Fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, Year B - Sunday, January 31, 2021
(EPISODE:276)
Readings for 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
FIRST READING: Deut 18: 15-20
Ps 95: 1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9. "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. "
SECOND READING: 1 Cor 7: 32-35
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Matt 4: 16). Alleluia, alleluia! A people in darkness have seen a great light. A radiant dawn shines on those lost in death.
GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21-28
Image - Shutterstock licensed Image: ID:719621203 Teachings of Jesus. Frescoes of the ancient byzantine church of Hagia Sophia in Trabzon. The remains of the ancient temple. Old church wall. JULY 4, 2017. By Nurlan Mammadzada
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B - Sunday, January 31, 2021, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-fourth-sunday-of-ordinary-time-year-b-episode-276/s-O8QjzvQMB1R (EPISODE: 276)
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* (Prologue by Fr Paul): Jesus, (in this weekend's gospel) is described as "speaking with authority" – something that both surprises and deeply impresses those who hear him. Our Lord is seen as having an authority that is very different from what they are used to experiencing from their regular religious leaders, who, you would think, should be inspiring figures, and one would also hope, speaking with authority - but they were clearly not.
It goes to show, there are two types of authority;
One derives from the office that a person holds (the authority and respect due to the position a person holds),
and then there is the personal authority that speaks powerfully of the inner integrity, vision and values of THAT person.
When both are found together, then history has before them a great and impressive leader….
Jesus never had a formal office in his society (other than being rightly described as Rabbi or a teacher); however, his authority was absolute; flowing from deep within him, from the truth of who he is, (and his essential relationship to his heavenly Father); --
Ironically, the true test of a person's faithfulness to God is how they respond to the embodiment of God (in Jesus). These so-called faithful followers of God failed miserably in this test because they rejected Jesus and opposed his vision.
We must stay very close to the person and message of Jesus, and learn from him, and experience his compassion and love for all people, (because this is what motivates his mission – LOVE – at the very centre and nature of God). Without that, we too could fall into the trap of living the outward appearance and missing the point inside.
It is ironic, that Jesus was unable to cast out the evil of malice and deception that was in the hearts of his opponents, who lied and deceived in order to wrongly accuse him of sedition and to have him crucified. But, they were too wilful. They were deliberately and stubbornly cooperating with evil in their hearts and choosing to oppose Jesus, and so Jesus had to die and rise again in order to break their power.
We are called by Christ to cast out (with his help) all that is destructive, hate-filled, deceptive, unjust and unloving in our lives and hearts. We do it by prayer and by reflection and by staying very close to the Lord. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted our service of God's Kingdom and the values of the gospel. So, what really counts is listening to what God wants of us here and now. Married or single, with God's help, let us strive to live that vocation well.
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Homily by Fr Peter Dillon:
Today we have a glut of public figures and there is depressing predictability about what they have to say. This builds within the community a terrible scepticism based on the predictability of what they have to say. How few of them speak with real authority. With modern-day media access and up-to-the-minute political and social commentators bombarding us whenever we turn on a television set, we have become used to hearing people speak to us with all different level of conviction and authority. This last week, with the United States inauguration of the president, there has been an extra effort to ensure the public that the necessary authority and honesty is going to be exercised in the governing of that country. Our own Australian political alliances mostly depend on how credible we believe our representatives to be. It was in this environment that the new president's phrase, " we are not to be an example of power, but to show power by example" is worthy of consideration.
In today's Gospel we read that Jesus made 'a deep impression on the people because unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.'
Why did Jesus make such an impact on his listeners? He appeared to speak from within from the heart, as we often say. He spoke as someone who had experienced what he talked about, and there is no authority like the authority of someone who has lived what they are saying.
As soon as he began to teach, the people recognised at once that there was a freshness and transparency about what he said, unlike the rabbis of the day. Rather than learning from books, he gave lessons from the great school of life. While it is a great shame that we don't know even more about his early life, where we could see what it was that formed him for his public ministry, we do know that he was well versed in the Jewish scriptures and attended the synagogue regularly, so he did speak from a foundation of knowledge of where the people were coming from. On many occasions, he tells us that he had not come to abolish the laws, but rather to fulfil them.
Yet he held no official position, he had no power by way of formal office or election. Yet this may have been helpful in drawing people to listen, as often people in an official position can be seen as not being their own person, but have to present the party line, as it were, whereas the person who has no such position has the freedom to say it, as it is. In fact, we know at this time in Israel none of the scribes would dare voice their own opinion and they frowned on anyone who did. No disagreement with them was tolerated, as Jesus came to discover at his peril.
It is important to distinguish between authority and influence on one hand and power and control on the other. Some people with the greatest moral authority are quite powerless, while the most influential have no need to control those they influence. We need only think of people like Mother Theresa and Pope Francis to understand how this can happen. Yet it is still possible to have all the authority in the world and still fail as a teacher because the key ingredients of sincerity, integrity and lived-witness are either shallow or non-existent. Even though we know we need to listen and follow their direction, we are wary of their motives and suspicious of their intentions. The character of the speaker is very important and when the speaker doesn't live according to their own words, they lose their authority.
The great American literary figure Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "What you are stands over you and thunders so loudly that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary".
Jesus was able to teach with conviction because he knew that his authority came for the Father to whom he was responsible. He had nothing to fear because he had truth to tell and that was clear to all who heard him. He possessed an authority unequalled by anyone else. Every Christian, irrespective of whether they hold an office, should use the example of Christ as the authority with which we should all speak and act, the kind that comes from a person of transparent integrity.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Homily of the Abbot – Monastery of Christ in the Desert
MISSION 2000 – PRAYING SCRIPTURE IN A CONTEMPORARY WAY. YEAR B. BY MARK LINK S.J.
Image - Shutterstock licensed Image: ID:719621203 Teachings of Jesus. Frescoes of the ancient Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia in Trabzon. The remains of the ancient temple. Old church wall. JULY 4, 2017. By Nurlan Mammadzada
Fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, Year B (Sunday, January 31, 2021) (EPISODE: 276)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{Peace and greetings to you all.}} welcome everyone, we gather - Praise, Worship of God
As we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery, let us admit our failings and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.
option two on the cards/ Have mercy on us, O Lord./ For we have sinned against you./ Show us, O Lord, your mercy. And grant us your salvation.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sundays III
EP II
Communion side. pwk: RH
(theme variation: 2 )
(pre+post variation: 5)
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{thanks, everyone. And may God sustain you with his grace and love. }
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
[ Production - KER - 2021]
May God bless and keep you.
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