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Monday, December 4

First Monday of Advent

The Bond between Authority and Obedience

Jesus expressed amazement at the faith of the centurion – a faith that came from his understanding of the relationship between authority and obedience. His soldiers obeyed him because he was obedient to Caesar and there he had the entire weight of the Roman Empire behind his commands. The centurion saw that Jesus had supernatural authority. It came from his obedience to God the Father. For the centurion, the link between obedience and authority was obvious. We live in confusing times when many are losing their faith. They listen to the world and ask, “Why doesn’t the Church change this or that teaching?” Some seem to think that the Church’s teachings should be decided by a poll. But the Church is the Body of Christ and it is under authority. It must be obedient to God. It can’t make up new teaching or change old ones. If it did, it would lose its authority and become one opinion among many. Before we receive communion we remember the words of the centurion: “Lord, I am not worthy.” We can receive this marvelous gift because the priest has the authority to change ordinary bread into the Blessed Sacrament. He has this authority because the Church has the authority to ordain priests. The authority comes from obedience.

Reflection based on Matthew 8:5-11
Dale “O’Leary

Loving Father, help me to follow the authority that you put in my life so that by my obedience I may bear a more perfect likeness of you.