Daily HOMILY for February 3, 2015: Tuesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

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Tuesday 4^th Week OT

St. Luke’s Institute

February 3, 2015

STORIES OF A GIRL & A WOMAN ++++++++++++++++

Ø  Mark has sandwiched together 2 healing stories, 1 of a 12-year old girl, the other of a woman who’s suffered from hemorrhages for 12 years

Ø  He begins the story of the girl; then stops it & inserts story of the woman w/ the hemorrhages

Ø  He then returns & finishes story of the young girl

Ø  Both girl & woman are in desperate situations

Ø  Both stories focus on faith as cause of their cures

Ø  4 young girl, who’s at point of death, it’s her father who manifests faith that J can help her

Ø  W/ woman w/ hemorrhages, it’s woman herself

Ø  The 2 stories play off 1 another & that’s by design – the so-called sandwich methodology

Ø  Both stories demonstrate what’s involved in the dynamics of faith

5 STEPS OF FAITH 4 BOTH ++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  Notice following aspects that may apply 2 selves

Ø  Like girl’s father someone in authority may have sought out healing intervention of SLI for a resident or, like woman, resident may have sought SLI’s help for a healing

Ø  In both, there’s risk involved in approaching J

Ø  Both girl’s father & woman w/ the hemorrhages demonstrate BOLDNESS in approaching Jesus

Ø  Both also manifest strong CONFIDENCE that what’s needed will be granted

Ø  In both EMPOWERMENT flows from coming into contact w/ J

Ø  Finally, there’s TRANSFORMATION 4 both girl & woman

Ø  Both get their lives back

CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  For Mark, the dynamics of faith then are RISK, BOLDNESS, CONFIDENCE, EMPOWERMENT, and TRANSFORMATION

Ø  This is the faith that can move mountains

Ø  What we learn from Gospel is you can’t have last 2: EMPOWERMENT and TRANSFORMATION…

Ø  W/o 1^st 3: RISK, BOLDNESS, and CONFIDENCE

Ø  Which do I lack?” may be an appropriate question for us this morning

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Weekly HOMILY for February 1, 2015: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

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4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

St. Francis de Sales, Abingdon

February 1, 2015

Authority and Its Power

By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato

Authority

In the life experience that you and I have, authority is almost always related to a position or a title.

For example, a business employer, a schoolteacher, an elected civic official, a parent, a basketball coach, a priest – all of these people have a certain authority.  It is related to their position and is reflected in their title.

This is a very different situation from Jesus because he has no position or title.  No position and yet, today’s Gospel states that, “The people are amazed at his teaching, for he taught as one having authority.”

 

Jesus’ Authority

In preparing to speak with you, I came across an interesting insight about Jesus’ authority.

The original word for “authority” used in this passage is Greek and literally means “out of being” or “out of his own being.”

So Jesus teaches and drives away evil in this incident “out of his own being.”  He does this from his inner self, from who he is as a person.

Now, it is easy for us to think of Jesus doing this “out of his own being.”  After all, we believe – as the unclean spirit says in this passage – that he is “the Holy One of God.”

He is the Son of God.  So it’s no wonder he can teach and cast out evil “out of his own being,” out of his inner self, out of who he is as a person.

Our Authority

It is not so easy to think of ourselves as having this kind of authority.

But, I believe, Jesus’ example calls us to this and it demands some work from us.  It demands above all that we be quiet and slow down enough to look within ourselves to become aware of who we really are.

It demands that we know our humanity – our strengths, like having a keen mind to understand things quickly or like having good relational skills.  It also demands that we know our weaknesses – like always wanting everything our own way or like not being very flexible.

Having and living with the authority of Jesus also means that we try to really take in and understand and apply to ourselves the way of Jesus.  It means that we allow him to empower us and shape us from within.

And then, with this inner self, we can act with the authority of Jesus in whatever position we have or title we hold. 

We are able to lead the business, contribute to the work group, or coach the kids out of our inner being and allow that transformative energy to influence what we say and do.

That’s a Jesus-understanding of authority

Authority over Evil

In addition to this inner authority, the Gospel can also help us to see how Jesus uses this authority he has in a way that astonishes the crowd watching him.

He casts out evil spirits from this man in the synagogue.  My thought is that today there remain evil spirits that can be cast out.

One such spirit is the evil spirit of instant gratification.  We know it all too well: We want, what we want, when we want it, and that usually means right now. 

This spirit can lead us to an inappropriate expression of sexuality.  My pleasure right now becomes the driving force above any other consideration.

Or this spirit can lead us to an overall impatience.  We get impatient with slowed traffic or with anything or anyone who interferes with what we want right now.

Conclusion

So, I am saying tat the authority of Jesus comes “out of his being,” out of his inner self.

Jesus calls us to be aware of our inner selves, to let him in and then live out of that. 

If we do this, Jesus’ authority coupled with the authority or empowerment we have within us can cast out those evil spirits that can afflict us today, just as he does for the man in the gospel.

Daily HOMILY for January 27, 2015: Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

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Tuesday 3^rd Week OT

St. Luke’s Institute

January 27, 2015

GOD’S WIL ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  At times we all struggle w/ knowing “God’s will”

Ø  Throughout history the misappropriation of “God’s will” has led to some ugly results  

Ø  Religious wars, colonization, & terrorism stem from the misuse of religion & a mistaken interpretation of what it means 2 do G’s will

Ø  Readings remind us, we cannot run from notion, that there is a will of G & we’re called 2 do it! 

Ø  But what is it? Where do we find it? 

JESUS & GOD’S WILL ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  J himself didn’t fully comprehend what G had in store 4 his own life until after his baptism

Ø  & we witness J’s struggle w/ G’s will in Gethsemane, when it was clear he’d B betrayed

Ø  J, fully human & divine, experienced difficulty of both knowing G’s will & needing 2 execute it as a limited person

Ø  J’s life & death give us a glimpse at both attentiveness we need 2 understand G’s will & the extraordinary strength & courage 2 do it

US & GOD’S WILL +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  G’s will = still a mystery 2 me.  I don’t know what G wants from me, & we may never know God’s plan for the world

Ø  But that doesn’t mean we are not responsible for listening 2 God w/ an open heart like Jesus

Ø  We must cultivate an attentiveness & a stillness that allow us 2 communicate w/ G in midst of R daily chaos

Ø  And in those moments of prayerful reflection when we do perceive God’s will, it might require immense fortitude to carry it out

CONCLUSION ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ø  On the heels of the Baptism of Lord & in light of readings, we commit ourselves 2 contemplating what it means to “come to do the Lord’s will”

Ø  As we’re called 2 do in sacrament of Baptism & commit 2 do each day in Eucharist

Ø  Specific answers may prove elusive, but we’re assured that the spiritual process will bear great fruit.

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