Word of the Week

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Authority: Katexousiazo (Gk.): meaning, “to exercise authority upon, or over, to wield power”

" The one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ's authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ… The ministry in which Christ's emissaries do and give by God's grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a "sacrament" by the Church's tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament” (CCC, 875).

One of the great themes to the gospel of Mark is the authority of the presence of Christ. The first two chapters explicate the healing power of Christ through his spoken word. Interestingly, in Mk.10:42, Mark uses a different Greek to communicate the authority of Christ within the context of teaching and service. In fact, it is the only time you see this Greek in all of Scripture (along side the similar account of Mt.20:25). Point in lesson, all our authority comes from living in the Word of God, and the most profound way that we share in the authority of Christ is by counting ourselves last. Srikingly, the Greek root to this word is the same base that we get our English word catechism (see word of the week on “informed”). In verse 35, the apostles begin their request of Jesus with the title “teacher” drawing our attention to Christ as one instructing on the ways of the Kingdom of heaven. Thus, one of the ways in which we participate in the authority of Christ is by catechizing the faithful as a participation in the service of Christ and his church.

Jesus once reminded Pontius Pilate that he has no power if not given to him from above (cf. Jn.19:11). This 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time affords us the opportunity to consider more deeply the call to live in the power of God through a dynamic relationship with Christ. In our witness to holiness, the dynamism of this relationship becomes a profound way of sharing Christ with the world. As we stand at a precipice in the battle between good and evil in the world, we ought to remind ourselves, that our catechesis has to be centered in the authority of Christ. In this way, the power of God’s love will reign in the world. 

 

“What is completely new (in Christ’s authority) is that God’s living Word takes physical form in human sounds and letters before the eyes and ears of Jesus’ audience. It is not a matter of ‘Scripture’ but of the original Event that that was once—subsequently—written down in ‘Scripture’ but that seems to have been slumbering so lightly in Scripture that it can suddenly spring alertly into Event again.”

--Hans Urs Von Balthasar

Primary Texts Consulted

• Catholic Bible. Suggested trans. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition, 1997.

 

The Catholic Hour Home Page
Comments or Questions?
Contact Webmaster