homily notes: fourth sunday of ordinary time

For the people of Israel, Moses was and is a vitally important figure.


He was the Hebrew boy who was raised as an Egyptian who was called by God to lead his people out of oppression in Egypt towards the promised land. But that wasn't Moses' greatest achievement.


Moses was special, he was important, because of his relationship with God. When the people of Israel reached the mountain, he went up into the presence of God to receive the Law; and when he came down, he was so changed by being in the presence of God, that the people begged him to put a veil over his face. It was believed that to see the face of God would kill a mere human. So Moses was seen as the greatest prophet, the man who saw God face to face and brought his message back to the people.


But as we heard today, God promised to raise up a prophet like Moses - another prophet who speaks on God's behalf. How could this be? Moses was so close to God that his face was transfigured.


In today's gospel, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Jesus is teaching in a synagogue and St. Mark writes that the people were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.


Their usual teachers, the scribes and pharisees, all taught under the authority of the teachers who came before them. Just as today, a teacher only teaches because of the work and studies of the people who came before them. 


For the religious teachers of Jesus' time, this authority all went back to Moses. Moses was the original law-giver, the person who received his authority from God himself. The only way someone with greater authority could surpass him is if their relationship with God was closer. If their authority was more original.


Jesus was that person. Jesus was the prophet who was greater than Moses because not only did he see God face to face but he was united to the Father - they are one.


The teachings of Jesus have power for us not only because they are good lessons with good morals, but because they come from someone with the authority to teach. Jesus has authority because he existed before all time, before the world was created. His words and his commandments are good because he is goodness itself.


And that is good news for us. We follow a leader whose authority isn't based on popularity or good looks or propaganda. We follow a leader who has the answers, whose teachings and laws are what is truly good for us.


This is important to remember especially in the times we live in. Last Friday, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a ruling that will require all private health plans to have coverage for contraceptives, sterilization and drugs that are known to cause an abortion. This includes Catholic schools and hospitals who - by their very definition - are morally opposed to all of these things.
The administration gave non-profit employers who are opposed to this on religious beliefs a year to comply.


Do you know what this means? It means we as a Church have a year to decide how we can violate our consciences, how we can ignore what we believe to be good and evil, so that we can follow this ruling.


That's the struggle we face. We don't have violent persecutions, we don't have arenas and lions; but we have this: a quiet attempt to destroy the Church's work in our country.


Now is the time to remember who we follow. Now is the time to pledge ourselves - our lives and our hearts - to our king.


It's by his authority that we will fight and by his authority that our Church will survive.