Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel identifies the preaching of Jesus as a new teaching with authority. New teachings and different expressions of reality certainly have become more prevalent with social media. More than ever, the search for authoritative teaching has become a desire among many who are constantly bombarded by instructions and advice on every subject of human life. Those who heard Jesus perhaps recognized that his authority came from a deeper understanding of the subject of human life, an understanding grounded in prayer and reflection. Authority comes when one has the ability to expresses the truth and not just the skills to manipulate and confuse. Our search for those who can teach with authority must be grounded in the dual wisdom of the subject at hand and how the knowledge of that subject can be best used to bring ourselves and others closer to God. Here, Ignatius Loyola's First Principle and Foundation provides a guide for the recognition of authority, the recognition of those who love God and have gained the skills in a certain area use this knowledge to bring themselves and others to that same God.