4th Sunday B

Welcome to our Bible
Study
4th Sunday in the Ordinary Time B
1 February 2015
In preparation for this Sunday’s liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1st Reading: Deut 18:15-20
• Moses spoke to all the people, saying, 15 "A prophet like
me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from
among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen. 16
This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your
God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you
said, 'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our
God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.' 17
And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said. 18 I will
raise up for them a prophet like you from among their
kinsmen, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall
tell them all that I command him. 19 If any man will not
listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself
will make him answer for it. 20 But if a prophet
presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not
commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of
other gods, he shall die.'
The focus is on the nature of a prophet.

Announcement of Moses
• Moses spoke to all the people, saying,15 "A prophet like me will the
LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to
him you shall listen.
Background
– 16 This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let us not again hear the
voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we
die.'
– 17 And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said. 18 I will raise up for
them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen,
– and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I
command him.
– 19 If any man will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I
myself will make him answer for it.
Warning to a false prophet
• 20 But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I
have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other
gods, he shall die.'
The text is re-indented for easier understanding.

Announcement
• 15 "A prophet like me will the LORD,
your God, raise up for you from among
your own kinsmen; to him you shall
listen.
Background
• 16 This is exactly what you requested of
the LORD, your God, at Horeb (Mt.
Sinai) on the day of the assembly, when
you said, 'Let us not again hear the
voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this
great fire any more, lest we die.'
• 17 And the LORD said to me, 'This was
well said. 18 I will raise up for them a
prophet like you from among their
kinsmen,
• and will put my words into his mouth; he
shall tell them all that I command him.
• 19 If any man will not listen to my words
which he speaks in my name, I myself
will make him answer for it.
Warning to a prophet
• 20 But if a prophet presumes to speak in
my name an oracle that I have not
commanded him to speak, or speaks in
the name of other gods, he shall die.'
Commentary
• In v.15, Moses announces that God will
raise up a prophet, like him.
• V.16 explains the reason why: it is the
people’s request, they are afraid to hear
God’s voice and see a fire (God’s
manifestation) for fear of death (they are
overwhelmed)
• V.17 is the response of God: He
promises to raise a prophet.
• V.18 defines what a prophet is: the
speaker of God, he will obediently
speak on his behalf, not necessarily
someone who predicts the future.
• V.19 is a warning to those who do not
listen to the prophet.
• V.20 is, likewise, a warning, but to the
prophet himself. He will be punished if
he does not speak on behalf of God (if
he misrepresents God ,or, if he speaks of
other gods).

Reflections on the first reading
• The prophet is someone, who is called to speak
on God’s behalf.
• The prophet can be your friend, your priest, your
group, and your church.
• If we think we are called to be prophets of our
times, we must make sure we are representing
God.
• We must know the will of God.

Resp. Ps 95:1-2. 6-7. 7-9
• R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your
hearts.
1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
• 6 Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
7For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he
guides.
• 7 Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
8 "Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
9 Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."

Resp. Ps 95:1-2. 6-7. 7-9
• R. (8) If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
1 Come, let us sing joyfully to the
LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with
thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
• 6 Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who
made us.
7For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds,
the flock he guides.
• 7 Oh, that today you would hear his
voice:
8 "Harden not your hearts as at
Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
9 Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen
my works."
Commentary
• Vv.1-2 invite worshippers to praise
God with the formulation, “Come,
let us…”
• V.6 continues the invitation to
worship God (let us bow down, let
us kneel…)
• V.7 states the reasons why:
– He is our God.
– He shepherds his people / flock.
• Vv.7-9 present the challenge of
God to the worshippers.
– Hear his voice. V.7
– Harden not your hearts. V.8
– Don’t test God. V.9

Reflections on the Psalm
• We, Christians, are enjoined to worship God,
singing joyful songs on bended knees.
• We have a thousand reasons for doing so.
• But when we approach God, we must be
disposed to listen to his voice.
• We do not come to him justifying ourselves, by
hardening our hearts.

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:32-35
• 32 I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried
man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may
please the Lord. 33 But a married man is anxious about
the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34
and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is
anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be
holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the
other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how
she may please her husband. 35 I am telling you this for
your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but
for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord
without distraction.

