OT IV [B] (Jan 28) Sunday (Eight-minute homily in one page) L/24
OT IV [B] (Jan 28) Sunday (Eight-minute homily in one page) L/24

OT IV [B] (Jan 28) Sunday (Eight-minute homily in one page) L/24

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is Divine authority, as exercised in this world by the prophets of the Old Testament in their messages, by the apostles (including St. Paul), in their writings and teaching in the New Testament, and by Jesus in his teaching and healing ministry. The readings remind us that we should have a “listening heart” (Gospel), instead of a “hardened heart” (Responsorial Psalm) or “divided heart” (Second reading) to welcome the authoritative word of God.

Scripture lessons summarized: Today’s first reading tells us that a true prophet like Moses speaks with authority because it is God Who speaks through him.  After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish priests began to interpret the words of Moses given in the first reading, namely, "a prophet like me," as referring to one individual, the expected Messiah.   This passage is chosen for today’s first reading because it refers to Jesus, the "preacher with authority," mentioned in today's Gospel. The response for today’s Responsorial Psalm,  (Ps 95), speaks of not hardening our hearts when we hear God’s authoritative voice through the Scripture and the Church’s teaching authority. In the second reading, St. Paul exercises his God-given authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to teach people in Corinth that marriage is a holy state ordained by God and that it is a life-long partnership according to the teaching of the Lord. But he opts for, and recommends, celibacy, so that one may serve the Lord without the distractions of married life. In today’s Gospel, Mark describes one sample Sabbath day of Jesus’ public life.  Jesus joins in public worship in the synagogue as a practicing Jew, heals the sick, drives out evil spirits and prays privately.  People immediately notice that Jesus teaches with authority and heals with Divine power. Jesus explains the Scriptures with complete confidence, and when questioned by people, he answers with authority.  Jesus is using his real (authentic) Divine authority to teach, empower, liberate, and heal others. In today’s Gospel, the evil spirit recognizes and loudly declares Jesus as the Messiah.  By his simple, if harsh, command, "Be quiet! Come out of him," Jesus exorcises the demon who departs, obedient to His Divine authority.   

Life Messages: 1) We need to approach Jesus for liberation:  Jesus did not use his authority and Divine power to rule and control people, but to set them free.  Hence, let us approach Jesus with trusting Faith so that he may free us from the evil spirits that keep us from praying and that prevent us from loving others and sharing our blessings with them.  Jesus also frees us from all the “evil spirits” of fear, jealousy, anger, envy, addictions, compulsions, selfishness, resentment, and hostility.  May God free us from all those spirits which make us deaf, dumb, blind, lame, and paralyzed, physically and spiritually.

 2) We need to use our God-given authority to build up lives.  So many people with authority have made a lasting impression on our lives either for good or ill.  Perhaps it was a grandparent, an uncle, or a parent, who loved us and cared for us.  Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher who encouraged us in our Faith and exerted a positive impact on our lives.  Perhaps we remember the kindness as well as the firm discipline that a schoolteacher gave us.  Teachers are powerful because they change and mold lives. Hence, let us all become good teachers like Jesus and use our authority to mold young lives in the right way. (The British English spelling is mould).

OT IV [B] (Jan 28) Dt 18:15-20; I Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28 

Homily starter anecdotes # 1: Jesus, the exorcist with authority: In the 1970 the movie The Exorcist was breaking box office records. It concerned a young person who was possessed by an evil spirit, not unlike the one in today’s Gospel. The movie was based on an actual case of a 14-year-old boy who lived in Mt. Rainier, Maryland, in 1949. Newsweek described the case this way. “Pictures, chairs and the boy’s bed would suddenly move about. At night, the boy could rarely sleep. After he was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital…the boy began to mouth fierce curses in ancient languages and at one point, while strapped helplessly in his bed, long red scathes appeared on his body.” The boy eventually survived an exorcism and started living in the Washington, DC area. An old priest involved in the boy’s exorcism has taken a vow not to discuss it. He does say, however, that the experience dramatically changed his life for the better. -- The deeper meaning behind Jesus’ exorcisms is that the kingdom of Satan which had enslaved people since Adam’s sin, was now giving way to the kingdom of God. (Fr. Mark Link S. J.)

# 2:  Who would examine me? One scholar who was a real authority in his subject was the famous George Lyman Kittredge, for years a professor of English literature at Harvard University. Having received his bachelor’s degree at Harvard, he showed such talent that the University engaged him as a teacher. This was long before the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was demanded of university faculty members or, indeed, was even a popular degree in America. Professor Kittredge, A.B. soon became one of the world’s most learned men in English literature. For decades, his courses on Shakespeare were the most popular courses taught at Harvard. Every now and then, in his later years, some of his students would ask him, “Why don’t you study for a doctorate of philosophy? The brusque bearded old scholar always had the same answer, “Who would examine me?”  --Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus had a completely new teaching in a spirit of authority! (Mark, 1-27. Today’s Gospel). (-Father Robert F. McNamara). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 3: God sends His prophets all the time: When Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the freedom of all the slaves in the United States on January 1, 1863, his was the voice  of a prophet. When Lincoln’s contemporary, Susan B. Anthony pioneered the suffrage movement that eventually led to the passage of the 19th Amendment (1920) and gave women the right to vote, hers was the voice of a prophet. When Pope Leo XIII delivered his encyclical entitled On the Condition of the Working Man and called upon Christians to attend to unjust labor laws and practices, his was the voice of a prophet. Similarly, when Cardinal Leo-Josef Suenens of Belgium stood up at the end of the first session of Vatican II and urged the Council to examine not only the mystery of the Church in itself but also the Church’s relationship to and responsibility for the world at large, his was the voice of a prophet. Rachel Carson’s book entitled Silent Spring (1962) was prophetic in that it summoned the world to an awareness of the dangers of environmental pollution. When Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu drew the world’s attention to the dangers and injustices of apartheid, his was the voice of a prophet as were so many others in this century alone, e.g., Dorothy Day, St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa), Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Teilhard de Chardin, Leonardo Boff, Jon Sobrino and the Latin American Bishops who raised their voices first at Medellin, Colombia (1968) and then at Puebla, Mexico (1979) to affirm the Church as “an instrument of liberation, an agent of social justice and a defender of the poor and the oppressed.” These prophets tried to bring the reality of the sacred into every sphere of the human experience. --  In today’s liturgical readings, we are called upon to allow the prophetic messages of Moses, Paul, and Jesus to penetrate our consciences and claim them for God. Moreover, we are challenged to continue to listen to the prophets among us, and to exercise the ministry of prophecy for our contemporaries in our words, works and manner of living. (Sánchez Files). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

