THOUGHTS OF A NUN

PREACH ALL THE TIME, AND WHEN IT IS NECESSARY EVEN SPEAK!

May 31, 2006

Today we hear Jesuswent to the synagogue and spoke WITH AUTHORITY. I've been giving some consideration on the source of Hisauthority? When someone has a mission and is convinced of the mission-- of the truth of their convictions, they do usually come across with authority.
What did  Jesussee as his mission? On numerous occasions Jesus said the law -Torah- the scribes- whatever, say to you, "but I say to you" and it was always doing something more-- going further than the previous understanding. Jesus words were always LOVE - to love God first and foremost and love the neighbor, even the enemy, as I love myself (which presumes a love for the self).  Christ's mission seems to be to point us in the direction where we can come to know God; not the fear inspiring, seemingly capricious, demanding God, but the One Jesus knows - The God of Love. The God Who loves without reserve. The God who first loves us and who has enabled us to freely love in return.

While Jesus was preaching, an evil spirit in one man cried out for Him to "leave us alone". It knew who Jesus was and called Christ the holy one of God. Do you find it peculiar that it was the evil spirits who recognized Jesus as being sent by God? What did it take for most of the people to recognize Him?

Jesus ordered the evil spirit to be silent and cast it out of the man without allowing it to do harm to the man. Why did Jesus not want the evil spirits to proclaim him? We know the idea of an earthly kingdom was not Christ's mission. Was it because there were so few prepared for his kind of Messiahship that He invoked silence?

After Jesus left the synagogue he went to Peter's house and found Peter's mother- in- law sick with a high fever. Jesus healed her. Those in the synagogue were truly amazed at His eloquence and healing powers. As a result throughout the countryside word went out about Christ so that in the evening many who were sick were brought to Him and He healed them. Christ's mission was to bring an awareness of God's love to us as he did by his preaching and his healing. In gratitude for Christ's healing love, Peter's mother-in-law did what she knew how to do by serving her household.

What are the ways that we can respond? We have been given life, a chance to love and be loved. How do we respond to this healing gift? 

In the first reading today, God says to Jacob, ”Fear not, I will pour water on thirsty land, streams on dry ground, my spirit on your descendants and they will say, "I am the Lord's ".

Is not the water God's love for us? And is not God's spirit for all of us? Do we all say --I am the Lord's? Is it not our whole life that preaches our convictions and speaks out “I am the Lord's?”

As the Captain of the Star Fleet Enterprise in outer space would say, “ Make it so!”