Luke 4:36
They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."
Just this weekend I heard someone say, "Just be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." It sounds like advice you'd give to your middle-schooler (good advice!). Is that the way you look at your personal story of faith? I've heard a lot of talks and testimonies over the years and I think sometimes we can make the mistake of thinking our story has to fit a mold in order to be accepted or effective. But it doesn't - it just has to be ours.
In today's gospel reading, Jesus' teaching made an impression on the people. He did not speak from His head or give a theological discourse. He spoke from His heart, His personal experience of God whom He called, Father. His style of preaching and teaching differed from what the people had heard before because He taught from His own encounter with God's love. His examples were concrete, personal, down to earth, from everyday life.
Let's all pray that when we have the chance to share our faith with others, we forget about the rules or the formula and just share why we love God and why we know He loves us. Personal, down to earth, every day life.