# 4: Jesus taught and acted with authority: Kenneth L. Woodward, writing in Newsweek magazine, gives us a glimpse of what Christ's coming meant to the world. He writes, "Whether we like it or not, Christ's life radically changed human culture throughout the world . . . Before Jesus came, the world was ruled by the 'might makes right' theory. But Jesus' teaching about humility and turning the other cheek redefined our views of human character, of war, of masculinity. Jesus' commitment to the poor, to women, and to children opened the way for civil rights and equality for women. Marriages became more equitable. In ancient Rome, it was a common practice in Roman families to kill female babies. Sociologist Rodney Stark notes that evidence exists that among at least 600 ancient Roman families, fewer than a dozen had more than one daughter. But Christians valued the lives of all people, whether male or female, and prohibited the killing of any children." (“2000 Years of Jesus," March 29, 1999, p. 55). -- But the revolution is not complete. We still live in a pre-Christian world. There is still too much hatred, too much violence, too much debasement of human dignity. If you are comfortable in Jesus' presence, you simply do not see him as he really is. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Charging Bull by Leo_Aguiar - Thingiverse#5: “Show him yer papers!” "There is an old story about some telephone linemen who were busy putting up telephone poles through a farmer's fields. The farmer ordered them off his land, whereupon they showed him a paper giving them the right to plant poles wherever they pleased. Not long afterward, a big, vicious bull charged the linemen. The old farmer sat on a nearby fence and yelled: 'Show him yer papers, darn ye, show him yer papers!'" -- To many Christians, Jesus' authority is only a paper authority. His word is something we study for inspiration, but we really don't believe that what Jesus teaches applies to our situation. For many of us, Jesus' authority doesn't extend to putting a marriage or a family back together. It doesn't mean curing an addiction or healing a character flaw. Maybe 2,000 years ago Jesus had authority, but not today. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is Divine authority as exercised by the prophets of the Old Testament in their messages, by the apostles (including St. Paul), in their writings and teaching in the New Testament, and by Jesus in his teaching and healing ministry. Today’s first reading tells us that a true prophet speaks with authority because it is God Who speaks through him.  After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish priests began to interpret the words of Moses given in the first reading, namely, "a prophet like me," as referring to one individual, the expected Messiah.  According to Acts 3:22; 7:37 this prophecy is verified in Jesus Christ.   This passage is chosen for today's first reading because it refers to Jesus, the "preacher with authority," mentioned in today's Gospel. In the second reading, St. Paul exercises his God-given authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to teach people that marriage is a holy state ordained by God and that it is a life-long partnership according to the teaching of the Lord. In today’s Gospel, Mark describes one sample Sabbath day of Jesus’ public life.  Jesus joins in public worship in the synagogue as a practicing Jew, he heals the sick, he drives out evil spirits -- and he prays privately.  Since anyone could be invited to explain the Holy Scripture in synagogue worship, Jesus was invited.  People immediately noticed that Jesus spoke with authority and healed with Divine power. The Old Testament prophets had taught using God’s delegated authority, and the scribes and Pharisees taught quoting Moses, the prophets, and the great rabbis. But Jesus taught using his own authority and knowledge as God to teach, empower, liberate, and heal others. 

First reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 explained. Moses was about to die.  The Chosen People were terrified because they were about to lose the person who had been successfully leading them through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.  They were also going to lose a prophet who had been keeping them informed of Yahweh's will. When he died, how would they find out what God wanted of them? God answers the question by promising Moses that He will heed the people’s request and “raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and … put My words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.” That Jesus is the prophet foretold by Moses in today’s First Reading is made clear in Acts 3:22; 7:37). Jesus has authority over Heaven and earth (Dn 7:14, 27; Rv 12:10).  Moses had set up a theocratic society for the Israelites as he had been instructed to do by God.  This society had various officers to regulate the civil and religious life of the people, e.g., judges, kings, priests and prophets.  Today’s reading tells us that a true prophet would speak with authority because it would be God Who spoke through him.  The text was first seen as promising that there would be a line of prophets to interpret previous revelations by God and to add some new ones for each generation.  After the return from the Babylonian exile (c. 538 B. C.), the Jewish priests began to interpret this text of Deuteronomy as referring to one individual, namely the Messiah who was to come.  The New Testament followed this interpretation and saw these words of dying Moses, "a prophet like me," verified in Christ (Acts 3:22; 7:37).  These verses therefore, have been chosen for today's first reading because they refer to Jesus, the "preacher with authority," mentioned in today's Gospel.  

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 explained.  St. Paul and most of the early Christians believed, or strongly hoped, that the end of this world and the second coming of Christ were imminent.  For this reason, many Christians in Corinth thought they should not enter into marriage, lest marriage should interfere with their whole-hearted service of God in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  As a good Jew, Paul presumed that a different set of circumstances always demanded a different prophet with a different word.  Hence, St. Paul exercised his God-given authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to teach people that marriage is a holy state ordained by God and that it is a life-long partnership according to the teaching of the Lord (see Mt. 5:32; 19:3-9).  Further, Paul recommended the life of celibacy he himself had chosen to the non-married only if they felt they could live such a life.  The advantage of celibacy, as Paul explained, was that   celibates would have the freedom to serve God fully with the fewest earthly cares and worries. 