Paul argues for celibacy
• 32 I should like you to be free of anxieties.
Contrast between an unmarried and a married man
• An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he
may please the Lord. 33 But a married man is anxious about the
things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and he is
divided.
Contrast between an unmarried and a married woman
• An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the
Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married
woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world,
how she may please her husband.
Paul argues for celibacy again
35 I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint
upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord
without distraction.
A Simple Outline!

Paul argues for celibacy
• 32 I should like you to be free of
anxieties.
Contrast between an unmarried and
a married man
• An unmarried man is anxious
about the things of the Lord, how
he may please the Lord. 33 But a
married man is anxious about the
things of the world, how he may
please his wife, 34 and he is
divided.
Contrast between an unmarried and
a married woman
• An unmarried woman or a virgin is
anxious about the things of the
Lord, so that she may be holy in
both body and spirit. A married
woman, on the other hand, is
anxious about the things of the
world, how she may please her
husband.
Paul argues for celibacy again
35 I am telling you this for your own
benefit, not to impose a restraint
upon you, but for the sake of
propriety and adherence to the
Lord without distraction.
Commentary
• Paul is sold out to the idea of celibacy.
• He wants celibacy for practical purposes.
He cites the advantages of a celibate life:
– Free of anxieties (v.32)
– Anxious about things of the Lord (vv.32 and
34)
– Propriety and adherence to the Lord without
distraction (v.35).
• Paul is thinking of a whole hearted and
undivided service to the Lord and the
community.
• That service is his work in the mission,
which demands full time, prolonged
absence from family, etc.
• Celibacy here was not yet imposed by the
Church.
• Careful: We must not use the verses to
denigrate / despise married life. Married life
is also a vocation.

Reflections on the 2nd reading
• Paul, as a missionary, favors celibacy as a state of life.
• We know his purpose: for practical reasons, not because
married state is inferior.
• As a Jew and Pharisee, Paul himself would get married.
It is the teaching of Judaism that a man should get
married, raise children and teach them to follow the
Torah.
• But here, Paul is willing to forgo marriage for the sake of
mission work.
• Being single frees one from obligations and too much
concern for one’s wife / husband or family, which usually
slows down missionary work.

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:21-28
• 21 Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath
he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 The people
were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as
one having authority and not as the scribes.
• 23 In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
24 he cried out, "What have you to do with us, 2 Jesus of
Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who
you are -- the Holy One of God!" 25 Jesus rebuked him
and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" 26 The unclean
spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
• 27 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." 28 His fame
spread everywhere throughout the whole region of
Galilee.
The focus of the reading is on the teaching authority of Jesus.

Context of teaching
• 21 Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the
synagogue and taught. 22 The people were astonished at his
teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the
scribes.
A man possessed
• 23 In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; 24 he cried
out, "What have you to do with us, 2 Jesus of Nazareth? Have you
come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"
Exorcism
• 25 Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" 26 The
unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
People’s reaction
• 27 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." 28 His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole
region of Galilee.
A simple outline!

Context of teaching
• 21 Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath he entered the
synagogue and taught. 22 The people
were astonished at his teaching, for he
taught them as one having authority
and not as the scribes.
A man possessed
• 23 In their synagogue was a man with
an unclean spirit; 24 he cried out,
"What have you to do with us, 2 Jesus
of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are -- the
Holy One of God!"
Exorcism
• 25 Jesus rebuked him and said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!" 26 The
unclean spirit convulsed him and with
a loud cry came out of him.
People’s reaction
• 27 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." 28
His fame spread everywhere
throughout the whole region of Galilee.
Commentary
• V.21 situates where Jesus teaches:
– Capernaum, Sabbath and synagogue
• He teaches with authority (vv.22 and 27)
• Two things happen in the
synagogue:
– One, the quality of his teaching (with
authority) v.22
– Two, his authority over unclean spirit
(exorcism) (vv.23-26)
• These two are sources of
amazement of the people in the
synagogue. Vv.22 and 27
• V.28 expands the scope of Jesus’
fame:
– Not only in Capernaum, but in the
whole of Galilee.

