Homily for 10am Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church
in Jacksonville, Florida
by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez
January 31, 2021
The psalmist tells us: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts…
We are inundated with so many voices: Many web sites and some considered by us Catholic but in fact they are feeding confusion and disunity in the Church, many TV channels (in the 1950s there were like 2 or 3 channels - now there are a multitude of them), the iPhone, many texts messages - we are in constant interaction of multiple messages.
But the truth is one and simple: We Christians have only one Master - Jesus Christ. He is the truth, the Way, the Life.
By the many letters I receive from parishioners, I notice that the points they are making are not coming from the Gospel concern, from the teachings of Jesus, but from their partisan views, their ideologies, or worse, they are used by the webs TV channels, by manipulation from other sources. The Word of God today is saying: I will raise for them a prophet…I will put my words into his mouth he shall tell all that I command.
The amazing thing is that our God is a God of Revelation, that is why Christians and Jews revere the Bible, that is why the importance of listening to the Word of the Lord at the Mass (the altar of the Word).
At a critical time in the life of Jesus, Jesus took 3 apostles to a mountain and he was Transfigured to them and a voice from the Father was heard: LISTEN TO HIM…MY BELOVED SON.
We have a lot of work to do to discard from our minds a great deal of noise, multiple voices that cloud and interfere with the message of truth - the Word of God! Listening to the Lord can not be out of curiosity or mere interest: I had a young man in Miami, he wanted to talk to me to engage in discussions on religion as he was most interested, but it was all about the mind -to increase his knowledge - what he was not perceiving is that the knowledge of the faith is always connected to the heart - Harden not your heart!
Quote the Psalm: 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, the flock he guides.
Today laity loves to say we are people of God - we are the people of God in fact it is a people who are guided by God rather than by ideologues and media gurus of their liking.
The way of truth calls for conversion – Jesus’ first words were: The kingdom of God is at hand - convert! (metanoia): Turn around to acquire the mind of Christ (St. Paul).
The Gospel today: Gives us an image of Jesus teaching - astonished at his teachings — (see how the liturgy carries the Gospel, kisses the Gospel, the bishop blesses with the Gospel - to convey a response of astonishment for this reading is not like the Sunday paper or the New York book list) Astonishment - we need it!
Notice: Authority (the Greek word connotes exorcism!): A word that heals - it has a power that saves.
Immediately after His word: A dramatic healing (St. Mark) Jesus says: Quiet, come out of Him - Jesus reveals to us as our healer…doctor of the soul.
Amazed a new teaching with authority — not like the scribes and Pharisees - His words are radically different. He is the truth - (The Father’s message - listen to Him).
Lent is around the corner: St. Joseph has the parish mission – a great opportunity for metanoia - preparation for Easter - to increase our capacity to Listen.
Sacrament of Reconciliation - is the quiet, ordinary way Jesus heals us. St. Augustin teaches: Christ acts thru the priest - on our part: We need to focus on repentance and a resolution never do it again - for Catholic faithful this is a sacrament that leads to holiness of life. St. Augustin also teaches Cry for our sins, never do it again (sincere conversion not a routine).
Mass: Before Communion, we say Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only SAY THE WORD and MY SOUL SHALL BE HEALED…word - one word - brings us healing of: My indifference, my passivity, my negativities - in Christ we become a new creature! Just as He was dying St. Thomas Aquinas said these words before receiving the Viaticum:
“I now receive you who are the price of my soul’s redemption, I receive you who are the food for my final journey, and for the love of whom I have studied, kept vigil, and struggled; indeed, it was you, Jesus, that I preached and you that I taught.