“Quiet! Come out of him!” -The Authority That Frees.

The readings of today place before us a powerful contrast between voices that wound and the Word that heals. At the center of the theme— “Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Quiet! Come out of him!’”—is the revelation of a God whose authority is not oppressive but liberating, not loud but effective, not condemning but restoring. In the First Reading, we meet Hannah, a woman overwhelmed by silent anguish. Her barrenness is not only physical but social and emotional; she carries shame, misunderstanding, and deep sorrow. As she pours out her heart before the Lord, her prayer is so intense and wordless that Eli mistakes her pain for drunkenness. Here already we encounter a troubling voice—misjudgment, misunderstanding, the voice that labels rather than listens. Yet Hannah does not retreat. She clarifies her suffering and entrusts it to God. The Lord remembers her, and from her affliction comes Samuel, a child consecrated to God. What looked like emptiness becomes fruitfulness; what sounded like silence becomes answered prayer. God’s authority enters Hannah’s life not through force but through compassionate remembrance. The Gospel brings us to the synagogue in Capernaum, where another voice disrupts worship—the cry of an unclean spirit. Unlike Hannah’s silent prayer, this voice is loud, confrontational, and destructive. It recognizes Jesus correctly— “the Holy One of God”—yet it remains opposed to Him. Jesus does not engage in dialogue or spectacle. With a simple, commanding word— “Quiet! Come out of him!”—He silences chaos and restores order. The authority of Jesus is revealed not in argument but in action, not in fear but in freedom. The man is convulsed, but he is liberated. Evil is exposed, rebuked, and expelled. Both readings reveal a profound truth: God’s Word has the power to silence what deforms us and to bring forth life where there was barrenness. The unclean spirit and Hannah’s sorrow represent different kinds of bondage, one dramatic and visible, the other hidden and misunderstood. Yet both are met by the same divine authority. In Hannah’s case, God gently lifts her from despair; in the Gospel, Jesus forcefully confronts what enslaves. In both, God restores dignity. Today’s psalm gives voice to this experience of reversal: “The Lord raises the needy from the dust.” God’s authority overturns human expectations. The barren woman bears life; the possessed man is set free. This is the “new teaching with authority” that astonishes the crowds—not merely words about God, but the living Word of God acting decisively in human lives. For us today, this Gospel invites an honest question: What voices within us need to be silenced by Christ? The voices of fear, shame, addiction, resentment, or despair can cry out loudly within our hearts. Like Hannah, we may carry silent wounds. Like the possessed man, we may feel overtaken by forces we cannot control. The good news is this: Jesus still speaks with authority. His word still frees. His presence still restores. May we allow Christ to enter the synagogues of our hearts. May we trust His authority enough to let Him rebuke whatever binds us. And like the people of Galilee, may we leave amazed—not at the noise of evil, but at the quiet, powerful Word that sets us free.