From the Pastor - 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Our readings today remind us of God’s authority.
As we reflect on our Gospel, we recognize that God possesses all authority and that we want to give Him all authority. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath. All were fixed on His words and astonished at what He had to say. Suddenly everyone’s attention shifted to a man with an unclean spirit who began to question Jesus and His authority. Jesus responded, “Quiet, come out of him!” and removed the evil spirit from the man. All were amazed at the healing of this man.
Life can sometimes look like the synagogue in Capernaum. We are living as disciples of Christ when we suddenly recognize evil around us — through events in our lives, temptations we are enduring, or by falling into sin. It can distract us, consume our attention, or even cause us to despair. In these moments of trial, we must remember the Healer in our Gospel today. Recall His words, “Quiet, come out of Him!” Jesus has the power and authority over evil, for He has conquered sin and death. He also has the power and authority over us. And when we invite Him to have that authority, He will heal us and help us persevere.
Today, we are reminded that God is in control and that we want Him to be in control. He is the loving Healer that will work miracles in our lives if we give Him the authority to do so. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2021
Pastoral Pondering — Over the past several weeks, I have had a number of folks ask me questions about difficulties in prayer. If you have had these, you are not alone. I think these struggles often increase in difficult times where external realities impact us; even though, those times are when we need prayer most. One good resource that is very accessible and has been found quite helpful is a book by Matthew Kelly, I Heard God Laugh. Matthew gives some very helpful tips on how to develop our prayer lives and grow in the life of grace.
Additionally, if difficulties continue along with other obstacles, such as persistent or habitual sin, then it’s not a bad idea to determine if there are other spiritual obstacles that need to be addressed. Of course, this takes for granted that the person in question is leading an active sacramental life with confession, Mass and prayer (even if prayer is difficult). Oftentimes, these obstacles can be present without the knowledge of the person due to some trauma in childhood, some involvement with the occult or New Age, including Reiki, Yoga, Eastern medicine that is associated with Eastern religious practices, and the like and even some presence in the family history with some practice or organization connected with occult practices, e.g., freemasonry, generational curses, etc.
We always have to be careful not to jump to conclusions, however, given the rise of naturalism and indifferentism in the culture, these problems are more prevalent than we would like to think. Thankfully, God’s mercy is stronger than any snare that might afflict us, and the Church is always ready to assist her children in overcoming obstacles to the Spiritual life. In the next couple of bulletins, I will try to address some other obstacles in the spiritual life.