Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Homily for February 1, 2009
Liturgical Year B - Cycle I
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. John Carney
 Topic: Authority
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Occasionally, I mention how the Lectionary that we hear on Sunday has been put together. We call it the Lectionary. There are three cycles of it, A B and C, Matthew, Mark and Luke. We get John in during special times, like Christmas and Easter. The first reading and the Gospel are of the same theme, and the bridge between them is the Psalm. That second reading oftentimes, doesn't apply to the theme. It clearly did not today. Paul's "If you're not married, stay that way." Paul gets off on these things sometimes. God bless him. Anyway, I've often said, if you look at the theme of the Mass, the first reading, the psalm and the Gospel, there's usually a hundred different subjects you could choose. The idea in preaching is to choose one subject. As a matter of fact, you should be able to state in one sentence what you are trying to say in fifteen minutes. Not take fifteen minutes to say one sentence, as we often are used to. Today, there aren't a hundred messages. There's only one message in the Gospel, the first reading and the psalm and that is that Jesus teaches with authority.

The scribes used to say when they taught, "There is a teaching that says. . ." and then they stated the teaching. But Jesus says, "What I say to you is. . ." and this was completely different. They were amazed at this. They said, "He teaches with authority." As well He should have, and as well He does because He is the author of life. The word authority comes from the word author. It is appropriate that the author of creation teaches us with the ultimate authority.

Jesus had many titles. Perhaps the most popular title He had was that of Rabbi, or teacher. Teaching is an act of love. The reason parents teach their children and discipline them, is because they love them and they want to get them ready for the life ahead. They want to teach them how to live. The reason doctors teach their patients how to live healthily is because they love them. That's why when a doctor says, "Now, come in and sit down and listen to me," he's not chewing you out, though he may be, but it's an act of love. Those of you who are teachers, how blessed you are because what you do for a living is really not working, its ministry. You're ministering to God's little ones, teaching them things that will help them live good and Godly lives.

We also say Jesus is Lord. Perhaps that's our most popular title for Him today. He is Lord. But what does that mean? I have an explanation of what it means to call Jesus Lord. I'm quoting from somebody. I Googled away yesterday and I couldn't find the source but it's so well written I know it's not mine. "When we say Jesus is Lord, we are saying He is truly master of life and death, that He is our God and has divine claims and absolute dominion over us." That's what it means to say He is Lord.

The question that is asked today by these readings is a question only you can answer, or only I can answer. It's not a collective question. What authority do you give Jesus Christ in your life? Really give him? How much authority do you retain for yourself? Some people, some Christians, some Catholics, see Jesus as a kind of philosopher, a guru, a mystic, a revered teacher, someone who is like Confucius or Buddha. Even great figures like the Dali Lama, and Gandhi admire Jesus Christ and His teachings, but they didn't call Him Lord, because they didn't submit to Him. We see Him as Lord, and we submit to Him as the way, the truth and the life.

The word is important: to submit. If someone said, "I only have ten seconds or so. Tell me what Christianity means." I'd say, "OK, here's the short version. We submit to Jesus as Jesus submitted to the Father, even when we don't like it." Jesus said, "Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me. But not my will but your will be done." So, just as Jesus submitted to the Father, we submit to Jesus. Interestingly, Moslems have a similar philosophy. "Islam" means "to submit," and a Moslem means "one who submits". But, we do not submit as slaves. We submit as free men and free women who give ourselves to Him. We submit to Him.

Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." He says, "It's not those who say 'Lord, Lord' who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my Father in heaven."

Christianity is not a philosophy like Confucianism or Buddhism. It is a revelation. You don't have to be that smart to be a Christian. You don't have to be smart at all. You just have to believe He is Lord, and do what He says, freely, as you submit to Him.

Before Christ, God loved His people. He taught the Hebrew people and the Jewish people how to live. We heard that in Deuteronomy today, "I will raise up for them a prophet, like you, from among their kin and will put my words into his mouth. He shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever does not listen to my words, which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for." God loved His people, and so He taught them.

