Homily: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Mark 1:21-28
January 28, 2024
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez
Social media influencers hold tremendous influence on today’s youth. They are the ones most listened to when it comes to advice and guidance in life. It’s funny because some of these influencers are very young, barely out of their teens! These kids get paid to tell their followers what’s cool to wear, best places to eat, where to vacation, and even how to handle real life problems like depression, heartbreak, confusion, etc. Sadly, many of them will do and say things that increase their engagement and their following even if it is the wrong thing to say or do. If only they were qualified to dispense advice or if they took to heart their social responsibility.
In today’s gospel passage, we are told that the “People were astonished at Jesus’ teaching because He taught as one who had authority and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22) Jesus gives evidence of this authority through His teaching and healing ministry. This authority in Jesus is displayed by the power of His words which yielded corresponding effects that moved hearts to follow His lead and that made the evil spirits tremble at His words. Everything Jesus said and did was an expression of the truth that He was the Son of God and that He had come to save God’s people. He did not have to pretend. He did not put up pretences to win followers. In fact, not everyone appreciated Him. He made a lot of enemies but that was immaterial to Him because He was not out to please everybody.
The people saw in Jesus someone with authority because He lived a life that manifested what He proclaimed. The integrity of Jesus’ way of life gave His words power, which also drew many to Him and challenged them to live lives of the same integrity. They listened to Him because He they saw Him as a prophet not as someone who can foretell the future but rather as one who spoke the word of God. As the Lord tells Moses: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among your kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:8) Jesus is the opposite of the scribes who are full of beautiful words but lack the corresponding deeds. Maybe what they teach is right but it is usually empty talk. It does not penetrate the heart so as to persuade people to change their lives and return to God.
Nowadays we have so many sources of information. The internet is wide open to anyone who claims to be an “expert” and who wants to post, speak and give his/her opinion and advice on anything discussed. If we are not careful, we can form ideas or make decisions based on the statements of fake experts or fake prophets. When I see products being advertised by celebrity endorsers, I do not automatically believe them unless they have a reputation for only endorsing products they truly believe in.
When it comes to matters of the soul, we have to be doubly careful. We should always consider authority to emanate from a life of integrity. I came across this social media post which clearly illustrates this: “If we say and do what we [believe in; then] everyone will know what we actually believe in. It’s a handy little thing called integrity.” This is very important for us, Catholics. No one will believe us if we do not practice what we preach. For example, it is difficult to tell a child not to lie if we ourselves do lie. How can they believe us? This is even more true for us, priests who are called shepherds of the faithful. Many of today’s youth are moving away from the church because they are losing confidence in the clergy. Sometimes we really miss out on being a good example ourselves. This happens when we become distracted ourselves with the things of this world. I hope we can count on you to remind us when we seem to forget our commitment to the Lord. As St. Paul reminds us in the Second Reading: “An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32) Can we count on you on this?
Brothers and sisters, we are reminded that the only way to manifest authority and to witness to Jesus’ teachings in our midst is by living a life of integrity. As we celebrate National Bible Sunday and the Sunday of the Word of God, let us pray that the Word of God not only sustain us, but also change us and make us persons of integrity.
Jesus Preaching from a Boat by Jorge Cocco
Sunday Gospel Reflections 