Jesus spoke and acted with authority: "He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority."  And again, "What is there about his word?  For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out."

Where did Jesus get this authority?  From his most dear father!  Jesus loved his father and lived in continual communion with Him. All his words and his deeds flowed from this communion: "The Father and I are one."

And Jesus was not naive about the presence of evil in the world.   He was continually assaulted by evil forces and evil spirits  -- forces which eventually led to his crucifixion.  In spite of this he never yielded to despair, always remaining confident in the Father's love and care.  His anguished cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me," reveals the depth of his anguish; but his final sigh uncovers the depth of his trust,  "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

We need Jesus' example of trust in God.  Often our world seems more dominated by evil forces destructive of human life and dignity than by forces supporting human life.  We may even wonder whether the power of evil is stronger than the power of good.

Our challenge is the same as Jesus': to live in communion with God, our most dear father.   The Father is the creator and sustainer of the universe.  The world is in God's hands!  As we allow ourselves to be aligned more and more with God's power we become increasingly convinced with St. Paul that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord," and that the power of good in us is stronger than the power of evil.

And after all, since we are now the Body of Christ in our world can't we be certain that Jesus will give us all the strength we need to take his place in serving the Kingdom of our most dear father?