired change that all desire in this millennium can come about only through you and me, for, as is well known, all change must begin with change of self. May God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven through you and through me!James V. in “Your Words O Lord, Are Spirit and They Are Life” I want to be free from anxieties!A doctor calls his patient and says: “I have good news and bad news.” “What’s the good news?” “What’s the good news?” “You have 24 hours to live.” “What?” That’s the good news? What is the bad news?” “I forgot to call you yesterday!” The heart of today’s gospel is that Jesus liberates us, as he did the man in the synagogue. If we wish to be free from anxieties and worries, we need to be liberated from our captivities. I got an ordination gift which said, “Lord help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that you and I together cannot handle.” I hope you have heard the Lion King Movie song: “Hakuna Matata!” It is a Swahili phrase literally translated as “there are no worries” for the rest of our days, it is our problem-free life philosophy. Hakuna Matata!John Pichappilly in ‘The Table of the Word” May we acknowledge God’s authority over us and be transformed by it! Fr. Jude Botelho [email protected] PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.
