January 10, 2017

Jan. 10

January 10, 2017:  Tuesday, 1st week, Ordinary Time

  • 'Hands' pin:  You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands (1st reading, psalm)
  • 'Angel' pin:  God didn't subject the world to come to angels (1st reading); "You made people little less than the angels" (1st reading, psalm)
  • 'Crown' tie bar:  You crowned us with glory and honor (1st reading, psalm)
  • 'Children' pin, crucifix:  In bringing children to glory, God made the leader to salvation perfect through suffering (1st reading)
  • 'Sheep' tie bar, 'bird' tie pin, 'fishes' tie, 'feet' pin:  You put sheep, oxen, birds, fishes... under our feet (psalm)
  • Green shirt:  Ordinary Time season
Listen
For Psalm 8
Pope Francis homily
Jesus had authority because he served, he was close to people, and he was coherent, as opposed to the doctors of the law who considered themselves princes, taught with clericalist authority, were distant from people, and didn’t live what they preached.  Jesus' authority was real, the Pharisees' merely formal.  The people were amazed because Jesus taught as one with authority, not like the scribes, whose teaching didn't enter hearts, authorities though they were.  Jesus taught the Law and the truth with authority.
Service:  While Jesus taught with humility, and said the greatest should serve and make himself small, the Pharisees considered themselves princes.  Jesus served; his servant attitude gave authority.  The people respected the doctors of the law but didn’t feel they had authority.  They had a psychology of princes:  "We masters teach and command you; you obey."  Jesus was never like that; he was the servant of all, and this gave him authority.
Closeness:  Being close to the people confers authority.  Jesus wasn't allergic to the people:  he touched the sick without shuddering, but the Pharisees walked around in fine clothing while despising the poor and ignorant.  They were detached from people, not close.  They had a clericalist psychology.  Recall how close Bl. Paul VI was to the people.  The head serves, turning everything upside down, like an iceberg.  Jesus put the people on top and gave commands from below.
Coherence:  Jesus lived what he preached, with a unity, a harmony between what he thought, felt, and did, while those who consider themselves princes have a clericalist, hypocritical attitude.    They were divided when Jesus counselled, "Do what they tell you, not what they do."  They said one thing and did another; they were incoherent. If you're a hypocrite, you have no authority, even if you speak truth.  But Jesus, humble, close, at others' service, who doesn't despise people, and who's coherent, has authority, and the people sense it.
In the Good Samaritan parable, the priest passed the man the robbers left half dead in the street, perhaps because he thought that if his blood touched him he'd become unclean.  The Levite passed too; I bet he thought that if he got involved, he'd have to give testimony in court, but he had other things to do. But the Samaritan, a sinner, had mercy.  The innkeeper's amazement must have been like what the people felt in today's gospel in the face of Jesus’ authority:  a humble authority, of service, closeness, and coherence.
Read
Wordle: Readings 1-13-15
  • Heb 2:5-12  God didn't subject the world to angels.  It was fitting that God should make Jesus our Savior perfect through suffering.
  • Ps 8:2ab, 5-9  "You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands."  Lord, how glorious is your name!  You made us little less than the angels, crowned us with glory and honor, and put everything under our feet.
  • Mk 1:21-28  People were astonished at Jesus' teaching with authority.  Man with an unclean spirit / Jesus:  “What have you to do with us, Jesus—destroy us?  I know you're God's Holy One!” / “Come out of him!”  The spirit convulsed him and came out; all were amazed, and his fame spread.
Reflect

      • Creighton:  Is it any wonder Jesus’ fame spread after he drove out the unclean spirit?  Jesus can drive out the unclean spirits that creep into our minds too:  voices that say I don't need God's help....  God wants to drive out unclean spirits and make way for him in our hearts.  God will make our paths straight.  Unclean spirits always lurk around us waiting to wreak havoc and draw us away from God.  May we God does have the power to drive them out of our mind, heart and soul, we only need to call on Him.  May we call on God to protect us from them.
      • One Bread, One Body:  "Change the subject":  Everyone and everything is to be subjected to Jesus. "He is at God's right hand, with rulers and powers subject to him"; "he waits till his enemies are placed beneath his feet." "so every tongue may proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord."  "He will give a new form our body and remake it according to the pattern of his glorified body, by his power to subject everything."  "When all has been subjected to the Son, he will subject himself to the One who made all things subject to him, so God may be all in all."  May we love and worship Jesus and throw ourselves at His feet.
        The Possessed Man in the Synagogue/ Tissot
      • Passionist:  Those who named Jesus as the Christ were healed and freed.  Jesus recognized unclean spirits for what they were and expelled them.  We're also called to name reality, discern truth, and call out evil.  It seems many today are allowing, even promoting, abusive, discriminatory, prejudiced, and intolerant language and actions.  We must name and combat these things, starting with ourselves.  It's easy to give in to fear or peer pressure, but that's not not the way of Christ.  May we continue to name anti-Christian realities and work with others to help God's kingdom come to earth, fighting injustice, oppression, and prejudice in all its forms....
        It's National Migration Week
      • DailyScripture.net:  "Jesus taught with authority":  Jesus spoke God's word as no one had before.  The prophets spoke with delegated authority, but he was authority incarnate.  "Faith is mighty, but without love it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ, but lacking charity it availed nothing....  They confessed a sort of faith, but without love" (Augustine).  Without love faith profits nothing.  Faith works through love and abounds in hope.  Love orients us to the supreme good, God himself, and good of our neighbor, created in his image.  Hope anchors faith and purifies our desires for things that last.  Christ's word can free us.  "The devil, because he deceived Eve with his tongue, is punished by the tongue, that he might not speak" (Bede, Homilies on the Gospels).  Faith is God's gift and our assent to the truth.  To live, grow, and persevere in faith, we must nourish it with God's word and the Spirit's light.  May we approach his word with trust and submission, eager to do what he wants.
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