Reflections on the gospel reading
• Like Jesus, we, teachers and preachers and ordinary
missionaries, must do our jobs with authority (confidence,
with conviction).
• We cannot afford to be amateuristic and mediocre in our
own fields.
• So many people are listening to us.
• We don’t take them for granted.
• We should amaze them with the power of our words,
which should be well thought of.
• Our sentences and paragraphs must be well constructed
(correct grammar and logical) to give more meaning. Our
deliveries must be well-rehearsed.
• The content of our teaching and preaching must be the
power of God in our lives.

Tying the three readings and the Psalm
• The first reading is focused on the prophet, who
communicates God’s word to the people.
• The psalm teaches us to approach God.
• The second reading is focused on celibacy which
enhances missionary (prophetic) work.
• The gospel reading presents Jesus as a teacher (with
authority). Being a teacher is being a prophet itself.

How to develop your homily / sharing
• Are there persons who are helping you become
closer to God?
– They may be your parish priest, spiritual director,
religious friends, etc.
• What makes you listen to them and take to heart
their words?
– They speak with clarity, authority and conviction.
– They are credible, practicing catholics.

• We should know whom to listen to.
• The reading sets some criteria.
• The first reading defines what a prophet is all
about:
– He is raised (called) by God.
– He speaks on behalf of God.
– He does not teach about himself or about some other
god.
• Take note, you, who are involved in New Age
Movements (occultism, sorcery, fortune tellers, Avatars,
witchcrafts, etc.).

• The gospel reading teaches us to listen to
Jesus.
• He is God’s beloved Son.
• He is here to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He
asks us to repent and believe in the gospel. (Go
back to his opening salvo. Mk 1,5)
• He speaks with authority. He has power in his
words.
• He casts out evil spirits.

• The second reading tells us about missionary
Paul , who is speaking out his mind.
• He is talking about how he should carry out his
mission better.
• He wants to be free of the anxieties of a married
man.
• He prefers celibacy.
• For us, Christians, who may not be celibates, if
we want to share in the mission of Christ, we
must be free of anxieties just the same.
• Anxiety affects mission work.

• By virtue of our baptism, we share in the mission
of Christ.
• Like Christ, we must be credible and speak with
authority and are able to exorcise evil in our
society.
• In our churches, we need to train our teachers
before fielding them:
– Priests, preachers, deacons, catechists, exorcists
• The demand of our Church is not just knowledge
of catechism and Bible, but lived sound
theology.
– Sound theology includes understanding of ecclessiology, christology,
eschatology, soteriology, mariology, sacramentology, liturgy, Bible, moral
theology, canon law, pastoral theology, church history, dogma, Trinity, signs of
the times, etc.

• We need to screen men, who want to become
priests (teachers) but find it hard to understand
the Catholic doctrine or theology. These people,
if ordained but unprepared, will create confusion
and wreak havoc in our churches.
• Too bad, not much budget is allotted for the
seminary formation, training of formators,
catechetical formation, and ongoing formations.
• We also need church ministers, who are not
anxious of their future and their families, who
have no personality disorders.

• Let us remember that our vocation is to
advance God’s kingdom.
– This is the purpose of our mission, apostolate,
teachings, healings, social work, etc.
"This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."
(Mk 1,15)

• The eucharist is the sacrament to help us
advance God’s kingdom.
• The reception of the eucharist is a sign that
God’s kingdom is at hand. It is a sign of
conversion and acceptance of the gospel.
• The eucharist gives strength to the missionaries,
who totally dedicate themselves to the interests
of God’s kingdom.

Our Context of Sin and Grace
• False teachers
• False prophets
• Many wives
• Many families
• Tendentious
teachings and
interpretations
• Sermons that do not
lead to conversion
• No logic
• No context
• New Age Movement
• Celibate
• Single blessedness
• Consecrated life
• Well-prepared teachers
• Trained formators
• Practicing catholics
• Catechists
• Scholarship programs
• Formators
• Education ministry

Suggested Songs
• Holy, Holy
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=104r1805jL0
• Come With Me
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFcxr1uIRMk
• Come To Me
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID90ryPYU00
• Follow Christ

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