Gospel exegesis: Worship and teaching in the synagogues: In Jesus’ time there were synagogues in Palestine in every city and town of any importance, and, outside Palestine, wherever the Jewish community could produce ten adult men for a minyan for offering the prayers. “Synagogues were primarily houses of instruction; the synagogue service was comprised of three elements, prayer, the readings of Scripture and an exposition of it. Administered by the laity, and geared to the day-to-day catechesis of the people, the synagogues of ancient Judah may have been an even more influential factor in Jewish life than the Temple. By Law, wherever there were ten Jewish families, there had to be a synagogue. Neighborhood gathering places, the synagogues were vital to the Faith life of the community. Therefore, if a person had a message to preach, the synagogue was an obvious choice of venue. There, Jesus gained a hearing; following his example, his disciples would do the same after his death and Resurrection.” (Patricia Datchuck Sanchez files).  The synagogue consisted mainly of a rectangular room built in such a way that those attending were facing Jerusalem when seated.  There was a rostrum or pulpit from which Sacred Scripture was read and explained. It was here that Jesus showed his authority to teach (Navarre Bible Commentary).  

The authority of Jesus:  Today’s Gospel passage begins and ends with comments about Jesus’ authority as a teacher (1:21-22 and 1:27-28).  He spoke like Moses, telling people directly what God had to say. In between is an exorcism (1:23-26), pointing out a connection between Jesus' teachings and his supernatural authority. The dramatic healing of the demoniac by an authoritative word is a demonstration of God's reign and Power in their midst. And the people recognize it as such.  Moreover, this is the first miracle in Jesus’ ministry as Mark recounts it. The episode appears immediately following the call of the disciples.  Jesus' authority is also the main theme in the collection of stories (2:1–-3:6), which support the authority of Jesus when he teaches people about God's compassion in forgiving their sins. In his Gospel, Mark repeatedly returns to the theme that Jesus’ teaching with authority brought followers, and Jesus’ healing with Divine power liberated people from illness and demonic possession. The Catholic and Apostolic Church derives her teaching authority from her founder Jesus, the Christ. 

Teaching with authority:  There was a local synagogue in every Jewish settlement of more than ten families.  The synagogue was a place of instruction and Sabbath prayers.  The synagogue service consisted of three parts –  prayer, the reading of God's word, and the exposition of it made by anyone who wished to do so. In this chapter Mark tells us that in the local synagogue Jesus taught with authority.  This means that Jesus explained the Scriptures with complete confidence, and when questioned by people he answered with authority.  Jesus spoke relying on no one beyond himself; he cited no supporting human authorities or experts.  Mark also records the impact Jesus had on those who heard him.  We are told how amazed people were at the authority with which he preached.  Jesus also showed his power and authority by curing the sick and granting forgiveness to people for their sins.

Exorcising with Divine authority:  In the synagogue, there was a man who was troubled by an unclean spirit.  Everyone in the ancient Biblical world feared evil spirits and believed in demonic possession.  People believed that demons or “unclean spirits” living inside the people caused leprosy, lameness, paralysis, etc.   Even in the twenty-first century, we still believe in the existence of unclean spirits.  How else can we explain the sudden explosions of anger that occur, the suicidal impulses, the intense jealousies, wild sexual fantasies, or overwhelming feelings of depression?  We, as human beings, are keenly aware of these unclean spirits.  We often wonder where the “unclean thoughts” come from and why we can’t rid ourselves of them. Victory over the unclean spirit, as the devil is usually described, is a clear sign that God's salvation has come: by overcoming the Evil One, Jesus shows that He is the Messiah, the Savior, more powerful than the demons. The demoniac cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? “ What does Jesus have to do with these unclean spirits that live in each one of us?  The answer we find in the Gospel is equally true today: Jesus came to dispossess the unclean spirits living inside of us and send them away.  That is one of the reasons why Jesus came to earth in the first place and one of the reasons why he continues his presence in our lives.  Jesus came to drive out those unclean spirits within us, to wash them away, to cleanse our lives of them.  Let us put ourselves under his authority and he will liberate us.  The evil spirit in today’s Gospel recognized Jesus as the Messiah and acknowledged him as such.  Jesus commanded the evil spirit harshly, using strong words and tones: "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Instantly, the spirit obeyed. This was one of the reasons why Jesus developed a reputation for speaking with authority. Today, we are challenged to believe that Jesus continues to exercise the power to rout evil in all of its ugly disguises and manifestations, viz., in poverty, sickness, greed, hatred, indifference, over-indulgence, etc., using us and our ministry as His instruments. 

Life Messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus for liberation:  Jesus did not use his authority and Divine power to rule and control people. He came to set people free.  Hence, let us approach Jesus with trusting Faith so that he may free us from the evil spirits that keep us from praying and prevent us from loving and sharing our blessings with others, as well as from all the “evil spirits” of fear, compulsions, selfishness, anger, resentment and hostility.  "I have come that they may have life, life in abundance" (Jn 10:10). So Jesus should be a source of liberation for us.  May Jesus free us from all those spirits which make us deaf, dumb, blind, lame, and paralyzed, physically and spiritually. Through Word and Sacrament, Jesus brings that power to us and says the same words to the demons in our life, "Be gone!"  -- not just once but as often as we need to hear them, until finally, we are free from these demons entirely. Christ has power over any demon, so whether those demons be addictions, heartaches, secret sins -- whatever our chains may be -- Christ can set us free and longs to do so. 

2) We need to use our God-given authority to build up lives.  No doubt we can think back to people who have made a lasting impression on our lives – either for good or bad.  Perhaps it was a grandparent, an uncle, or a parent, who loved us and cared for us.  Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher who encouraged us in our Faith and exerted a positive impact on our lives.  Perhaps we remember the kindness as well as the firm discipline that a schoolteacher gave us.  On the other hand, there may be people in our past whom we remember with pain and discomfort.   Are children learning something from us as parents that will stand them in good stead for the future? We want our children to grow into strong, wise, confident, capable, mature adults.  But we want more than that.  We want them to grow in their Faith, to accept Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior.  We want children to see in us the love of Jesus and how our Christian Faith affects our lives.  A good question for parents, teachers and all of us is:  "In what way am I helping the children I know grow in wonder at Jesus and his love for them?” When God's Word and God's ways are taught and spoken about with authority – with conviction – our children (and others) will see in them, with amazement, God's love for them in His Son Jesus.

