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Catholic Charities USA



Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings of the Day 
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Jesus enters the synagogue and starts to teach. Teach - a word that
insinuates a connecting with the listener. Not just speaking at, but
wanting and expecting and trying to help the listener understand.

 Listening, the people were astonished. The passage does not say
what Jesus says, so we can only assume that the astonishment came
through his demeanor, his spirit. This was a man who believed with his
whole being what he described in his teaching. This was someone
speaking from his own experience - not to control or overpower the
listeners, but to invite.

We can imagine the people pondering if this Jesus is the one of which
Moses spoke in our first reading, the prophet to be sent. Then, notice
the countering spirit - the unclean spirit - known as such because of
its resistance to the holiness of God. The unclean spirit's
opposition gives confirmation of Jesus' identity to the
speculating crowd.

Now, Jesus' message could easily have remained in the synagogue
if not for what the people did next. It's unlikely that any of
them left the synagogue and went out preaching about what they had
seen and heard. Instead, they talked among themselves. They pondered
with each other. They spoke to each other about their own experience
and were honest about their questions. Through this simple yet
necessary and ordinary act of trust and openness, "His fame
spreads everywhere ..."

With the events of today - in the past month, in the past year - might
we be invited to the same level of trust of each other and then watch
with amazement the possibilities unfold? 

Sr. Lois Byrne, PBVM, MSW is director and therapist at Catholic
Charities, Diocese of New Ulm, MN.

 



Catholic Charities USA

2050 Ballenger Avenue
Suite 400
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703-549-1390

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