February 1, 2015 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dt 18: 15-20; Ps 95: 1-2, 6-9; 1 Cor 7: 32-35; Mk 1: 21-28
In the midst of miracles and cures and deep understanding of people, Jesus may sometimes seem distant from us. The readings on this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, however, emphasize His humanity; He was one of the people, someone who each of us could relate to not as a God, but a man. However, it can be a bit overwhelming for us to accept Jesus in the way He wants us to.
That does not mean we do not acknowledge His divinity, but we also must view Him as a companion on our own life’s journey. In a sense, this is what stewardship calls us to — walking with the Lord and leaning on Him when we must, and certainly finding strength in His presence. But to have Him present in our lives requires us to make an effort to make that happen.
In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses declares, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.” Throughout Advent and the Christmas season we prepared for the arrival of Jesus. Now as we approach Lent and Easter it is time for us to listen to Him. The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, “One of the best ways to get happiness and pleasure out of life is to ask ourselves, ‘How can I please God’?”
