THE PROPHETIC TIME.

January 31, 2021
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - B.

Readings: Dt 18:15-20; Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1 Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28.

A Jewish proverb says, “The complete fool is half prophet.” And a Swahili proverb adds, “If you are astonished at Moses' deeds, you will be more astonished at Pharaoh's.”

“I will raise up for them a prophet…” To every period of time its prophets. To every epoch the persons it needs. God always raises people for each season and period of life. From Adam, at the first epoch of the creation to Abraham, Moses, Eli, David, Jesus, the Apostles, and us today, the people are peoples of their epoch and their time and raised by God for a corresponding mission.

We live today in a world and in societies, where we could say, we have the people corresponding to our time and needs. Someone went further saying, every people and country has the leaders it deserves. So too, we have and we are the people of our time. Nevertheless, this time is also called to be a prophetic period. People are called to see the Lord at work in their midst through the mediation of their brothers and sisters, raised from among them.

Today’s liturgy turns around the topic of a prophet for a time. The conclusion and summarizing theme could be "Jesus the prophet of our time or the expected prophet". And if our Lord is presented and accepted as the expected prophet, we, his followers are as well invested with a prophetic mission.

To the people of Israel in search of identity and direction in the desert, the Lord, through his servant and prophet Moses, announces that he will raise from among them a new prophet. This promise of the Horeb was consecutive to the request of the people to no longer hear the Lord speak by himself to them. They have been frightened by the voice of the Lord and the events of his apparition at the Horeb. Therefore, they prefer mediation with him instead of face-to-face communication.

The promise made by God through Moses to raise a prophet from among his people will actually meet its completion with Jesus, the great prophet, the expected one. He came with power and authority to do God’s will and lead to him a new people eager to listen to him. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus is described as that great prophet who teaches with authority and works wonders for the people. The amazement of the public about him is well expressed by St. Mark: “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”

Our Lord Jesus is a great prophet. He has authority over everything. And not only does he work wonders and release man from the power of evil, but he has also brought about a newness, new teaching. He is the perfect expression of God’s proximity with his people. God speaks to us in a way that does not frighten but amazes us. If the theophany of the Horeb frightened the people and made them renounced to hear God speak by himself to them, today, with Jesus, the crowd runs from anywhere to listen to God and touch him. He has the power to purify and set man free from the supremacy of the devil.

In order for man to communicate rightly with God and enter his newness, Paul in the second reading presents some requirements: to give primacy to the affairs of the Lord. Paul exposes here an example of a new doctrine that could contrast many of our today’s doctrines: The singularly new value attributed to virginity. We are taught that factual virginity is lived and practiced for the love and service of others. Those who live in purity of body and heart have more time to truly love and think of others. People attached to their body and its pleasures and feelings have no time for others. Instead, they see in them instruments to satisfy the beating and needs of their body.

Many people live today in sexual disorder and sensuality. These have no love for others, but see them only as instruments to answer to their sexual needs. For those who want pleasure at any cost, the brother exists only as an object of their sexuality. We live, unfortunately, in a world where selfishness and pleasure have widened their dictatorship. We do everything with anxieties and as slaves of our feelings and body. Many are anxious about money, power, and pleasure. All their thirst is for worldliness. Paul, in today’s second reading, exhorts us to do away with all that is worldly affaire and embrace Godliness, to live for God instead of living for the body and the world.

Our world, today, needs prophets of Godliness. People who will give more concern and primacy to the relationship with God than to external matters. Jesus became the great prophet with particular authority and power because he did all for God, with undivided devotion. As his disciples, may we live with undivided hearts, fully consecrated body and soul to God. In so doing, we will be prophetic signs for this world where sexuality and pleasure, power and authority, selfishness and narcissism reign undividedly and undefeated.

Regrettably, today's real scandals no longer scandalize people. Corruption, lack of morality, sexual abuse, pedophilia, debauchery, drunkenness, theft ... no longer bother anyone. But a minor thing and those who live in the deep rooted evil feel scandalized and astonished. Just as an aside, some people told me and even forced me to shave, because for them a priest with dreadlocks is a counter-testimony to the gospel. That dreadlocks are for addicts, lunatics, depressed, dirty and antisocial people. But then my inner question was: "What prophetic message will we have for our world, when people, politicians like everyone else, live surrounded by thousands of mistresses and cohabiting partners, some are kings and queens of casinos, others live off thefts and embezzlement, and still others are lords of worldliness? " Strangely, these people are the ones who say that the life of others is a scandal… Here is a prophetic moment for us to change our mindsets and give primacy to God rather than the outward appearance and the things of the worlds. Let’s leave this mentality and this vision of things where appearance seems unnatural while lifestyle does not seem to call out or shock anyone. Let us be prophets like Jesus and Moses. Let us live in the truth and clarity of the word of God, doing all for his glory and his will.