3) We need teachers who know how to use their authority properly: Teachers are powerful because they change lives. They have within their grasp the power over young lives to hurt them terribly or heal them wonderfully. Most of us are deeply and forever indebted to some caring teacher in our past. Some people never get over the damage done to them by some cruel or uncaring teacher. So today, when we hear that Jesus entered the synagogue at Capernaum and began to teach, we need to take note: Jesus was a teacher. They never called him “Reverend,” or “Father,” or “Priest.” They called him “Rabbi,” which means “teacher.” Let us all become good teachers and use our authority to mould young lives in the right way. 

JOKES OF THE WEEK: 1) Authority to forgive sins: A dirty, drunken wino who was passing a Catholic Church one day, noticed a sign on the door that said:  "Confessions Being Heard."    Since he had not been to confession for a long time, he staggered into the church, knelt down in the confessional and began to confess his sins.  Unfortunately, his breath was so foul that the priest who was hearing confessions couldn't stand it and decided to cut things short.  "Look," he said to the wino.  "Have you murdered anybody lately?" "Nope," the wino replied. "O.K. then," the priest told him.  "I am going to say the prayer of absolution.”  Slightly puzzled, the wino staggered out of the confessional and as he was walking down the steps of the church steps, saw a fellow wino who was going into the Church.  "You going to confession?"  The first wino asked. "Yep," said the second wino. "Don't waste your time," the first wino said.  "He ain't hearing nothing today except murder cases."

2) Whose authority? Jesus’ or your denomination’s? I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off.  So I ran over and said, "Stop!  Don't do it!" "Why shouldn't I?" he said. "Well, there's so much to live for." "Like what?" "Well, are you religious?" "Yes." "Me too!  Are you Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist?" "Christian." "Me, too!  Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Me, too!  Are you Episcopalian or Baptist? ”Baptist." "Wow, me, too!  Are you Church of God or Church of the Christ?" "Church of God!" "Me, too!  Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God!"
"Me, too!  Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?" He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!" I said, "Die, heretic," and pushed him off. 

3) You may have heard about the preacher who asked one elderly lady how it was with her soul. "Oh," she replied, "the old devil has been giving me a rough time." Immediately her husband protested. "Now hold on," he said, "she's not too easy to live with herself."

4) The new nurse asked the psychiatric doctor, "Is that man really sick?" "He surely is," answered the doctor gravely. "I don't know of a more serious set of complications. For forty years he has suffered agonies from imaginitis, scarecoma, apprehendicitis, and general fearosis of living!"

USEFUL WEBSITES OF THE WEEK: (The easiest method  to visit these websites is to copy and paste the web address or URL on the Address bar of any Internet website like Google or MSN and press the Enter button of your Keyboard).

  1. Fr. Nick’s collection of Sunday homilies from 65 priests & weekday homilies: https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  

  2.  Fr. Don’ collection of video homilies & blogs: https://sundayprep.org/featured-homilies/ (Copy it on the Address bar and press the Enter button)

  3.  Fr. Geoffrey Plant’s beautiful & scholarly video classes on Sunday gospel, Bible & RCIA topics:   https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant20663) 

  4. Dr. Brant Pitre’s commentary on Cycle B Sunday Scripture for Bible Class: https://catholicproductions.com/blogs/mass-readings-explained-year-Biblical basis of Catholic doctrines: http://scripturecatholic.com/ 

  5. Agape Catholic Bible Lessons: http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/Video Sunday-Scripture study by Fr. Geoffrey Plant: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeoffreyPlant2066

  6. Catholic Information Network (CIN) : http://www.cin.org/, 

  7. The Internet Padre: http://www.internetpadre.com/, 

  8. Catholic Answers: http://www.catholic.com/ 

  9. Everything Catholic: http://www.everythingcatholic.com/ 

Jesus Preaching                   “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B (No 15) by Fr. Tony (akadavil@gmail.com) 

26- Additional anecdotes: 1) Who would deny that our century is possessed of an evil spirit? Jesus' world was a demon-haunted world. Men and women in the ancient world believed in demons. Demons for them were intensely real. The first century world was one of pain and suffering. There was no relief from pain. It was a world of natural disasters that took a heavy toll on life. Disease, even the slightest illness, could be fatal. There was a high rate of infant mortality. Life expectancy was in the middle forties. Because they had no idea of the causes of natural disaster, calamity, or disease, the people associated them with demons. It is difficult for our modern world to realize the power and influence that demons had upon first century human life. But when it comes to evil and demons, is there that much difference between the first and twenty-first centuries? We cannot dismiss evil as a first century phenomenon. It operates as an active force in our world as well as in our souls. In one lifetime we have witnessed the Holocaust of World War II, the Jewish Holocaust, genocide in Cambodia and in Jonestown, ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, child abuse in America, Branch Davidians, the bombings at New York's Twin Towers and Oklahoma City. Boko Haram and ISIS atrocities. Who would deny that our century is possessed of an evil spirit? (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

2)  The en vogue theory:  During a discussion of William Shakespeare, a student asked the old professor about the en vogue theory that Shakespeare did not write the plays ascribed to him.  The professor growled, "Young man, if Shakespeare did not write those plays, then they were written by someone who lived at the same time and had the same name!"  -- It is a sure sign of desperation in the atheistic circles to speak of Jesus as a myth or a “tall-tale” like Paul  Bunyan or Robin Hood , or to say that Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man did not even exist, much less conduct a ministry with Divine power and Divine authority as described in today’s Gospel. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

