Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 71
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.'"
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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.
Reading 2
1 Corinthians 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.
Alleluia
Matthew 4:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light;
on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death,
light has arisen.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Subtleties of Grace
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. Mark 1:23–26
It’s interesting to note that this unclean spirit immediately knows Who Jesus is. This is because each of two opposites emphasizes the other very clearly. For example, the color black is most clearly seen when it is placed in front of something white. Or something hot is most noticeable after experiencing something very cold. And a loud noise is most jarring when someone is sitting in silence. And so it is with Jesus and evil. Jesus, the Holy One of God, is most clearly seen when He comes in contact with an unclean spirit.
This fact gives us some wonderful insights into our journey toward the heights of holiness. Oftentimes, when one experiences a profound and transforming conversion, it is because they were first living a life of sin. When one who is living in sin encounters the saving grace of God, it is quite noticeable. And that is good.
But there is also another spiritual insight we can take from this. To further the analogy, it is also true that when the color black is put next to something dark blue, or something hot is touched after holding something quite warm, there is less notice taken. So it is with the spiritual life. When we are striving to obtain true holiness of life, and when we are already living the many virtues to which we are called, the next step closer to God might not be nearly as noticeable. Instead, growth in perfection for one who is already striving for perfection will be very subtle. And that is also good.
This is important to understand because sometimes, when a person has gone through a powerful conversion earlier in life, they want to return to the experience they had when they initially converted. But that should not be our goal. Instead, we should continually strive to experience these more subtle changes that take us from a life of holiness to one of even greater holiness. In this case, if you do not sense a powerful contrast of spiritual experiences within you, that may be simply because there are no serious sins you are trying to overcome. Thus, the ideal for every Christian is to eventually experience less contrasting spiritual experiences and more that are gentle and subtle as our Lord continues to gently perfect you in many ways.
Reflect, today, upon your own spiritual journey toward holiness. If you do see serious sin in your life, know that God wants to profoundly free you and draw you through a major conversion. If you do not see serious sin in your life and if you already strive daily to become holy, then rejoice if your spiritual consolations and communications from God are much more subtle and, at times, undetectable. Keep working at perfection and rejoice that you are on the correct path.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
RATED “R”
“I have no desire to place restrictions on you, but I do want to promote what is good, what will help you to devote yourselves entirely to the Lord.” —1 Corinthians 7:35
We must accept certain restrictions if we wish to totally commit our lives to the Lord. Gospel poverty, celibacy, a large family, a faithful marriage, a demanding ministry — all restrict us significantly. However, any decision or commitment restricts us. Any successful athlete, business person, or celebrity has placed severe restrictions on themselves. How much more willing should we be to restrict ourselves out of love for the Lord! (see 1 Cor 9:27)
Consider what Jesus did for us. When He became a man, He emptied Himself and took the form of a slave (Phil 2:7). There is no greater restriction than to be nailed to a cross. Jesus was the most restricted person who has ever lived, but also the most free. He broke all restrictions of space and time by rising from the dead and ascending to heaven (1 Pt 3:22). Give your life completely to Jesus. Be restricted and resurrected as He was.
Prayer: Jesus, give me the freedom to be committed and self-sacrificing.
Promise: “The unclean spirit convulsed the man violently and with a loud shriek came out of him.” —Mk 1:26
Praise: Jesus is risen! In Him, we will also die and rise again. Alleluia!
Reflection 3
The Servants of the Word
Jesus Taught with Authority
Do you believe that God's word has power to set you free and to transform your life? When Jesus taught he spoke with authority. He spoke the word of God as no one had spoken it before. When the Rabbis taught they supported their statements with quotes from other authorities. The prophets spoke with delegated authority - "Thus says the Lord." When Jesus spoke he needed no authorities to back his statements. He was authority incarnate - the Word of God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke. When he commanded even the demons obeyed.
Faith works through love and abounds in hope
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) remarked that "faith is mighty, but without love it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ, but lacking charity it availed nothing. They said, 'What have we to do with you' (Mark 1:24)? They confessed a sort of faith, but without love. Hence they were devils."
Faith is powerful, but without love it profits nothing (1 Corinthians 13). Scripture tells us that true faith works through love (Galatians 5:6) and abounds in hope (Romans 15:13). Our faith is made perfect in love because love orients us to the supreme good which is God himself as well as the good of our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26,27).
Hope anchors our faith in the promises of God and purifies our desires for the things which will last for eternity. That is why the word of Christ has power to set us free from all that would keep us bound up in sin, deception, and despair. Bede the venerable abbot of an English monastery (672-735) contrasted the power and authority of Jesus' word with the word of the devil: "The devil, because he had deceived Eve with his tongue, is punished by the tongue, that he might not speak" [Homilies on the Gospels 1.8].
Faith must be nourished with the Word of God
Faith is both a free gift of God and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed. To live, grow, and persevere in the faith to the end, we must nourish it with the word of God. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. If we approach God's word with trust and submission, and with an eagerness to do what the Lord desires for us, then we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word. Are you eager to be taught by the Lord and to conform your mind, heart, attitude, and intentions according to his word of truth, goodness, and love?
Prayers
Lord of all holiness, please continue to draw me into the life of perfection. Help me to grow in every virtue and to continually be aware of every gift of grace I am given. Please help me, especially, to be attentive to every small and subtle grace and to respond to those graces with a truly open and grateful heart. Jesus, I trust in You!
Lord Jesus, your word is power and life. May I never doubt your love and mercy, and the power of your word that sets us free, and brings healing and restoration to body, mind, heart, and spirit.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 28: Temptations to Complain
At times we are tempted to complain. When tempted to question God and His perfect love and perfect plan, know that this temptation is nothing more than that…a temptation. In the midst of that temptation to doubt and question God’s love, renew your trust and abandon your self-pity. In this act you will find strength (See Diary #25).
What is it you have complained about the most this week? What most tempts you to be angry or annoyed? Has this temptation led to feelings of self-pity? Has it weakened your trust in God’s perfect love? Reflect upon this temptation and see it as a means of growing in love and virtue. Often times our greatest struggle is a disguise for our greatest means of holiness.
Lord, I am sorry for the times I complain, get angry and doubt Your perfect love. I am sorry for any feelings of self-pity I have allowed myself to fall into. Help me, today, to let go of these feelings and to turn these temptations into moments of deeper trust and surrender. Jesus, I trust in You.
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