An old priest told me once the worry is 99% in your own mind. Today our society has many self-inflicted anxieties.  St. Paul would like us to be free of anxiety and able to concentrate on our natural inclination as human beings to be with God.

Moses speaks with clarity, “A prophet like me the Lord your God will raise up; to him shall you listen.”  Here, this morning, in this place, our parish gathers to listen and to understand. ‘Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.’

Jesus comes with the authority of God to change hearts, to obliterate fear and to destroy anxiety. The Gospel goes on to tell us about a man with an unclean spirit, who, like us is afraid of change. He cries out, just like we might, ‘Have you come to destroy my comfort zone? Have you come to change me?’

Then the man confesses as we do in the Creed: ‘I know who you are, the Holy One of God!’ Immediately Jesus rebukes the fear and says, “QUIET” “Come out of the man!” Jesus’ one command obliterates the man’s anxiety and fear; He destroys his old self-inflicted wounds, and ‘with a loud cry the fear came out of the man…all were amazed!”

We have come here to be amazed at the words of Jesus and by His Great Gift of Love in the Eucharist. Listen to Him and When let our whole body and soul be still. Only then after leaving your worries outside can He begin the healing process of strengthening and building you up.

My friends, our destiny lies in our union with God. All will be well if we root ourselves in that one priority: God first, God always, God alone. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt 26:6)

The story of the Gospel is relived here your own lives if you believe. With determination, focus and with great humility, open your hearts and minds to Him, “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. For He is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.” (Psalm 95)

Offer up the 99% of your worries on the Altar and go out and, with God’s Help, solve the 1% that remains!