3) Athletes proclaiming the authority of God. Athletes with religious convictions are nothing new.  In 1954, the Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA) was founded "to present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the Church."  In a visit to the FCA's extensive Web Site, we find many familiar names popping up: Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Cris Carter, Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, University of Washington quarterback Brock Huard and Heisman-trophy-winner Charlie Ward. New Orleans Saints quarterback Danny Wuerffel is an active member of the FCA and a contributing writer to the FCA's monthly publication, Sharing the Victory.  Wuerffel has said: “I am a Christian who happens to be an athlete, and not vice-versa."  Courtney Chase declares, "For Christian athletes, religion is part of the game."  “Muscular Christianity" has been around since baseball-player-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday loudly refuted the idea that Jesus was a weakling, a man of sorrows, a loser.  The football stadium at Notre Dame is situated next to a huge library mural known as "Touchdown Jesus."  It was big national news when Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders gave God all glory for the victories of his after the Cowboys' 37-7 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Professional athletes are getting saved, and sports writers are getting annoyed! There can be no doubt that the number of athletes publicly testifying to their Faith has drastically increased in the last few years.  The  New York Times Sports writer Jack Curry, in an April 16, 1995 interview, quotes  New York  Yankees Closer, John Wetteland (pitcher who would go on to close out the Atlanta Braves in the Sixth Game  winning the 1996 World Series) as declaring, “I honestly try and walk with Jesus Christs every day… My relationship with Jesus Christ … is of the utmost importance to me… even more important than my relationship with my wife; I know that my wife considers her relationship with Him more important than her relationship with me. Ultimately, that’s Who I’m going to have to face.”  Increasingly, the athletes are attributing their victories to God. Such testimonies -- along with the Bible study sessions, Chapel services pre-game and post-game group prayer -- have become an accepted part of the game today, bearing testimony to the authority of God in all spheres of human activities.  Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus demonstrates this Divine power and authority in his teaching and healing ministry. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

4) Demon of multiple suicides: In 1983 the city of Plano, Texas, experienced the kind of tragedy this demon can cause to happen. Plano lived through the nightmare of multiple suicides. Six young people, aged 14 to 18, took their lives, leaving that community wondering what in the world was going on. A boy and a girl, both 17, killed themselves because their parents said they couldn't see each other so often. One boy was killed in a car race; his friend, who had started the car race, committed suicide out of grief and guilt. Another boy killed himself out of grief over the suicide of his friend. How could it happen, in a place that has everything, where the average home costs $180,000, and where the high school football team always wins? --  Some of the people living there believe they know what the problem is. They explain that the only thing that counts in their community is being the best: the best at tennis, at bridge, at making money, in school. You have to have the fastest car, the biggest house, all that kind of thing. If you are not the best, you just don't count. And if you don't count, perhaps you commit suicide. Pride and envy, the demons of greatness, have ruined many lives. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

5) “Mister, why don’t you get off the board?” Stephen Brown tells about a man who was sitting on a board of nails, and it was hurting. A psychologist came along and said, “Sir, the reason you are hurting is rooted in a childhood trauma. You need therapy.” A sociologist then came along, saw the hurting man, and said, “You’ve got a problem, and it is obviously the result of the kind of environment in which you grew up. Hurt is from an improper environment.” An economist next came along and said, “Money is the root of all hurt. Let me help you with your portfolio.” Then a minister came along and said, “If you learn to praise the Lord in all your circumstances, you won’t hurt so much. Your spiritual life leaves something to be desired. Start reading your Bible and praying every day, and it will get better.” Finally, a little girl came along and said, “Mister, why don’t you get off the board?” [No More Mr. Nice Guy! (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986).] -- Some of us need to get off the board of nails. We need to get moving and get help. Today’s Gospel tells us how Jesus responded to a hurting man. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

6) Demons are here and alive and active: Money Magazine has selected its top "Sin Stocks." If you're going to invest in companies that make money out of our propensity to sin, here are the top Seven Deadly Sin Stocks, the stocks that will give you the greatest return on your investment [Money Magazine (November 2002).] 1. Lust: Playboy Enterprises 2. Anger: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) 3. Avarice: Trump Hotels & Casinos 4. Sloth: La-Z-Boy 5. Envy: Allergan (AGN) Botox injections 6. Gluttony: Krispy Kreme (KKD) 7. Pride: Fair Isaac FIC) (credit rating company). All we have to do is open a Wall Street Journal, read a tabloid headline at the check-out counter, or hear five minutes of Tom Brokaw or Bill O'Reilly to know that unclean spirits still stalk the Earth. After a half-century of world-wars, cold-wars, nuclear-wars, guerilla-wars, genocidal-wars, terrorist-wars, and now WMD-wars (WMD="Weapons of Mass Destruction"), who among us has any reason to doubt the straightforward Biblical perceptions that unclean spirits and demonic powers roam in our midst? Some of you may remember Mercury Morris, a great running back for the Miami Dolphins back in their glory days when they were winning the Super Bowls. Mercury was one of the first professional athletes be caught involved in drugs. He was arrested, tried and sent to jail. --  Why should such a successful athlete do such a dumb thing? Why should he throw his life away? At his trial he said, “I wanted to get away from it, but the demons wouldn’t let me.” (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

7) Tonya Harding and the demons: Look how powerfully destructive an evil spirit like greed can be when it is let loose in human life. Our environment is suffering from economic exploitation resulting from greed. A passion for wealth has produced a disregard for the world of nature and human survival. Greed can be very destructive to human life. Tonya Harding (born November 12, 1970) was an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition. She was surrounded by vultures who wanted a share in the pot of gold that she might win at Lillehammer. Her mother, who had been married seven times, stood at rink-side with a hair brush to beat her daughter if her performance fell short of her expectations. Tonya became notorious after her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, conspired with Shawn Eckhardt[2] and Shane Stant to attack her skating competitor Nancy Kerrigan at a practice session during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. -- The story, which captured national attention for weeks, ended like most stories of greed. The characters self-destructed, and the pot of gold vanished. Joseph Conrad suggests to us that "the belief in the supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." Jesus confronts an Evil Spirit in today’s Gospel. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

