Luke 19:48
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people° could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his [Jesus'] words.
Have you ever heard someone speak who you just couldn't stop listening to? What made that person so intriguing and captivating? Maybe it was their looks, a tone of voice, particular insights, an accent. We don't have very much detail about Jesus' preaching and teaching style other than the content given to us in the Gospels. All we know about his style is that people couldn't get enough of it. They were hanging on his words; nothing could pull them away. But it wasn't just the words they were latched on to – it was the man who was speaking them. They knew that this man was not just an ordinary man, and this is what made his words so captivating.
Sometimes I forget where the words in scripture, or mass, or different things in the Church come from. When I forget that, it becomes easy to just treat them as wise words or a fortune cookie that I look to for a little inspiration. What if every time we opened up a Bible or listened to the words at mass, we took stock of who's saying them? How might we change if we remembered that it was Jesus himself, the Son of God, the Eternal Word saying these things to us?
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Zach Brasseur, Pastoral year
Home parish: St. Paul St. Petersburg
Did you know...
Zach is a native of St. Petersburg where he grew up with his parents and three sisters. Before seminary he earned a degree in history from Saint Leo University.
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
