Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ever feel like you were made for more? Like you were created to do big things, maybe change the world, but sometimes are afraid to do what it takes to do so?
Today we’re living in a world that can be scary for some. The future may seem uncertain and at times, the state of the world currently can seem like too much to handle. Even amidst all of this, God calls us to be great, to be strong and steadfast in our faith, and to change the world through His love. Given all the uncertainty and division we see around us today, it can seem kind of overwhelming to think of facing the world head on, nevertheless remaining steadfast in our faith when it seems all hope is lost. Yet God gives us the power to do these things! He asks us to be bold in going against the tide of what seems to be the norm today, and he gives us the power to do it.
In the Gospel this Sunday we hear of Jesus going to the synagogue to teach. The people were astonished at his teaching because he taught with authority, and not as the scribes taught. In John 14:12 Jesus says to us, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.” Jesus not only shows us in this Sunday’s Gospel that he has this power and authority, but then in John 14:12 at the Last Supper, tells us that He gives us the same power, to be able to do what He asks of us.
After learning that, it seems like instead of being overwhelmed by the problems of the world and how we’re going to tackle them, what we should be overwhelmed by is the amazing fact of this power that we’ve been given from Christ! Next to this power given to us, the challenges we have to face in the world today seem so much smaller.
Every Confirmed Catholic has this power through the Holy Spirit. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read about the Sacrament of Confirmation; and it doesn’t call it a rite of passage or a nice coming of age ceremony. The official language used to describe the Sacrament of Confirmation is that it gives us a dynamite power in which we’ll then be able to boldly spread and defend the faith by our words and actions.
God created us for such a time as this; he raises up saints in tough times such as these and he gives us a dynamite power to carry out his divine plan. We’ve been equipped; now all that’s left is for us to answer the call.