8) "My fellow convicts." Soon after Al Smith was elected to his first term as governor of New York, he made an inspection tour of the state prison, "Sing Sing." After Smith had toured the plant, the warden explained that prison morale was low and he asked the governor to speak some encouraging word to the inmates. Smith agreed and, characteristically, began by saying, "My fellow citizens." Then he remembered that when one goes to state's prison he loses his citizenship. Nervously, he tried again. "My fellow convicts," he said. But that didn't sound quite right. Embarrassed almost beyond words, Smith then said, "Well, anyhow, I'm glad to see so many of you here." Despite his good intention, the governor did little to uplift prison morale that day. After his unfortunate choice of words in greeting the inmates, everything else was downhill. He did not know how to use his authority and give a message boosting the morale of the prisoners. -- By way of contrast, in today's Gospel episode, Jesus teaches in the synagogue with authority impressing his listeners and uses his Divine power for liberating people from demoniac possession by a single command, “Quiet, come out of him.” (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

9) It's a sad story. We see good people addicted to alcohol, addicted to drugs, addicted to all kinds of inappropriate, often destructive behaviors, and with good reason we ask, "What got into them? Surely, they knew better. Why did they let this happen?"  In Jesus' time they might have answered it this way, "They were possessed by a demon." How many of you, sports fans remember the name Mickey Mantle? When Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees, many fans and sports writers predicted that he would be the best ever to play the game of baseball.  He demonstrated spectacular talent and athleticism from a young age.  He was voted the Most Valuable Player of the American League three times, and set numerous records that still stand today.  But even Mantle will admit that he never lived up to his potential.  Mantle became addicted to alcohol during his second season in the big leagues.  He did such a good job of hiding his problem that his coaches and teammates never suspected anything. -- Mantle continued to battle his addiction until he turned sixty-three when he finally went public with his secret.  He went into treatment and gave up booze.  Sadly, years of alcohol abuse had destroyed Mickey Mantle's body.  He died a few months later of liver cancer.  His friends remember him for the dignity and Faith he demonstrated in his last days. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

10) "Would you mind delivering a parcel of homemade toffee to my son?” We are exposed to much human evil in our century. William Barclay tells of a traveler in Soviet Georgia in the days before the Second World War. She was taken to see a very humble old woman in a little cottage. The old peasant woman asked her if she were going to Moscow. The traveler said she was. "Then, “asked the woman, "would you mind delivering a parcel of homemade toffee to my son? He cannot get anything like it in Moscow." -- Her son's name was Josef Stalin, the same Stalin who is said to have murdered millions of his own people. Confronted with monsters like Stalin and Adolf Hitler who seemed in every respect normal human beings but found it possible to rationalize barbaric behavior, we feel no need to look behind every bush for demonic spirits. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

11) “24 Things About To Become Extinct In America.” There’s a book written for us list lovers called The Incredible Book of Wacky Lists by Patrick M. Reynolds (2001), where he has lists of “Plants That Eat Animals” (there are 4 of them: Venus’s flytrap, Butterwort, Sundew, Pitcher plant), “Seas Named After a Color” (Black, Red, White, Yellow Seas), 3 Tallest US Presidents (Abe Lincoln, 6'4", LBJ, 6'3", Thomas Jefferson, 6'2½”, now 4, with Barack Obama, 6'2"), “7 Birds That Can’t Fly” (emu, kiwi, penguin, ostrich, cassowary, rhea, Galapagos cormorant), “10 Animals with Pockets” (kangaroo, koala, opossum, sea horse, Tasmanian devil, wombat, wallaroo, bandicoot, cuscus, echidna), and “10 Knock-Knock Jokes” (enough is enough—I’ll spare you.) My new favorite list is at first glance an alarming one. It is called “24 Things About To Become Extinct In America.” Among the 24 predicted extinctions are the imminent demise of the Yellow Pages, movie rental stores, phone landlines, VCRs, Ham radio, incandescent light bulbs, cameras that use film, and the milkman. In fact, some extinctions are good. When things are no longer useful, when things do not function in a helpful way, or just aren’t sensible anymore, they should become extinct. In today’s Gospel text Jesus acted as an agent of extinction. When Jesus entered into the local synagogue in Capernaum it was time for the unclean spirit inhabiting that a person in that place to go elsewhere. The presence of Jesus, whom the unclean spirit declared to be “the Holy One of God,” left no room for the unholy attitude and actions of that demon. -- Go exorcize some demons this week! Make a list of things you want to go extinct in your life, and then stop feeding them: greed, jealousy, anger, hypocrisy, selfishness . . . . Change the climate in your home and in your heart. Make the climate in which you live inhospitable to hatred, a wasteland for bigotry, a desert for envy. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

12) “I want you to pray that Mary Jones will stop leading my husband into sin!” There’s a rather humorous story about a seminary professor who was lecturing one day when a hand went up from one of his students. A large pastor from the hills of West Virginia, a former pro wrestler, had a question: “I had something happen the Sunday before I come down here,” he said. “Don’t know if I handled it right or not. It was at the prayer time and so I asked the Church, ‘Do you have any special prayer needs?’ A woman raised her hand and said, ‘Yeah, I got one . . I want you to pray that Mary Jones will stop leading my husband into adultery.’” Now that’s not what you expect to happen in Church. The pastor continued: “With that Mary Jones jumped up screaming, [calling the woman a name we usually don’t use in Church] and the two of them locked in a fight, pulling and jerking each other all over the Church. Their husbands got into it too, one ramming the head of the other into the backside of the pew.” So, the pastor continued, “I pulled the two women apart and said, ‘Stop it and sit yourselves back down. Now, I’m gonna ask one more time. Are there any prayer requests, and I’m gonna see if you can do it right this time. And if you people don’t settle down and act like Christians, I’m gonna bust some heads.” They quieted down and we went on with the service. “Now Doc,” asked the West Virginia pastor, “was this what you call ‘good liturgical leadership’?” The professor mumbled something like “sounds good to me.” He was found later, however, praying in his office: “Lord, help me to be a good seminary professor.” (1) -- Now that story’s a little extreme, I think you will agree, but stranger things have been known to happen in Churches – not here, of course, but in some churches. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, and this man began crying out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!” (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

