Homily – Tuesday of Week 22

The Thessalonians were worried about “the day of the Lord.”
Would it come suddenly? Would they be ready?

Paul tells them:
“You are not in darkness. You are children of the light, children of the day. Stay awake. Be sober. God has destined you, not for wrath, but for salvation.”

That’s the first note today: identity.
We are not creatures of the night.
We belong to the light.

Paul is clear.
The world sleeps.
The world gets drunk.
The world forgets God.

But you — stay awake.
Keep your eyes open.
Keep your heart ready.

A Christian is not someone who avoids the dark, but someone who carries light into it.

Paul reassures: we do not belong to darkness, we belong to the day.
And the day is Christ Himself.

And then the Gospel shows us what that looks like in action.

Jesus comes to Capernaum.
He teaches in the synagogue.
And the people are astonished.
Not because He is long-winded.
Not because He quotes experts.
But because His word carries authority.

And then — the clash.
A man cries out, possessed by an unclean spirit.
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”

And Jesus rebukes him.
“Be silent. Come out of him.”
And the demon leaves.

The people are amazed:
“What authority! He commands even unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Notice: Christ teaches, then acts.
His Word is not theory.
It carries power.
It changes lives.

The Word of Christ does not describe reality — it creates it.

When He says, “Let there be light,” light shines.
When He says, “Be silent, come out,” the demon flees.
When He says, “This is my body,” bread becomes His Body.

His Word is authority.

What is the connection between Paul and the Gospel?

Paul says: stay awake, live as children of light.
Jesus shows what that means: the light has come into the synagogue, and the darkness cannot stand it.

Demons know who He is.
They shriek, they rage, they resist.
But they obey.
Because the Word of Christ is stronger.

Hell believes in Christ but does not obey Him. Heaven believes and obeys.

So what about us, here, today?

First: The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Stay awake. That means daily conversion, not someday conversion. No Christian can live half-asleep. The devil doesn’t need you to reject Christ — he just needs you to hit the snooze button.

Second: Christ’s authority is not in the past. His Word still drives out darkness — in Scripture proclaimed, in absolution whispered, in the Eucharist lifted high. Do not doubt its power.
If His Word can silence demons, it can silence your fear too.

Third: We are not in darkness. That is our identity. Baptism has marked us with light. So the question is: do we live as children of day, or do we drift back into the shadows?

Think of a torch in the dark.
A small light seems weak.
But when the darkness is total, even a flicker dominates.

That’s you.
Your faith, your prayer, your witness — it may look small.
But in a dark world, it shines.

For us as a parish, the path forward is the same: cling to the Word of Christ.
Not just to talk about it. To live by it.
To let its authority shape us, its light guide us, its power free us.

Parish renewal does not begin with new programmes. It begins when people live as children of the day.

So today Paul says: you are children of light. Stay awake. Stay sober. God has destined you for salvation.
And Jesus shows us: His Word has authority. His Word drives out darkness.

So stay close to Him.
Listen to His Word.
Obey it.

Because when the Lord speaks, light shines.
Darkness flees.
And the children of the day rejoice.