Evil Forces that Only Jesus Can Overpower

In today's Gospel, Mark 5: 1-20, Jesus and his disciples enter the territory of the Gerasenes. As soon as they got out of the boat, a demoniac approaches Jesus. "The man," Mark tells us, "had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him." When Jesus asked the evil spirit its name and commanded that it come out of the man, the evil spirit answered: "'Legion is my name. There are  many of us.'  And he pleaded earnestly with him  not to drive them away from that territory....Send us into the swine... And he let them. ...[T]he unclean spirits came out of the man and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned."

Within the world, within every species, within all of creation, including human beings, exist evil spirit and good spirits--forces that thwart or promote life, that encourage or discourage creative expressions and creative growth or that propel or block  us from achieving the potential and the perfection we are meant to achieve here on earth. Jesus had power over all that is evil in His day and in ours, in men and women in His day and in ours.  Jesus will bring out the good in us and destroy the  evil within us, just as he did for the demoniac.

Like the story in today's Gospel, we witness people who seem to be as out of control as the demonic.  Even nature seems out of control! Have Legions of evil spirits taken charge, as they did in the man who approached Jesus in today's Gospel? Only Jesus could help him; no human being was up to the task. Perhaps, today, we are in the same "boat," that is, that only Jesus can bring order into the chaos that exist all around us: in municipal, federal, ecclesiastical, familial  and world governing structures;  in our educational, healthcare, pharmaceutical,  financial systems and, yes, even the environment.

Like Jesus, you and I are created to do good and to face evil in this world, with God at our side. We are created to grow in the knowledge of God's creative powers at the very core of our being and the being of others and within all of creation.  God reveals His creative on-going, unconditional love for each of us in all that is.  That love for us is revealed in the animals and plants that share life with us here on earth, in the planetary and solar systems that, as part of God's plan,  sustain us here on earth. All of creation is interdependent for living life to the fall. Good as well as evil in any part of the world and in any part of creation impacts us. If evil takes possession of any part of creation--other human beings, ourselves, the animal or plant kingdom among us--that evil has an impact on all that exists, as did the presence of the demoniac in the Garasene territory at the time of Jesus.

The Creative, Life-giving, Life-changing Power of God

In today’s first reading, Acts 3: 11-26, Luke shares the story of the how people responded to the miracle that Jesus performed through Peter and John when they said to a man crippled from birth and who was begging for alms, “…in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk”   (Acts 3: 1-10). He rose and walked for the first time in his life. People were amazed and “looked so intently at [Peter and John] as if [they] had made [the crippled man] walk by [their] own power or piety.”

 Jesus is the same now as then.  He makes all things new. He makes the lame walk, raises the dead to life (the physically dead to eternal life, the spiritually dead to new faith, the psychologically dead to new ways of connecting with others and self that brings new life to them emotionally and psychologically).  We see the creative power of the Triune God at work in winter giving way to spring, in plants “resurrecting” from the soil, in buds bursting open on trees and bushes. Flowers of a variety of colors and shapes beautify our environment in myriad of ways, revealing the beauty, presence  and life-giving power of our God. We see God bringing forth new life in the birth of baby chicks and birds and baby animals of all kinds. And of course, we also see God’s creative power at work in the birth of babies being born to families wanting to work with God in the creation of life among us.

May God be praised, honored, glorified through all of creation. May you and I be a significant part of that glorification, honoring, praising and thanking God by our intimacy with Him, with ourselves and with others in renewing life around us and within us, as the sun renews all of the plant kingdom this spring!

Jesus' Authority

Today’s first reading, Hebrews 2: 5-15, speak s of the “son of man” being made, “for a little while lower than the angels,” being “crowned…with glory and honor,” and “all things” being subject “under his feet.”   In today’s Gospel, Jesus visits Capernaum with his followers, enters the synagogues and teaches “with authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit,” who cries out: “What have you do so with us, Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebukes the demons and says: “Quiet! Come out of him!” The demon submits to Jesus’ authority.  In other parts of the Gospels, nature submits to Jesus when He orders turbulent weather to cease threatening the lives of His disciples.  Diseases of all kinds also submit to Jesus’ healing authoritative powers.  Death itself submits to God’s authority and Jesus overcomes death in His Resurrection and returning to the Father’s glory!  So, too, will we!

In the responsorial psalm of today’s liturgy, Psalm 8, we pray: “You have given him [your Son] rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet.”  Jesus is  Master of the lives of government leaders, members of Congress and of the Supreme Court. He is Master of the members  of ISIS, of every person sitting in our prisons, of all of those planning good or evil things in this world.  He is Master of your life and of mine.

Am I co-operating with Jesus’ authority or resisting it? Am I submissive or obedient to the authority God has given Jesus or am I rebelling against it. Jesus shows us the way to the Father, as He Himself was obedient to His Father even until death!  Will we follow Jesus’ example? Will we accept salvation in Christ Jesus?

