Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 31, 2021
Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Reflection
Today marks the first day of Catholic Schools Week, which is a time dedicated to celebrating the treasure of Catholic education in our nation. What better way to kick off this celebration than with a gospel reading illustrating Jesus as “Teacher,” a descriptor used for Jesus so often in the New Testament that it is second only to “Lord”?
As someone who has been an educator for over two decades, I found myself initially disturbed by some of the language in this teaching scene, particularly in the context of Jesus as Teacher. Mark’s words to describe the scene are so emotionally charged – astonished, unclean spirit, destroy, rebuke, convulsed, loud cry, command, obey. And Mark begins and ends the passage by repeating the phrase “teaching with authority.” What does it mean to teach with authority, and why does this phrase make me feel uneasy? I have always associated teaching (and Jesus!) with positive and joyful emotions.
In reflecting on the way “authority” bookends Jesus’ interaction with the possessed man, and the strident word choice used to describe this encounter, I discerned a message of truth and compassion. Jesus is the truth of God’s love and hence, teaches with authority. Through Jesus’ fierce compassion, he seeks his truth in each of us. Mark chooses such jarring words to convey the sheer intensity of Jesus’ unconditional love for all of us. The strength of Jesus’ compassion for our brokenness cannot be overemphasized and, hence, demands examples that startle and grab hold of our hearts. So, while the reading is impassioned, as with everything in Christ, it concludes with the grace and comfort of knowing the depth of our teacher’s love for us.
This gospel reading reminds me of the selfless, intensely compassionate, and grace-filled commitment of our nation’s Catholic school teachers. Let us all find a way to show them our gratitude for exemplifying Jesus as Teacher during this Catholic Schools Week!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick, cast out demons, and cared for the lost and hopeless. Heal us from the damage caused by our sins, and cast out all hatred, jealousy, lust, and wrath from our hearts. And when we have experienced your healing touch, make us ready to serve you joyfully and to share your peace with others. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
When he was just nine years old, St. John Bosco had a vivid dream that revealed to him the vocation that would shape his life: serving children.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Northern Italy, and his father died when he was only 2. As a boy, John dreamed that he stood in a crowd of children who were fighting and cussing and he was failing to quiet them. A mysterious lady appeared and told him, “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” As she spoke, the children turned into wild beasts and then into lambs.
John was disturbed by the dream, as he felt that what it commanded was an impossible task. Still, he could not let the vision go, and as he matured, it led him to minister to the poor and neglected boys who lived in Turin, Italy. He would perform magic tricks and juggling and acrobatics in order to gain their attention, and then he would teach them about the faith and invite them to attend Mass with him.
He soon had a constant crowd of several hundred boys following him around. When other priests or nuns tried to help, they tired or became frustrated. He had little money and many thought him to be out of his mind.
He opened several centers where young people could come to play and pray but was set back by finances and many people’s unwillingness to let a crowd of unruly children run through any property they owned. Don Bosco was undeterred and even began to let some of the children live in his home with his mother.
Money started to come in for his cause, and he opened a church for these children as well as a home and school. He encouraged boys to learn trades to become shoemakers and tailors, and persuaded many who had a vocation to the priesthood. Soon Don Bosco was serving, training, housing, and educating hundreds of boys, all with a gentleness and patience that these lost boys found nowhere else.
He became known as a popular preacher because of his eloquence and there were reports of miracles attributed to his intercession. At the height of an anti-clerical movement—when even the Jesuits had been expelled and several convents suppressed—he founded an order of priests to assist in this work with children. He named it the Salesians, after his favorite saint, St. Francis de Sales, and founded another order of women to work with girls, called the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The Salesian family also includes a community of brothers. The work of these orders continues today.
St. John Bosco died on January 31, 1888, and is honored as a patron saint of children and magicians. His story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
St. John Bosco, who loved neglected and unruly children with patience and gentleness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John Bosco is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.