13) “Who's Nobody In America” Several years ago, Derek Evans and Dave Fulwiler of San Diego began the world's first reverse social register. This register is for people who couldn't make it into Who's Who. It is called Who's Nobody In America. Evans and Fulwiler say that 3,800 people have sought places in the register since they began accepting entries. Each "nobody" is limited to a twenty-five-word biography. Some of those biographies are hilarious. According to these nobodies, you know you're nobody if: "Your twin sister dies, and they bury you instead.” “Your own reflection in the mirror ignores you.” "You had your picture taken beside a tree and everyone admires the tree." One applicant claimed that the government returned his taxes unopened. Another lamented that all of his mail was addressed to "Occupant," and the Post Office had returned it with the legend, "No longer at this address." --Many of us have the feeling that our lives really don't matter, that we're unnoticed and unloved. And the same was true back then. But Jesus cared for the people. His love and concern came through in everything Jesus said and did. And Jesus cares for us as he cared for those who came to the synagogue as described in today’s Gospel. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

14) "Oh, it's about like anything else." Some people are masters of understatement. The Great Zacchini was, for many years, a feature attraction at countless carnivals and county fairs. He had one stunt, but it was a dramatic one. As the human cannonball, he would be shot from cannon across a field and into a waiting net. The blast of the cannon would rattle windows for some distance and clouds of sulphurous smoke would drift across the astonished crowds. Near the end of his career, he was asked by a newspaper reporter how it felt to be shot from a cannon nearly every day of his adult life. The Great Zacchini squinted into the sun, scratched his chin, and replied, "Oh, it's about like anything else." -- Some people are masters of understatement. Take, for example, the people who were there in the synagogue at Capernaum the day Jesus was the preacher. Mark tells us that the congregation was "astonished," but that's not the understatement. It was the congregation who made the understatement, and it came after what happened next. "Immediately there was in their synagogue," he says, "a man with an unclean spirit," "I kno-o-o-w who you are," howled something deep within the man. "You're the H-o-o-o-l-y One of God." "Shut up," said Jesus. "Come out of him!" Things were getting curiouser and curiouser that Sabbath day in Capernaum. The man fell to the synagogue floor, his arms beating wildly at the air, his legs thrashing out so that people moved back to give him a wide circle, froths of foam and strange cries coming out of his mouth. Then the man became strangely calm and lay very still. Slowly he picked himself up off the floor, his face now tranquil, his eyes clear, his voice measured and composed. Now comes the understatement. The people in the congregation, having witnessed a scene to rival anything in The Exorcist, looked around at each other and said, "What is this? A new teaching!" A new teaching? (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

15)  A demon possession: Baptist pastor Bruce McIver tells a great story about a couple named Alfred and Ernestine. Alfred and Ernestine had been visiting Bruce's Church for quite a while, and they looked at Bruce as their pastor. That's why they didn't hesitate to call whenever they felt a situation warranted the presence of a "man of God." Like the night Alfred called to say Ernestine had torn the house apart, and now she was locked in the bathroom with a gun. Alfred was afraid to go near her, but he was sure she would never hurt a pastor. So, with great fear, Bruce went to their house and calmed Ernestine down. A week later, Bruce got a call that scared him even more than the first. Alfred and Ernestine wanted to join his Church. Bruce visited them and tried to impress upon them the importance of this step, but they still felt ready to join. A few weeks after joining, Alfred and Ernestine came forward for Baptism. Ernestine was dressed in a white gown, and she radiated joy and serenity as Bruce dipped her in the water. Then Ernestine walked up the steps of the baptismal pool toward the women's dressing room. Another woman waited at the top of the stairs to assist her. The woman gave Ernestine a towel and remarked, "Perhaps you'd like to stand here for a moment and watch your husband be baptized." Ernestine turned to see Bruce praying over Alfred, and she shouted out from the top of the Baptismal steps, "I HOPE HE DROWNS!" [Bruce McIver, Just As Long As I’m Riding Up Front (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995), pp. 85-89.] -- That is as close as most of us will come to the scene that Mark describes at the synagogue in Capernaum. We don't really understand what the New Testament writers mean by demon possession. (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

16) Dostoevsky and the demon of gambling: The Russian novelist, Feodor Dostoevsky is known as the "master of the human heart" on account of his penetrating psychological insights, but he had great difficulty mastering his own emotions. A "demon" which afflicted him was a gambling addiction. The addiction began when Dostoevsky entered a casino and placed a bet at the roulette wheel. He won – and it seemed like his financial troubles were over. He did not, however, stop when he was ahead; he kept playing and wound up losing everything. In desperation, he pawned his ring, his watch and his coat. Then he proceeded to lose that money as well. Afterward, he felt miserable, not just because of his losses, but because he had given into a frenzy which drove him to act recklessly. He resolved to never gamble again. To his wife he swore that he would quit, but that turned out to be a promise she would hear over and over. Dostoevsky’s gambling not only plunged him into ever deeper debt, it jeopardized his marriage and his family. This pattern continued for many years. One day things changed. Dostoevsky had scraped together a sum equaling a few hundred dollars. He carefully calculated what part he would risk and what part he would save. As always, the frenzy overtook him, and he not only bet everything, but pleaded with fellow gamblers to loan him money, offering them some item of clothes as collateral. About nine-thirty in the evening, he emerged from the casino, full of remorse. He decided to seek a priest to make a confession. In the distance he saw what looked like a Russian Church. When he finally got there, it turned out to be a Jewish synagogue. He later wrote, "It was as though I had cold water poured over me. I came running home…" From that day forward, he never entered another casino. -- We do not know exactly what happened to Dostoevsky that night, but somehow his addiction was broken. It certainly had something to do with his desire to confess his sins and seek Christ’s forgiveness. And it was as if an unclean spirit had been cast from him. He entered into some of the most productive – and happiest – years of his life. (Fr. Phil Bloom). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

