Every week on a Monday I visit Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton or what is now known as Boston Medicals South. The hospital chaplain once in our conversation told me something striking. He said, “You can always tell when a great experienced doctor has walked into the room. It’s not just the white coat, it’s the atmosphere. Patients sit up straighter, nurses move with more confidence, and even the families waiting outside breathe easier. It’s not that the illness disappears instantly. It’s that the presence of authority that changes the air.”
True Authority
That’s what Luke is showing us in today’s Gospel. Jesus steps into the synagogue and speaks with authority, not the authority of degrees or titles, but the authority of truth. And when He speaks, even the forces of darkness know they can’t linger. His words don’t just inform; they transform.
We often confuse authority with volume. The loudest voice at the dinner table, the politician with the longest speech, the boss who slams the desk, none of that is real authority. We sometimes also mistake authority and knowledge with people who speak out very frequently at meetings. But real authority is when words align with integrity, when there is no gap between what someone says and who they are. That’s why the crowds in Capernaum were astonished, not because Jesus had a bigger microphone, but because His words matched His life.
Think of Moses before Pharaoh. He wasn’t eloquent, he even complained to God about his stammer. Yet when Moses spoke, rivers turned to blood, seas split open, and Pharaoh eventually bowed. Why? Because Moses’ authority wasn’t borrowed from his own skill; it was rooted in God’s power.
Lived Experience
I once read about a mountain rescue team. These men and women would risk their lives to save stranded hikers on dangerous cliffs. What struck me was that when they arrived on scene, panicked climbers would often stop screaming and calm down almost instantly. Because the rescuers radiated competence. They weren’t loud or flashy, they were steady, sure, and prepared. Their very presence gave assurance that help had arrived. That, too, is authority, born not of intimidation, but of lived experience and sacrifice.
Here’s the good news: Jesus doesn’t just keep that authority to Himself. He shares it. Every time we speak truth with love, every time we forgive when the world expects retaliation, every time we resist despair and choose hope, we echo His authority. We may not drive out demons in dramatic fashion, but we do drive out fear, cynicism, and bitterness that haunt our world.
Putting Aside Ego
A priest friend once told me about his very first baptism. He was nervous but determined to look confident in front of the family. He stood tall, spoke in a deep voice, and lifted the baby with all the solemnity he could muster. At that exact moment, the baby looked him straight in the eye and promptly sneezed his baptismal candle out. Everyone roared with laughter. My friend said, “In that moment I realized: authority doesn’t come from looking serious or sounding official. It comes from being rooted in something greater than yourself.” That’s the difference. Pretended authority can be sneezed away in an instant. Real authority, Christ’s authority, changes the air in the room and calms every heart.
So, the question is: when we walk into a room, what changes? Do we bring fear, or do we bring peace? Do people leave shaking their heads, or do they walk away saying, as they did in Capernaum, “What is there about his word?” May people who meet us walk away saying the same, not about our cleverness, but about the power of Christ speaking through us.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Boby's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
