First reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6,9-11
Keep strengthening one another
You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’, since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it.
But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober. God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.
Responsorial Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Gospel Luke 4:31-37
‘I know who you are: the Holy One of God’
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! 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.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.
_____________________
Authority to love, no dominate
“…his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority”. Jesus taught with authority because His words and actions are coherent. He lived what He preached. Unlike the religious leaders, Jesus did not just talk about the law, but He spoke of God and made God’s love real and tangible through His actions. Our words will not impact others’ lives if we do not try to live and practice what we say to them in our own lives. This is because people believe more in what they see than hear.
In the second part of the gospel, we read that a disturbed man, who was most likely mentally unwell, was rather hostile towards Jesus. Jesus could have just walked away, but He stopped and healed the man. For Jesus, authority is always about others: about service, about showing love. We, who have been given this gift of authority, are called to imitate Jesus in living out our authority, i.e., by serving and enhancing the lives of others.
Questions for reflection:
How do I exercise our authority as a parent/grandparent, aunt/uncle, employer/mentor?
