Ezra 1:1-6 / Luke 8:16-18
We believe that God speaks to us through the Bible, which is the written Word of God.
The teaching authority of the Church, which is the Magisterium, interprets the Word of God for the Church.
In other words, the Church, through the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, speaks to the Church and teaches what comes from God.
But can God speak to the Church through other means and even sources outside of the Church?
In the 1st reading, God spoke through Cyrus, the king of Persia, and it was a message for the People of God.
They were to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.
But how would they know it was a message from God?
And it was not even spoken by a prophet, but by a pagan king?
But the people sensed that the message was from God.
It was like a light shining for them when they were in exile in another country, and it gave them hope.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us to take care how we hear.
Let us listen to what God is saying to us through the Bible and through the teachings of the Church.
We will know that it is the voice of God when it gives us hope in the darkness.