January 31, 2021

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time [A] 

“Capernaum’s Amazement & Ours”

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

“Then they came to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.” St. Mark does not reveal the subject of Jesus’ lesson but prefers to describe the reaction of the people. They were, he tells us, “astonished” and “amazed.”

The word “astonish” derives from the Latin, “ex tonare” which means to hear thunder; not just surprised but thunderstruck or shaken up. The word “amazed” conveys the sense of “being stunned or stupefied.” This was the effect the Lord’s words on his listeners.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, we read that “the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (Heb. 4: 12)

Does God’s word impact us in this way? Too often we allow it to ‘slip by’ without effect! Our Lord often used the image of a seed for God’s word, a seed which requires good soil, the soil of an open heart and mind. Without that openness, we miss the opportunity to allow the word to take root and transform us.

As we turn the pages of the Gospel we should be amazed and astonished at the depth of God’s love for us; amazed at his desire to forgive our sins. We should be astonished in experiencing the healing and strength he offers us in times of weakness, the consolation he brings in times of grief; thunderstruck when the Gospel challenges us to change, to move from vice to virtue, from where we are to where he wants us to be.

We should feel this way because the Lord’s words are very different from our feeble and fleeting human words. The words of Jesus are divine, effective, and eternal. “Heaven and earth will pass away, he says, “but my words will never pass away.” (Mt. 24:25)

St. Mark goes farther. He relates not only of the impact of Christ’s words, but also of his work. He expels an unclean spirit, a demon, from a man possessed. Remarkably, it is this demon who recognizes the identity and authority of Jesus: “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” To the crowd’s amazement, the demon departs with a loud cry that is a sort of last protest at God’s power over it.

Demonic possessions are rare instances to be sure, but the Church has always taught that the devil exists and that we must contend with him. The Scriptures frequently attest to the devil’s influence.

We should be spiritually strong and alert but never fearful because for all his might, the devil is conquered. St. Antony of Egypt says, that for all their influence, “demons are very cowardly” and that “envious of us Christians, they meddle in all things in their desire to frustrate our journey to heaven so that we might not ascend to the place from which they fell.”  John Clem, one of the heroes of the Civil War said, “the devil is a gentleman who only enters where he finds an invitation.”

Today’s Gospel also reminds us that discipleship involves the challenge of spiritual warfare if you will. St. Paul urges us: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." This means being vigilant, prayerful, receiving the sacraments, and opening our hearts and minds to the power of God’s word. These are the things that will amaze and astonish us and others as well.