Share your faith … with authority!
Homily originally presented January 31, 2021
by Monsignor Deering

During the summers growing up in Chicago, my Dad would take my brothers and I over to the neighborhood swimming pool. One afternoon when I was 10 yrs. old, I was passing through the Locker Room as we were leaving the pool to go home, when this big kid starts picking on me, yelling and taunting me for no reason. I just looked at him not knowing what to say and then my Dad walked in. In an instant he knew what was going on and he said to this kid, “Button your lip!”

Just like that it was over; this kid stopped talking and didn’t say another word.

I was so thankful for my Dad being there in my time of need and I marveled at how he took control of things. I used to think that the kid went silent because my Dad was bigger than him ... but now I’m quite sure that the reason he stopped taunting was because my Dad ... spoke with authority.

What is Authority?    

 It’s the power to enforce rules or give orders with confidence & firm self-assurance

How does it show up?

   in one’s ability to gain the respect of other people and influence what they do.

How does one get it?

by having the knowledge, skill, or experience to be a true source of information.

For example, Dr. Anthony Fauci is a physician-scientist and immunologist serving as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. His knowledge, skill and experience make him a recognized authority on Covid-19.

Authority is not necessarily related to one’s size or strength.     For example,

Mother Teresa of Calcutta spoke with authority and she was one of the most frail and diminutive people in the world. So where did she get her authority from?

It comes from ... knowing who you are and knowing what you know is true.

In our Gospel, the people describe Jesus as such a person.

St. Mark writes,   “The people were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

And later they marvel,    “What is this? A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

You see,  Jesus knows and loves the Father, the fullness of Wisdom and Truth,  

and this enables Him to teach with authority.

It was His authority in speaking the truth that made people anxious to hear Him.

In our day, this would be like having Dr. Scott Hahn or Fr. Mitch Pacwa at your side if you had to defend the teachings of the Catholic Church.   Both of these men

are astute Scripture Scholars, who know God and the Holy Word of God very well.

This enables them to speak with authority about God and His Church.

Now, they weren’t born with this wisdom and understanding ...

No, these 2 men speak with authority when they speak about God and His Church   

because they’ve developed wisdom ... and gained understanding ...

by investing time and effort ... to study and learn about them.

This is why it’s so important to study and practice your faith.

In doing so, you claim a higher and higher level of authority ...

in performing your Baptismal Commission of spreading the word of God.

Jesus knew The Father and ... was united with The Father ...

and this enabled Him to speak with great authority.

By knowing the Father ... He knew the truth.

And there’s simply no way to respond to the truth except with submission.

We claim our authority by knowing and being united with Jesus, who is the Truth.

How many times Jesus brought the crowds to silence with the truth.

For example, when the woman who was caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, Jesus said, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone,”    Scripture says, they all dropped their stones and walked away. They had come face to face with the Truth!

How many times too we hear that the Lawyers, the Scribes or the Pharisees would get to the point where they would either say, “Teacher, you have spoken rightly,” or it would simply be noted that “no one dared to ask Him any further questions.”

Mother Teresa had the truth because she stayed connected to Jesus.

She spoke with authority and commanded attention on a global scale ...

she knew the truth and spoke the truth with confidence.

We can do the same thing!

Years ago, I saw my Dad speak with authority in a swimming pool locker room. By saying just three words, “Button your lip” he totally changed the situation.    

Each of us can do the same thing

by listening to and staying connected to Jesus ... the source of all truth.

In Psalm 95 that we sang today, we heard the invitation:

“Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us.

For he is our God and we are the people He shepherds.”

This is the humility that God desires from us, His people.

He wants us to kneel before him and happily admit that He is God and we are not.

And tell Him that we need Him & depend on Him & appreciate Him for everything!

This is nothing less than the truth!

There is a God … a one and only God ...

Who is the Creator of all things ...

Who holds the keys to Everlasting Life for every Creature.

How is it that so many don’t see this ... when even the devil admits it!

In our Gospel today, Jesus drives out an unclean spirit from a man.

And as He does the evil spirit cries out,

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? …

I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”

Yes, even the devil knows there is a God …

 and he will suffer eternally for choosing not to serve God.

We certainly don’t want to suffer the same fate.

But we might, if we don’t unite ourselves with God and listen to His words.

In our First Reading, Moses relays what God told him about the coming Messiah,  “I will put my words into his mouth … whoever will not listen to my words

which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.”

Listening to God begins here in Church where we gather each week ...

to formally hear His word proclaimed in the Scriptures ...

and be united with His Word, Jesus, in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So attending Mass is essential ... but it’s only one moment in our relationship.

God wants to hear from us every day … not just when we want something.

When we come to realize that God is the most important thing in our life ...

 then we’ll hold Him in our mind and in our heart all day ... every day.

This makes our Responsorial Psalm especially appropriate when it directs us,

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

In the midst of your particular vocation, you need to listen to hear the voice of God as much as possible. Those who are married will have a different amount of time to do this from those who are single or those who serve the Church as Priests or Sisters.

You know people sometimes ask, “Why can’t Priests marry & have a wife & family?”

I think that St. Paul addresses this question very well in our Second Reading as he points out that unmarried men and unmarried women have an advantage over married men and married women when it comes to having the time to learn and be united with the Lord.

Paul writes, “An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord …

   but a married man or woman is anxious about the things of the world,

             how they may please their spouse, and so are divided.”

It’s wisdom such as this that moved the Church in the Middle Ages

to decide that Priests would not marry.

Within the limits of our own individual vocations, we’re all called to develop our authority in speaking about God and His Church.    We’re all called to imitate Jesus.    

And we can.    But it takes continuing prayer and study and effort.

Fortunately, we’re blessed to be living at a time where so many resources are available to help us learn and live our faith. There’s books, periodicals, audio and video recordings, podcasts, You-Tube, and TV programs like EWTN!

We just need to invest time in prayer and study. Being present at Mass is a start. But there is room to do so much more. As this New Year unfolds, strive to make time each day for prayer and study.    Use the resources available to you.

Do you want to grow in authority? Then you need to draw close to God!

For all wisdom and all authority comes from God.

So, come, be attentive at Mass ... and study and pray at home ...  and little by little you’ll find yourself growing in your understanding ... of God and His Church ...

and in no time at all, ...

you’ll find yourself sharing the faith with others ... and doing so … with authority.