God loves us, and so He teaches us, today, by two primary means: by scripture, and by the Magisterium of the church--the Pope and the Bishops. Scripture is the Word of God. We can be sure of that. We can also be sure that Jesus teaches us today through His church. We know He chose twelve disciples, surrounding Himself with them and teaching them not in parables but directly. We know He chose one of those disciples as their leader: the disciple Peter. What else does the scripture mean? When He says, "Simon bar Jonah, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." That sounds like He was giving Peter the authority to teach in His name. The first thing He did on the day of His resurrection, in the Gospel we read, He appeared before His disciples, His first bishops and He breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive are forgiven. Whose sins you shall hold bound are held bound." That's scripture. He gave Peter the Keys of the Kingdom. In Luke's Gospel, He said, "Whoever listens to you, listens to Me." In Matthew's Gospel, He said, "Whoever receives you receives Me." Its clear that Jesus intended to teach us through His disciples, those first bishops, the apostles, and their leader, whom we now call the Pope. And it's clear why. He would not leave us without shepherds, for each individual to make up his or her own mind on laws and rules of morality. If He did that, we would have a moral and ethical anarchy. And indeed, that's what we have and many souls are being lost.

The church speaks with authority, even through flawed ministers. Look at the first twelve bishops. There was Peter, who denied Christ and also who was irascible at times. From what I know about Peter, he could not pass a psychological evaluation to enter seminary today. We wouldn't take him! James and John were full of pride, and ... "Sons of Thunder." They must have had a temper. They argued about who was going to get the place next to Jesus in the kingdom. They were full of pride. They were ambitious. Thomas denied Christ. Judas, one of the twelve that Jesus selected, betrayed Him. Even before that, the great leaders . . . Moses, we heard about Moses today in the Psalm, Moses was not permitted to lead his people into the Promised Land. That honor was given to Joshua because Moses had tested God, and tried Him, and in punishment for that he was disciplined. Aaron, selected by God as their leader, permitted the people to fashion a calf out of gold. The Great David. Is there a greater name in Hebrew scriptures, in our Old Testament than David? David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and to cover it up, had her husband killed. He murdered Uriah. The Great David! These men were flawed, and yet, they were selected by God to lead, and to speak in His name. And so it was, and so it is today. The clergy are flawed. If we didn't know that twenty years ago, we sure know it now. If you think you know it from the outside looking in, I'll tell you, from the inside, you're right. We're imperfect. And yet, we are given the responsibility to speak as prophets for God. If we don't, it will not go well with us at the Judgment.

Many play a game with what is right and wrong, many Christians but I think we know what Jesus would teach us, what Jesus does teach us. Is it OK to cheat on taxes? Is it OK to be unfaithful to your spouse? Are sexual relations outside of marriage OK? Is it OK to be stingy and not to use our wealth to help others? Are we supposed to keep the Sabbath holy? Is sanctity of life a real issue? Is the life of a baby in the womb sacred to God? Should we execute those who have committed grave crimes, or should we give them mercy instead? We know the answers to those questions. Yet, many play a game. Many Christians, indeed, many Catholics. It's impossible to be a faithful Catholic and to be pro-choice. It is not possible to be a faithful Catholic and be pro-choice. Yet, many claim they are both Catholic and pro-choice. What they have chosen excludes Jesus Christ because what they have chosen, it excludes life.

Some say, "I'll decide these things for myself. I don't need you telling me these things. I'll decide them for myself." I say that's good enough. Fair enough but know that you, the creature, are judging Christ Himself and if you do that, then stop calling Jesus "Lord" and start calling yourself lord. For that's what you are.

Some have left the church. Many have joined for the same reason because we stand for something. Some, like self-willed children, are angry at authority of any kind. They won't listen. "No one tells me." They've joined other communities, other churches, where they are comfortable, churches that disagree with nothing, and offend nobody.

Some demand that our church become more inclusive. I looked up the definition of inclusive. It means, "Including the specified extremes or limits, as well as the area between them." If inclusiveness means accepting views and lifestyles within the church's community that are contrary to the Gospel, then we have no desire to become more inclusive. Jesus teaches with authority, then and now, with the same clarity and authority as He did in the synagogue. Interestingly, in the Gospel today, even Hthe unclean spirit recognized Him. He knew He was Lord and if he recognized Him, we should be able to recognize Him as well.

One last comment, and I think this is thought provoking, and I'm still thinking about it. On Friday, our Youth Minister Eric Horne said this when we were discussing this topic, "You know, Father, there are a lot of 'No's', 'thou shalt not's'." He said, "But God's 'no' calls us to a deeper 'yes'. A deeper commitment. And a deeper love."

Let us pray.

"Teach me Your ways, O Lord. Your ways, O Lord, make known to me. Teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are my Savior. Good and upright is the Lord, thus He shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice. He teaches the humble His way. Teach me Your ways, O Lord."