4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Fr. Jerry Bell – January 29, 2012
   The world is certainly experiencing tough times these days. Some have so much, others can barely scrape by. In this election year many powerful people are saying lots of things. Messengers come to the fore. It’s hard to figure it all out and to know to whom to listen. I suspect the world has always had needs. They just seem to be more evident today. Or, perhaps with the experience of years I pay closer attention.

   God has always sent messengers. God’s power is most manifested through persons, envoys, visionaries, prophets. There was Moses who led God’s people. There was a Paul. Today, we hear that Jesus spoke with authority. Authentic authority is not being able to tell someone what to do, or deferring to people in high places, or throwing our weight around. The authority Jesus had, came from the fact that his words and actions were of one piece. It took a demoniac, one with an unclean spirit, to recognize Him, as “the holy one of God.” This Jesus teaches with authority and has power over evil. His words effect what they say. “Quiet! Come out of him!” It wasn’t so much the miracle, but the display of God’s face-to-face presence mediated in Jesus. In Jesus, the encounter with God is not terrifying, but astonishing and amazing. The reign of evil is supplemented by the reign of God. The miracle was followed by the challenge to believe. Jesus has the power; we just have to believe that he is the holy one of God. God continues to speak to his people through our friends, our spouse, our siblings, the neighbor next door, the Church. God continues to speak to us, His people, through experiences like: our Clustered Parish Mission, Why Catholic? Catholicism Today, Stewardship Renewal.

   Like the guy with the unclean spirit, we can listen to unclean spirits, or Jesus. So, where does the voice of God speak to you? It happens right where we are in our vocation, and time, and place. And, God uses each of us who share in His spirit. To our loved ones, God summons us to love. At the request of a co-worker and the needs of others, God summons us to generosity, compassion, and patience. In the grip of enemies God summons us to forgive. To the stranger, we are to see the face of Christ. If we don’t hear the voice of God, we’re not paying attention to our essential relationship with Christ. The reign of God is usually a gradual process, a listening, and accepting, transformation or taming.

   The unclean spirits have a way of getting our attention. May the impact of Jesus get our attention, even more. May we once again meet Him with open minds and hearts, for he calls each of us to follow as his steward. In the following, our powerlessness gives way to his power.