Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.
4TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green)
Responsorial Psalm: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
1st Reading: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
He will raise up for you a prophet like myself from among the people, from your brothers, to whom you shall listen.
Remember that in Horeb, on the day of the Assembly, you said: “I am afraid to die and I do not want to hear the voice of Yahweh again or see again that great fire.”
So Yahweh said to me: “They have spoken well. I shall raise up a prophet from their midst, one of their brothers, who will be like you. I will put my words into his mouth and he will tell them all that I command. If someone does not listen to my words when the prophet speaks on my behalf, I myself will call him to account for it. But any prophet who says in my name anything that I did not command, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7: 32-35
I would like you to be free from anxieties. He who is not married is concerned about the things of the Lord and how to please the Lord.
While he who is married is taken up with the things of the world and how to please his wife, and he is divided in his interests.
Likewise, the unmarried woman and the virgin are concerned with the service of the Lord, to be holy in body and spirit. The married woman, instead, worries about the things of the world and how to please her husband. I say this for your own good. I do not wish to lay traps for you, but to lead you to a beautiful life, entirely united with the Lord.
Gospel: Mark 1: 21-28
They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority, and not like the teachers of the law.
It happened that, a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue, and he shouted, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: you are the Holy One of God.”
Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, “Be silent, and come out of this man!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him.
All the people were astonished, and they wondered, “What is this? With what authority he preaches! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him!” And Jesus’ fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.
LECTIO DIVINA:
Read: Jesus was in Capernaum. He taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The people were astonished because Jesus taught them with authority. In that synagogue, there was a man with an evil spirit. The man with an evil spirit shouted while recognizing Jesus’ identity as the Holy One of God. Jesus drove out the evil spirit. All the people were astonished.
Reflect: The synagogue is a holy place. Sabbath is a holy time. This is a setting that invites us to deepen our relationship with God while heeding his words.
The man with an evil spirit recognized Jesus as the holy One of God. This man was cognizant of Jesus’ identity and authority. He was also aware of the power of Jesus’ words that is eternal and divine.
This is what the people failed to recognize. Astonished as they were, the people felt the authority of Jesus’ words but would remain ignorant of Jesus’ identity as the Holy One of God and as the Sovereign Lord.
God can always perform astonishing miracles before our eyes but unless we recognize his Sovereign authority and lordship over us, our relationship with him will remain without depth.
Pray: Let us pray that we may truly accept Jesus as our Sovereign Lord and that his words become truly authoritative over our life.
Act: Let us deepen our knowledge of Jesus by taking time to study the Bible.
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