Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Amid a crisis, such as a car accident or a serious illness, someone needs to step forward and “take charge.” Without that self-appointed leader, chaos can reign. Or perhaps it is just the opposite—a paralysis of fear.
I suggest a connecting thread found in the liturgical readings for this week might be the theme of God taking charge of the welfare of His Chosen People. With that as a general theme, we can listen closely to God’s daily inspired word and be amazed at how many ordinary people and ordinary circumstances play a special role in that caring role.
Surely, the central figure in God’s overall plan for salvation is Jesus, the Son of God. The readings for today, the Fourth Sunday of the year prepare us to recognize Jesus in this role. Notice in the Old Testament reading, that Moses sets the stage in the early history of the Hebrew people by assuring the people that God will never abandon them to chaos but lead them with wisdom and authority through the prophets. The price tag for this assurance was that the people needed to faithfully respond to that wisdom and authority. The great hope and presumption was that if the people truly experienced being the object of God’s loving care, they would gratefully respond with a reciprocal loving relationship.
All of this becomes more practical and personal as we “chew” on the meaning of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel for today. Paul is setting the marriage standard that the love and respect generated by the intimacy and understanding of husband and wife is an exact reflection of God’s care for us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of God, the Risen Christ, who teaches all of us the meaning of unconditional, faithful love.
The Gospel is the clearest demonstration of Jesus “taking charge” with powerful authority. He acted on his own authority to drive out the power of the evil one from their midst and then just as powerfully he taught the people about their awesome gifts and their responsibilities.
Jesus didn’t have to rely on ancient wisdom of the past to explain God’s word to the people. Jesus, the Son of God, spoke then and still speaks today with the power and authority of His Spirit. Why in the world should we not listen with eager and grateful hearts?
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections