Saturday November 4, 2023

“He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.” (From today’s Gospel reading)

Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
November 4, 2023

Today’s Readings:

Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 25-29
Psalm 94:12-15, 17-18
Luke 14:1, 7-11
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110423.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-november-4-2023

Which voices of authority should we listen to?

Which voices of authority should we listen to? Good discernment today can be very challenging! We want to do God’s will, but there are so many people in positions of authority who are contradicting God’s will. With strong insistence, they’re telling us how to live, what to believe, and what to teach our children. Sometimes it’s obvious when a leader is working against God, but often it is not — especially when they claim to be Catholic.

This can be very confusing. Even stressful. So, which voices of authority should we listen to? And what is the holy response?

Jesus provides guidance in today’s Gospel reading, but it might surprise you. It’s often over-looked. We listen to the parable and miss the reason why he told this particular story at this particular time.

Jesus had been invited to a meal in the home of a Pharisee — a religious leader, someone in authority. But it was not a private meetup. The Pharisee had invited others who thought like he did.

“And the people there were observing him carefully” because it was the Sabbath and Jesus had a history of breaking Sabbath laws. They thought they had the authority to reprimand him, and they were looking for the opportunity to do so.

How did Jesus handle this? He embarrassed and insulted them with his parable about seating positions. He chose that particular parable at that particular time because he was challenging those who had maneuvered themselves into places of honor around the table.

It’s important to remember that “giving honor to” does not always mean “obeying”. Jesus honored the Pharisee who invited him to dinner by graciously accepting his offer. But honoring him did not mean obeying any of his ill-conceived commands, even if it meant being persecuted for healing someone on the Sabbath.

Like Jesus, we should honor and respect those who are in authority but we should never obey orders that contradict God’s will. We should disobey any commands that are harmful or inappropriate (i.e., sinful).

The problem is: It can be difficult to feel good about disobeying. The solution: Remember that there is a chain of authority that should guide all of our decisions. It begins with God. He is, of course, the only voice of authority that really matters. He reveals it in his Word and Sacred Tradition (i.e. 2000+ years of Church teachings)

Second in the chain of command is the authority that God has given to us — you and me. We first see our God-given authority in Genesis 1:28 (“Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over…” everything.) In the New Testament, Jesus gives us authority over demons and sickness, and the authority to preach the Good News.

Third in the chain is delegated authority. This includes leaders in government, teachers in classrooms, and clergy in the Church. Our ability to discern if their commands should be obeyed is equal to how well our consciences have been formed (by studying the Word and the true teachings of the Church), how much our consciences are genuinely inspired by the Holy Spirit (by having a good, personal relationship with the Holy Spirit), and how strongly we desire to be submissive to God’s will.

When Saint Paul wrote that we must always submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-5), he was talking about rulers who “hold no terror for those who do right but are feared by those who do wrong.” In other words, authorities who are acting on God’s behalf — truly and not just by our assumption or their claim.

Whenever this is out of order, there’s a problem and Satan has an open door.

What should be our response to the disorders in authority that occur today? First, research the truth as much as you can. This needs to include the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the teachings of Saints, and other official Church writings. Saint Pope John Paul II wrote a wealth of Holy Spirit-inspired encyclicals and apostolic exhortations that are totally reliable, for example. (Have you gotten a copy yet of my study guide on his encyclical about the truth of the Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia? Visit gnm.org/terry-modica-author/my-soul-shall-be-healed.)

Second, place your faith in God over and above your research. How strong is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? How actively are the Spirit’s gifts and fruits manifesting in your life? How often do you use the Sacrament of Confession and the Penitential Rite of Mass to purify your thinking? How important to you is the desire to be holy and saintly?

Which voices of authority should we listen to? Without an active and lively relationship with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth), we cannot trust what we hear from humans.

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

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