The people of god

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
January 31, 2021

A minister, priest or prophet has a mandate to speak in God’s name. This mandate comes with both authority from God and responsibility to both God and the people. A minister who speaks in his name or contrary to the will of God or who ministers for the sake of personal profit will be held accountable. Every minster must remain acutely aware of the sacred    nature of the mandate entrusted to him and must  always be anxious to do the will of God with undivided attention. The same applies to the people of God who must receive the good news with equally undivided attention. ‘If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts’. That is a reminder from today’s Psalm. Saint Paul, in the second reading, calls our attention to the need for absolute adherence to the Lord without distraction. Jesus’ message was so compelling that the people who listened to Him were amazed just as unclean spirits listened and obeyed. Many of His listeners were moved to a point of conversion. The question is: Does the eternal truth of God which we hear very frequently still command our attention and obedience? Have we opened our hearts and minds to allow that good news to incarnate in us and to mold us into His image? The best way to measure the effectiveness of the word of God in our lives is that we are transformed into instruments of His love and grace, that we become mirror images of His love to the world, for it is only by their fruits that Christians can be known. May we ask God today for the grace to be anxious for the things that pertain to Him, and to each day commit more profoundly to the doing of His will. “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.’ Amen.