Tuesday 1 September
Tuesday of week 22 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 4:31-37In today’s Gospel, the people are astonished because Jesus speaks “with authority,” and even the unclean spirit obeys His command. This authority is different from human power, which often depends on position, influence, or force. Jesus possesses the authority of God because He is the Son of God: His word does not merely explain truth; it carries within itself the power to accomplish what it declares. When He says, “Be quiet! Come out of him,” the man is set free. Divine authority is therefore always life-giving and liberating. God does not exercise authority to dominate us but to free us from everything that diminishes our dignity and prevents us from belonging completely to Him. The Gospel invites us to ask whether we truly allow Christ to have this authority in our own lives. We may admire His teaching while still reserving certain areas for ourselves, our decisions, attachments, fears, habits, or ambitions. But faith means more than listening to Jesus; it means trusting His word enough to let it govern and transform us. When we surrender ourselves to the authority of Christ, we do not lose our freedom; we discover it, because the authority of God always leads us away from slavery and into the fullness of life. Let’s reflect: Do I truly allow Jesus to exercise His divine authority over every area of my life, trusting that His Word does not enslave me but sets me free?
Don Giorgio
