TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
1 Samuel 1:9-20
Mark 1:21-28
THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF CHRIST OUR LORD.
One of the characteristic features of our Lord Jesus Christ is the exercise of impacting great knowledge through his teachings. He came to raise our awareness of the things of this world. We stand as ignorant people who live and wallow in ignorance. Knowledge, they say is power. And with such knowledge one will be able to triumph over the problems of life.
Jesus began his ministry not only healing people, or raising people from their poverty into stable life or attending to their earthly despicable situations of sinfulness and iniquity but more importantly instructing and teaching his people on the things of God. Most times, we pay little or no attention to this mission of instructing or teaching but this was the preoccupation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
He taught the people with great diligence, exposing the mysteries of God for them, bringing them into the supernatural realms of God and they looked at him as having not just the wisdom but with great authority as well in his teaching. The comparison the people made between Jesus and the scribes speaks eloquently of the impression his teaching made in their lives. Jesus never administered any healing without instructing the people first and foremost.
Let us learn first, to be attentive to the teachings of the church, the magisterium, the homilies. The catechism classes, the seminars, the conferences, and the many different weeks of teaching we organize in the church to instruct people and the faithful in our obligations. It is becoming increasingly difficult for clergy, laity and others to attend these teachings. We sometimes pose as if we have acquired it all. The urge to know, to learn, to be instructed is waning very fast. In our church these days, we have sacrificed teaching and study of God’s words for miracles and wonders, prayer sessions and deliverance services.
But we must understand that the greatest miracle comes when we listen to teachings and abide by them. When we harken to the scriptures, to the catechism of the Church, when we encounter Christ in his Words and listen to him and take in his word then we become healed, delivered, saved and the glory of God follows us.
Again, we must value meditative prayer above spontaneous prayers. This is what Hannah teaches us because it is a prayer said from the heart and not from the emotional part of man.
This kind of prayer brought Hannah her great favour, for she prayed and implored the help of God in silent prayer and prayer of the heart. Her intentions and requests were answered and she got the blessings of a child. God looks at the heart, the real intentions, the seriousness of our quest and the disposed heart of trust in him. And with such, all our difficulties will be attended to.
Heavenly Father, help us to listen to you, the word of life. May we always be disposed to learn by studying the scriptures, and the magisterium of the Church. As Jesus taught with authority and power may such also be granted your priests and ministers of today and effect same into ears that hear and abide in their words so that healing, deliverance, salvation May be granted us through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