17) The Devil Never Gives Up: A stranger stood before the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, admiring its uplifting architecture and its beautiful statuary. A Parisian approached with this odd question: "Do you notice anything amusing up there?" "Why no," answered the tourist, "it is inspiring." "Look closely at those figures," directed the newcomer, pointing to a group that represented a soul being weighed in the scales of justice. "Notice the angel standing on one side and Satan on the other. The devil gives the appearance of wanting fair play and honest justice, doesn't he?" "Yes," admitted the traveler, "but I don't see anything funny about that." "Take a closer look," suggested the Parisian. "Look under the scales." Sure enough, under the scale on the side of Satan was a little demon pulling the scale down. -- That's how the devil works. If we decide to give up a certain vice or evil habit, or if we decide to follow Christ more closely, Satan seems to step aside and admit his defeat. But it's only a façade. In reality, he begins to work secretly from another angle. This is why it is so important for us to always stay on our guard, spiritually speaking. Temptations can come to us at any time, even right after a spiritual victory, since the battle is always going on. As St. Peter puts it in his First New Testament Letter (1 Peter 5:8): "Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour." That is why Jesus used his Divine authority to cast out the devil as described in today’s Gospel (E- Priest). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

18) Dabbling in the Occult is anti-Christian: This is why the Church consistently and tirelessly warns all of her children against experimenting with occult practices. These are popular and accepted in our society, but that doesn't mean that they are good. Horoscope watching, Ouija boards, palm reading, tea-leaves, crystals.  these seemingly innocent entertainments are hooks the devil uses to draw us into his web of lies and false promises. They are the first step towards deeper contact with evil spirits through things like Wicca, neo-paganism, New Age, white and black magic, spiritism, theosophy, and even Satanism. -- Far from bing innocent pastimes, these activities directly contradict our friendship with Christ, because they look for fulfillment, meaning, and purpose apart from Christ. Dabbling with them is consciously and foolishly putting our friendship with Christ at risk (E- Priest). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

19) Blind following of wrong authority: For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. In 1589 Galileo summoned learned professors to the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off a ten- pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. The power of belief was so strong, however, that the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right. -- This illustrates perfectly what is going on in the world today. You could show the terrible ravaging effects of AIDS and people will have promiscuous sex anyway. You can show someone a diseased liver and cancerous lungs and people are going to abuse alcohol and smoke regardless of the facts. [Bits & Pieces (January 9, 1992), pp. 22-23; quoted by Fr. Kayala.] (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

20) “Do you know who I am?" When Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts, he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes (and no lunch), he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line. "Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?" "Sorry," the woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person." "But I'm starved," the governor said. "Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer." -- Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. "Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state." "Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister." [Bits & Pieces (May 28, 1992), pp. 5-6; quoted by Fr. Kayala). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

21) Pat Robertson’s devil mania: After calling for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, then claiming that God caused Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke as punishment for conceding land to the Palestinians, Pat Robertson later claimed that Satan caused Dick Cheney’s shortness of breath that briefly hospitalized the Vice President. Why? “Because he is dedicated to defeating the evildoers in Iraq, and that angered the evilest doer of all, Satan.” On that same show Robertson extended condolences to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who needed fifteen stitches in his lip after “a motorcycle accident that I’m pretty sure was caused by Satan.” Satan, he advised, “is no match for a Republican” (The 700 Club, January 5, 10, 2006). --- Pat Robertson’s remarks are not only idiotic but as indefensibly reprehensible and appalling.  Today’s Gospel describes how Jesus exercised his authority over the devil. (Dr. Murray Watson). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

22) Freedom to serve: During 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 the 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!" --Are we ready to surrender our lives to Jesus who set us free and taught with divine authority? (Anthony Castle in More Quotes and Anecdotes; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

23) “You will give me your decision before you leave that circle." Antiochus IV Ephiphanes, 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 Popilius Laena with a small and quite unarmed suite. Popilius and Antiochus met on the boundaries of Egypt. They talked; they both knew Rome and they had been friendly. Then very gently Popilius 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. Popilius 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. (See Daniel 11:29 and following, with the notes) -- 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; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

24) The movement is Christianity and the prophet is Jesus Christ. In 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; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

25) 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; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

 

26) Difference between “power” and “authority.” Suppose that you’re sitting at a traffic light, in the middle lane, waiting for the light to change. On your left is a Dodge Viper, with about a zillion horsepower, just waiting to streak away like a shot. That is power! On your right is the biggest, shiniest eighteen-wheeler you ever saw, with chromium exhaust pipes and a cab that looks two stories tall, and it is rumbling like a thousand snarling lions, waiting for the light to change. That’s power! But just before the light begins to change, you see a State Policeman, in shiny spit-and-polish boots and trim uniform. His car is parked across the way. He is evidently filling in for the school crossing guard. He walks to the center of the street and holds up his hand. All the traffic comes to a stop. You wait. The Viper waits. The eighteen-wheeler waits. And a tiny little girl with a backpack walks kitty-corner across the busy intersection. The rumbling engines may have power. But he has the authority! --  Just like the drivers in the outside and inside lanes, the Scribes could make a lot of noise and show off a lot with their pretentious knowledge, arguing from sunrise to sunset on obscure points of law. But only Jesus had both power and authority that was recognized by demons, and also the power and authority to command their instant, unquestioning obedience. Here is the point: the Scribes never yielded to the wisdom and truth of Jesus Christ. Now it is your turn: will you recognize, trust and yield to the authority of Jesus, or will you follow your own opinions? (http://frtonyshomilies.com/).L/24

“Scriptural Homilies” Cycle B, no. 15 by Fr. Tony (akadavil@gmail.com) L/24

 

Visit my website by clicking on http://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C  & A homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in.  (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  Fr. Anthony Kadavil, Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph  M. C. , St. Agatha Church, 1001 Hand Avenue, Bay Minette, Al 36507

 

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