Readings:

Dt. 18:15-20; Ps. 95; 1 Cor. 7:32-35; Mk. 1:21-28

Today, Moses promises the Israelites that the Lord will raise up a prophet from among them, who will tell the people everything the Lord commands him. We could say that Moses is ushering in a new age of prophets, who, just like Moses, act as mediators between God and the people. The Hebrew word for prophet, nevi’im, means “spokesperson for the Lord,” and while the many prophets throughout salvation history all spoke the words of God, there is only one whom we acknowledge as the incarnate Word of God, the only begotten Son of God, the Word made Flesh: Jesus Christ.

Our gospel dovetails nicely with the prophecy of Moses, for as we know, Jesus was a descendant of David, making him one with the People of Israel, but having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, he is also one with God. In other words, while he has taken flesh from among the people, as one of their own kin, his Divinity is begotten of the Father. Therefore, Jesus is the embodiment of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, that is, the embodiment of the Word of God, full of grace and truth (See Jn. 1:14). The people of Capernaum recognized this immediately when they heard Jesus preaching in the synagogue. They were amazed, saying this was a new teaching with authority. The scribes could only refer back to the wisdom of their teachers, but the Son of God himself speaks the wisdom of God.

Between the prophecy of Moses and the Incarnation of Jesus, we see the fulfillment of what was promised so many ages ago. And in the teaching of Jesus, we too, recognize his authority as the Holy One of God. Even the demons cower before his authority, for he has come to bring healing, renewal, and peace. So, as we reflect on this great authority of our Blessed Lord, perhaps we might spend some time pondering our own lives, and the many ways in which Jesus has brought us healing, renewal, and peace; how He has shown us the way to the Father.

And now, as we turn to the celebration of the Eucharist, may our communion with Christ, fill us with his grace and mercy, and protect us from all evil, that as we submit to his authority over our life, we may experience the awesome power of his love dwelling in and among us today.

Given during the COVID-19 pandemic.