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January 28, 2024 (USCCB website material)
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4th Sunday in normal time: Lord our God, enable us to honor You with all our heart and love everyone with all our heart. Through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, He lives and reigns with you forever in union with God the Holy Spirit.
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In their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit. “Jesus of Nazareth, what have you to do with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. !” he cried. Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Get out of him!” An unclean spirit convulsed him and came out of him with a loud cry (Mark 1:23-26).
The Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, normally celebrated today, will be replaced by Sunday’s liturgy.
Commentary on the Fourth Sunday Mass in Ordinary Time, Cycle B:
of first reading taken from Deuteronomy 18:15-20. The central part of this book describes the various offices and officers of the theocratic society that Yahweh is establishing for his chosen people through his servant Moses.
of Second reading It is from St. Paul’s 1 Corinthians 7:32-35. He devotes chapter 7 to answering questions about marriage and virginity. In today’s excerpt, he emphasizes the freedom to serve God fully and the freedom from worldly cares that those who choose a life of celibacy have.
of gospel from St. Mark 1:21-28. St. Mark reveals that from the very first day of Christ’s public ministry, his messianic power began to manifest itself in those who saw and heard him. The Jews of Capernaum were “amazed” at his teachings and “amazed” at his power over evil spirits. “What is this?” they asked one another, “new teachings and unclean spirits follow him!” But by the time they recognized him as the Messiah and the Son of God There was still a long way to go. As expected, the amazing mystery of the Incarnation far exceeded human expectations or imagination. And it is our Lord’s desire to reveal this mystery slowly and gradually so that when His resurrection completes the chain of evidence, His followers can look back and see each link in the chain. It was your own plan. Then they will be ready to accept without hesitation the mystery of the Incarnation and understand the infinite love and power of God who brought it about. We look back today through the eyes of the Evangelists, and like them, we know that Christ was not only human but also God, having two natures in one person. Therefore, we should not be “amazed” at Jesus’ teachings or His power over unclean spirits. What we should really be amazed at is the love God has shown humanity in making them part of our race.
We are creatures with nothing to be proud of. We are created by God, and every talent and power we have is given to us by God. God’s mercy may stop there and we will have no right to complain. But when we remember the special gift God has given to humans that elevates them above all other creatures, we realize that God, in His infinitely merciful nature, cannot leave us to the fate of this world. You can see that it wasn’t. Is there any human being who would be satisfied with a short lifespan on earth? Is there any real purpose in life for an intelligent being who knows that nothing awaits him but eternal oblivion in the grave? What fulfillment can the human intellectual faculties receive after several years of the constant struggle for survival on earth for the majority? No, God has placed us on earth. After our sojourn, He created us to elevate us into an eternal existence where all our desires and possibilities will be truly fulfilled. Therefore, the Incarnation, and therefore the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God, constitute a central turning point in human history.
Today, let us marvel at God’s love for us and, at the same time, be rightly amazed at the shabby and unwilling ways in which we respond to that love. Some of us rely on God’s infinite love to justify our unwillingness to cooperate with God’s plan for our eternal future, rather than from convincing historical and logical evidence. Some even deny the act. This is not to say that the future after death is not relevant to them. It is a thought that invades all people again and again, but they see the things of this world, which are supposed to be a stepping stone to their future life, instead to become a millstone that crushes their spirit and their own true self-interest. I’ve forgiven you.
Although we sincerely wish we were not in that class, there are many moments in our daily lives as Christians that startle us with our lack of appreciation for God and the incarnate Son of God. The sides are still visible. “How warm is our charity, our love for God and neighbor, apart from the serious sins that distance us from God, if not against Him?” How much time do we spend in God? How much time do we spend on Caesar’s things and how much time do we spend on Caesar’s things? How often our daily struggle for an earthly existence, and the complaints and dissatisfaction it causes, blind us to the eternal purpose for which God gave us this earthly existence. You’ll probably end up with a lot of trouble. How many times have we sincerely said this over the past year? “God, thank you for bringing me into this world, and thank you a thousand times more for giving me the opportunity and means to reach the next world.” May I live happily ever after with you. ” If the real answer for many of us is “never,” start today. Let’s say it from the heart now, and let’s say it often for the years we have left.
-excerpt Sunday reading session From Father Kevin O’Sullivan, OFM