Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
The Authority of Jesus brings Freedom
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
Don’t you worry when the end time will come, Paul tells his Thessalonians. There is nothing to fear; just be always ready for the Lord’s coming.
Gospel. The authority of Jesus often struck the people and Jesus’ own disciples. Here was someone higher than a mere human being. There was authority in his teaching – he had something to say that challenged men and confronted them with themselves and with God. He had authority over the law, which he wanted to trim from its man-made trappings. By his authority, he overcame the powers of evil and sin. He claimed to judge people. He used his authority for the good of people – it was a power of salvation. Yet it was a power that came in humility and weakness, an authority of service that brought faith, that gave hope, that expressed and created love. And when the time came, he used it to lay down his life and to take it up again, to pass it on to his disciples, and then to leave.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we say that authority means service,
but we experience that it is very hard
to make this beautiful principle work.
Keep always before our eyes
the example of your Son Jesus Christ.
His authority was healing and saving,
respectful of people and yet committing us
to get out of our mediocrity.
May all authority among us
be humble, dedicated, self-effacing,
willing to serve to the end,
and patterned after that of Jesus,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
First Reading
Christians Waiting
You don’t need anyone to write to you about the delay and the scheduled time for these events.
You know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
When people feel safe and at peace, disaster will suddenly strike them like a woman’s labor pains, and they will not escape.
But you, beloved, are not in darkness, so that day will not catch you unprepared like a thief.
All of you are citizens of the light and day; we do not belong to night and darkness.
Let us therefore stay awake instead of sleeping like others do, but stay alert and sober.
For God has not willed us to be condemned, but to attain salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
He died for us so that we could enter into life with him, whether we are still awake or are already asleep.
Therefore, continue to encourage and build each other up, just as you are doing now.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Alleluia Verse
Luke 7:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
They were amazed at how he taught them because his words were spoken with authority.
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.”
Then Jesus said to him sharply:
“Be silent and leave this man!”
The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without harming him.
Amazement overwhelmed all these people, and they said to one another:
“What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!”
And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the Church may speak with authority about Jesus because it knows him by living his life, we pray:
– That we may be close to Jesus because we try to respond deeply to his challenge of loving people, we pray:
– That the world may be a little better because we try to live according to the good news of Jesus, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
by the authority you gave to your Son,
this bread and wine will become for us
his body and blood, our food and drink.
Let him share his power with us
that our cowardice may turn into courage
and that we may become liberated people
free to serve and to love
and to verify with our lives the truth
of the good news that he is our Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ left his authority
to his apostles and disciples
as a unifying bond and a legacy of service.
Grant that your Church may use his power
to bind people together and to heal their wounds,
to speak in the name of those without voice,
and to lead us forward to the genuine freedom
that you brought us in Christ our Lord.
Blessing
May our authority as Christians consist in doing good and serving people in love. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection
2 September 2025
Luke 4: 31-37
The Authority of Jesus brings Freedom - Youtube
In today’s Gospel, Jesus enters the synagogue of Capernaum and teaches with authority. The people are amazed. They had heard many teachers before, but Jesus is different. He does not lean on quotations or traditions; he speaks with the authority of one who knows. And immediately, this authority becomes visible: a man tormented by an unclean spirit is set free at a single word.
We may wonder what to make of these demons. The people of Jesus’ time believed that many illnesses and troubles were caused by spirits. Today, we explain things differently, yet we still know the reality of forces that oppress us—addictions, fears, lies, violence, hatred. They may not always wear the name “demon,” but they bind us and rob us of peace.
What is important is this: Jesus brings liberation. He does not use strange rituals or magic formulas. He does not rely on fear. With calm simplicity he commands, and freedom is restored. His authority is not the authority of power or control; it is the authority of love. It is the authority of one who comes from the Father and knows our hearts.
This passage invites us to ask: Who holds authority in my life? Whose voice do I listen to when I am troubled, when I am tempted, when I feel bound? So often we turn to voices that promise quick solutions, or to false comforts that only deepen the wound. But only Jesus can truly free us.
Let us welcome his word with the openness of the people of Capernaum. Let us bring to him what binds us, what darkens our spirit, and let him speak his liberating word. For even today, in the silence of prayer, Jesus says to each of us: “Be free.”