Homily

A benevolent authority will use their gift for the good of others. He will admit when he is wrong and listen to other authority figures. But a bad authority figure will most likely be a dictator. That kind of person is always looking to gain power, and it doesn’t matter what road he takes in order to get it. And maybe it is because of these bad examples that many people have an inherent distrust of authority. And it is often this distrust of authority that causes us so much anxiety. But is it possible that being under authority can lead us towards being more trustworthy and less anxious?

Moses in the first reading was a person of authority and under authority. Paul, too, in our second reading. And, of course, Jesus in the Gospel. While he was all about his Father’s will, he also spoke for himself. (Everything has been given over to me by my Father, Matt 11:27, 28:18). Jesus spoke with such authority that his words were literally the Word of God. The powers of evil had no chance against him. This, by the way, is a very important thing to remember when we sense ourselves being confronted by evil. Invoke God’s name. Claim the grace promised you at your baptism, and renounce the evil confronting your heart.

When someone has authority over us, we become obedient. The word “obedient” comes from a Latin word which means “to listen.” This is more than just hearing, but involves our action to what has been said. Many of us don’t like to be obedient. Imagine. For whom would you submit yourself? For whom who you bow down to as the Psalm speaks of? Sometimes our children hear us when we ask them to take out the trash, but only when they act on the parents’ request does the child listen. I was talking to a parent recently and they said that their child wanted to be a painter because then nobody could tell them what to do. Husbands and wives struggle with this too. “You never listen to me!” is a common complaint.

Let’s think about some other authorities or groups to whom we listen. The Superbowl is coming up. Some of you may be Seahawks or Steelers fans. If you are not into American football, I image that many of you still have your favorite sports teams, no? When our favorite players speak, we listen. During the Superbowl, the commercials are amongst the most expensive advertisements in the industry. Why? Because people are watching and being influenced by them. Maybe you don’t think you are an influenced by them. But studies have shown that they are effective. Why else do you think that a company would pay 2.5 to 2.6 million dollars for one 30 second ad? Apparently someone thinks that it is important. Commercials try to speak with authority. They are trying to convince us that their product is something we should buy. They try to make us obedient. And we listen. Parents? Do you ever wonder where your children get their ideas for birthday or Christmas presents? Their friends and... commercials! This wouldn’t so bad if their causes were obedient to the truth of the Gospel. The fact of the matter is that for the most part, they are not. And it makes it difficult to listen to God’s voice when the words of the media are turned up so loud on our TV’s. Just think. How often is your TV on? Is it on even when nobody is there to watch it? And when you watch it, what do you do when commercials come on? Did you know that there was a “mute” button on your remote control? Truth be told, we all struggle with this powerful machine that’s trying to tell us who our authority is.

This is why it is so good to come to Mass. Here we are reminded of the true authority. Paul spoke of him. It is Jesus. And with Jesus, we can command the evil in our lives to be gone just like he did in the Gospel. With Jesus as our focus, our hearts won’t get hardened. With Jesus as our focus, we will know what true peace and love really are. The world has a pretty warped sense of these things. But, receiving Christ through the Word and in the Eucharist, we can become better listeners and more obedient disciples.

What areas in your life continue to be deaf to Jesus’ words? What areas still need to be transformed and healed by his touch? Submit yourself to THE authority? Let Jesus take over your life again. Listen to him and do what he tells you. Be that disciple whose heart is soft and mind is open. Be that disciple who submits oneself to the directives of Jesus. Then you will be more able to hear his voice more clearly. Then your heart will not be hardened. Then you will be without distractions. Then you will be truly free of anxiety.