Speaking the Word of God with authority

F

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Ir-4 Ħadd matul is-Sena   2018

Messalin B pp 356

Reading 1

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses spoke to all the people, saying: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.' And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'" This is the word of the Lord.

L-Ewwel Lezzjoni

Qari mill-Ktieb tad-Dewteronomju 18, 15-20

Mose' kellem lill-poplu u qal:  "Il-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, iqajjimlek profeta  bħali minn ġensek, minn fost ħutek; lilu għandkom tisimgħu. Dan kollu skont ma tlabt int stess lill-Mulej, Alla tiegħek, fil-Ħoreb f'jum il-laqgħa, meta għedt:  "Jalla ma nismax leħen il-Mulej, Alla tiegħi, u ma narax aktar dan in-nar iħeġġeġ, ħalli ma mmutx." U l-Mulej qalli:  "Sewwa għamlu li tkellmu.   Jiena nqajmilhom profeta bħalek, minn fost ħuthom: inqiegħed kliemi fuq fommu, u jħabbrilhom kull ma nordnalu.   Min ma jagħtix widen għal kliemi li huwa jħabbar f'ismi, jiena nitolbu kont talli jkun naqas.U jekk xi profeta jfettilu jgħid f'ismi ħwejjeġ li ma nkunx qabbadtu jgħid, jew inkella jħabbar f'isem alla oħra, dan il-profeta jkun ħaqqu l-mewt." Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Responsorial Psalm             

PSALM 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

                 
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Salm Responsorjali                                                                      

Salm 94(95)

Ejjew, ħa nfaħħru bl-hena l-Mulej,

ħa ngħajtu bil-ferħ lill-blata tas-salvazzjoni tagħna!

Nersqu quddiemu b'għana ta' radd il-ħajr,

ngħannulu b'għajjat ta' ferħ.                                       

R/  Mhux li kontu llum tisimgħu leħen il-Mulej.  La twebbsu qalbkom.

Ejjew inqimuh u ninxteħtu quddiemu,

għarkupptejna quddiem il-Mulej li ħalaqna!

Għaliex hu Alla tagħna,

u aħna l-poplu tiegħu u n-nagħaġ tiegħu.                   

R/  Mhux li kontu llum tisimgħu leħen il-Mulej.  La twebbsu qalbkom.

Mhux li kontu llum tisimgħu leħnu!

"La twebbsux qalbkom bħal f'Meriba,

bħal dakinhar f'Massa, fid-deżert,

meta ġarrbuni u ttantawni missirijietkom,

għalkemm raw dak li jien għamilt."                            

R/  Mhux li kontu llum tisimgħu leħen il-Mulej.  La twebbsu qalbkom.

Reading 2                              

1 Cor 7:32-35

Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.  I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction. This is the word of the Lord.

It-Tieni Lezzjoni

Qari mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 7, 32-35

Ħuti, iva, jiena rridkom bla ħsibijiet.  Ir-raġel mhux miżżewwġ, ħsiebu fil-ħwejjeħ tal-Mulej, jiġifieri, jif jogħġob lill-Mulej.   Min hu miżżewweġ, ħsiebu fil-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja, jiġifieri, kif jogħġob lil martu,u hu mifrud fih nnifsu! Hekk ukoll il-mara mhux miżżewġa u x-xebba ħsiebhom fil-ħwejjeġ tal-Mulej, jiġifieri, biex ikunu  qaddisa f'ġisimhom u f'ruħhom.  Iżda l-mara miżżewġa ħsieba fil-ħwejjeġ tad-dinja, jiġifieri, kif togħġob lil żewġha. Dan qiegħed ngħidhulkom għall-ġid tagħkom, mhux biex inxekkilkom, iżda għall-ġid tagħkom u biex tgħixu marbutin mal-Mulej bla tixrid ta' moħħ. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

Gospel                                   

Mark 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?I know who you are?the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. This is the word of the Lord.

L-Evanġelju

Qari skont San Mark 1, 211-28

F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' u d-dixxipli tiegħu daħlu Kafarnahum.   Malajr,  f'jum is-Sibt, daħal fis-sinagoga u qagħad jgħallem. In-nies baqgħu mistagħġbin bil-mod tat- tagħlim tiegħu, għax beda jgħallimhom bħal wieħed li għandu s-setgħa, u mhux bħall-kittieba. Mela jkun hemm fis-sinagoga tagħhm ragel bi spirtu ħażin u qabad jgħajjat u jgħid:  "Aħna x'għandna x'naqsmu, Ġesu' ta' Nazaret?   Ġejt biex teqridna?  Jien naf min int: Il-Qaddis ta' Alla?"   Imma Ġesu' kkmandaħ:  "Iskot!  Oħroġ minnu!"  Imbagħad l-ispirtu ħażin lir-raġel beda jħabbtu ħafna, għajjat għajta kbira u ħareġ minnu. U lkoll stagħġbu, u bdew jistaqsu lil xulxin u jgħidu: "Dan x'inhu?  X'tagħlim ġdid mogħti bis-setgħa!   Sa lill-ispirtu jikkmanda, u huma joqogħdu għalih?   U l-fama tiegħu xterdet mal-inħawi kollha tal-Galilija. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej

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Speaking the Word of God with Authority

Commentary by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB

At the beginning of Mark's story of the Son of God, we read of the calling of the first disciples (1:16-20) and the confrontation with evil (1:21-28). The calling, influenced by the compelling calls of the prophets (e.g., Isaiah 6:1-13; Jeremiah 1:14-19), is a model of discipleship. Jesus is not a solitary prophet but one who calls companions "to be with him;" he enters the lives of four people engaged in their ordinary occupations, simply says, "Follow me," and they immediately leave everything to follow him.

The story of Jesus in the Capernaum synagogue inaugurates the first day of his ministry that consists of exorcisms and healings. The story reflects contemporary Jewish thought that the coming of God's kingdom would mark the defeat of evil, which is personified in an array of demons and unclean spirits. Jesus' word is so powerful that people abandon their occupations and follow him, and even demonic powers are powerless before it. Jesus summons people to a change of heart, to take a new look at their lives and put their trust in the good news. This is not simply a story from the past, but one that continues to speak powerfully and prophetically to people today.

On this Fourth Sunday of Ordinary time, both the first reading (Deuteronomy 18:15-20) and the Gospel (Mark 1:21-28) raise the issue of the authority of those who speak the Word of God. Authentic prophets taught with authority because God put his own words into their mouths. In the first reading, Moses tells the people that God will send a prophet from the line of the Israelites. God commands everyone to listen to this prophet, who we come to recognize as Jesus.

Jesus astonishes the people in the Capernaum synagogue with his teaching and authority. He taught with authority because he is the living Word of God. We are all witnesses to this living Word who is Jesus. We have no authority of our own; we simply proclaim his Word. Each member of the Church, by virtue of baptism and confirmation, has a prophetic role, and echoes the Word of God himself, both by words and example. We must walk our talk!

Two of the most misused and misunderstood words in our day are "prophet" and "prophetic." In the popular mind, prophets fall into some well-worn stereotypes, always standing outside, protesting the system. They might be dressed poorly, shouting out and embarrassing the polite and the elite! For many such prophets, anger seems to be a signature emotion.

Yet in the Bible, prophecy often looks very different. There were certainly those lone prophets like Elijah and John the Baptist, but more often prophets were fully integrated into the "systems" and "structures" of their times. Think of Jeremiah, who came from the fallen priestly house of Eli; and Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah were also priests and prophets of the court. Prophets appeared in the courts of the kings of Israel. In the moving story of King David, the prophet Nathan rebuked the king for adultery and murder but he was also capable of some rather discrete maneuvering in his efforts to put Solomon on the throne!

Authentic prophets were strident opponents of the status quo. They recognized and felt the injustice that kings and priests and false prophets wanted to whitewash. They shared the groans of the oppressed poor, of widows, orphans and the dispossessed, and articulated those groans in cries of woe. They denounced the system, but denounced a system in which they were often enmeshed. They experienced deeply what was wrong with that system, and did everything they could to bring about change from within the system.

It's far too easy to denounce from a distance. Gestures of repudiation and condemnation cost so little, and adding the term prophetic may lend an aura of piety, importance and savvy to one's reputations and works. But they don't accomplish their goal of bringing about conversion, transformation and renewal.

Prophets in the Bible cannot afford gestures. They are called to speak the word of the Lord from within the court, often wreaking havoc in the process! Authentic prophets spoke the truth face-to-face with power, to powerful men and women whom the prophets knew intimately, frequently from their own position of power. And often, the prophets were in the employ of those whom they challenged!

Finally, a word on our own "prophetic" efforts to bring about change in the Church. I will be forever grateful to the late Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles for having instilled these ideas in my mind and heart years ago. The then Father Dulles said that reformers ought to speak prophetically. This may well be true, provided that the nature of prophecy be correctly understood. Father said that St. Thomas Aquinas made an essential distinction between prophecy as it functioned in the Old Testament and as it functions within the Church. The ancient prophets were sent for two purposes: "To establish the faith and to rectify behavior." In our day, Father Dulles continued, "the faith is already founded, because the things promised of old have been fulfilled in Christ. But prophecy which has as its goal to rectify behavior neither ceases nor will ever cease."

How do we speak the Word of God with authority today? How do we use our authority to further the Kingdom of God? How are our words, gestures, messages and lives prophetic today, in the Church and in the world?

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