Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
In a recent workshop, our speaker was teaching us about the power of the spoken word. Yet they were quick to say that people remember seven percent of the words, thirty-eight percent of the tone of the voice and fifty-five percent of non-verbal communication. “They were astonished because he spoke with authority,” Jesus spoke with authority and the people knew it. But was this authority purely because of the words he said? It likely was also because of his tone and expression.
For all the words there are in this Gospel, only six of them come from Jesus' mouth, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Jesus rebuking the demon gives us a sense of the emphasis on the words. Imagine the look on Jesus’ face and the tone of his voice. There are likely times when Jesus is looking at us with that tone of voice. :) ( I am smiling because I said that. It was not a typo.) But imagine how he looks at us with love and kindness and mercy. These looks and God’s Word do have the power to change us. Do we believe it?
In our daily Gospel reading, we meet the same Christ who speaks to us, teaches us and consoles us and even tries to quiet the demons inside of us. In our reading the Word, just a few minutes a day, we get to know him better, to imitate his life and to love him. If we ask the Holy Spirit to come to our assistance, we will be helped in sensing the meaning of the Word for us. Yes, there is something about His Word.
Deacon Michael Montgomery