Jesus, the Strong One, who Walks beside Us

In today’s Gospel, Mark 3: 22-30, Jesus, the Son of God Incarnate, is accused by the Scribes that he casts out Satan by the prince of demons, Satan himself.   They refuse to recognize that Jesus’ power over Satan is of divine origin and does not, in any way, originate from Satan.  Satan delights in causing division upon the earth. He is permanently cast out of heaven and will not re-enter the reign of God. Neither does he want us to be one with Christ and certainly not for all eternity.
Jesus tells the Scribes that “…[N]o one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man.” Jesus is that strong man who ties up Satan, not allowing him to “plunder” the property that belongs to God.  Oh, the   greatness and the love of our God, who comes to this earth to take on Satan, a force too powerful for us, on our own, to overcome.  Left to our own weaknesses, we easily fall into the traps Satan sets for us.  God will not allow it. Through Jesus’ obedience to the Father to the point of death on the cross, Satan is rendered powerless over those who seek the Lord above all, who recognize their sinfulness, repent and believe in the Gospel. With Jesus, in Jesus, and through Jesus, we are one with our God and destined to enter His reign for all eternity.
The Lord says to us in the responsorial psalm of today’s liturgy, Ps. 89:   “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him, and through my name shall his horn be exalted….”   This can be reread as follows:  “I have found you (insert your name), my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed you, that my hand may be always with you, and that my arm may make you strong.  My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with you, and through my name shall your horn be exalted….”

Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and compassion. Thank you for your companionship, for always being at my side to make me strong!

Jesus, Master, Have Pity on Us

Today's Gospel, Luke 17: 11-19, tells the story of the ten lepers who encounter Jesus and, obviously recognize who Jesus is--the One who can restore them to wholeness, the One who is their "gate" to re-enter society and their "ticket" to leave their isolation.  By recognizing Jesus and calling out for pity, by believing in Jesus as the One who can save them, these lepers are healed. They no longer need to isolate themselves from others. They no longer need to hide from the public.

It was no accident that these lepers encountered Jesus, anymore than it is an accident when we encounter loving, merciful, wise individuals who free us from that which may be "eating" away at our "flesh,"  people who open our eyes to our hatreds, our prejudices, our fears, our sinful behaviors and attitudes by which we distance ourselves from others and from God. Whenever we stand in judgment of another, whenever we condemn another, whenever we enter into gossip of another, we are distancing ourselves from others. Whenever we are dishonest, deceitful; whenever we act out of pride and vent our anger onto others, deliberately hurting them, returning evil for evil, the leprosy of sin within us comes out of remission, so to speak.  Whenever we succumb to "leprous," diseased attitudes and behaviors, we darken our faith vision. At those times, we, like the lepers, have created a wall between us and others and need to cry out:  "Jesus, Master, have pity on us."   Am I aware when I become "the leper" who has distanced her/himself from God and others and are in need of mercy?

The Courage to Approach Jesus in our Need

In today’s Gospel, Mark 10: 46-52, Bartimaeus, a blind man, realizes that Jesus is passing by.  He calls out: “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”  The crowd tries to quiet  him, perhaps believing that he is not worthy of Jesus’ attention.  He cries out even louder.  Jesus says to the crowd: “Call him.”  At Jesus’ command, they say to  him: “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”  Jesus looks upon Bartimaeus with compassionate love and asks him: “What do you want me to do for you?”  In faith, Bartimaeus expresses his need:  “Master, I want to see.”  Jesus tells him that his faith has saved him. Bartimaeus’ sight is restored  at that moment and he follows Jesus.

This story challenges us to ask ourselves several questions:

1.       Will I recognize Jesus in what or who crowds around my space today?
2.       Will I persist in wanting to talk to Jesus even when the crowd discourages me, treats
           me  disrespectfully, in fact scorns me?
3.       Do I realize in what ways I am blind or why I need Jesus to intervene in my life?
4.       Do I even believe that Jesus is God, a God of infinite compassion and love, who wants
           to heal me and fill me with His love and mercy? Do I have faith in Jesus’ willingness
           and ability to open my eyes to what I need to see?
5.       What do I want from Jesus?

No matter how we answer the above questions, Jesus says to us: “Take courage. Get up. I am calling you.”  As today’s first reading, Sirach 42: 15-25, reminds us:  God “plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; …[our] innermost being he understands….No understanding does…[God] lack; no single thing escapes…[God]. Perennial is his almighty wisdom; he is from all eternity one and the same…How beautiful are all his works.” And, yes, when Jesus gazed upon Bartimaeus, He did so from this stance!  The same is true of his gaze upon you and me! He deeply desires to help us in our need. But we need to articulate that need.