Engage in the Full Witness of His Public Life

Engage the Full Witness of His Public Life

The Church insists that we … the body of the Church … must put our lives in order by His life. To do so, we must orderly engage His Life.

The Gospels in Ordinary time in the liturgical year does just that. We engage the full witness of the public life of Jesus during this liturgical time.

In times past (before His public life), God spoke in various and partial ways to our ancestors. But that was in times past. In these days, God speaks through His Son. He does so in a complete way. The witness directly attributed to Jesus is called The Deposit of Faith.

There is no new witness from God attributable to Jesus that is not in the Deposit of Faith. There is no new secret knowledge that is waiting to be discovered that completes the picture of salvation. We must not look for something new. God has spoken through His Son. In these times of mis-information, we must not look elsewhere for the witness of Jesus that is not in the Gospel and not in the Deposit of Faith.

The Church just finished the season in which Jesus’ face appears in the world. During the Ordinary time and the witness to Jesus’ public life we must ready ourselves and listen. We need to allow Jesus to lead and teach us. How will this occur? Listen to what happens now in Ordinary time during the liturgical year.

Ordinary time is actually remarkable in looking at the public ministry of Jesus. The Church looks at three Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) during Ordinary time. The Church can move according to His Mysteries and His teachings. Listen to how Ordinary time should impact each of our lives. Hear how it orders our heart.

St. Mark’s Gospel is symbolized by the Lion. The Gospel begins with the roar of St. John the Baptist in the desert. This Gospel reading is from St. Mark. In this reading Jesus comes into the Synagogue, Jesus teaches by reading a passage. Those who hear Him, have most likely heard the passage before. But they have not heard it read this way. Jesus teaches with authority. What is authority? Listen to the Homily and hear.

Something in the way Jesus is speaking claims the hearts of those that listen. Important then, and important now. Listen to why it is so important to let Jesus put our own lives in order.