Gospel: Luke
4:31-37
Jesus
went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and
they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the
synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out
in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come
to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and
said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front
of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed
and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and
power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him
spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
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Reflection:
During
1982, I was in high school then; late afternoon after school while walking to
our house. I saw a group of people and I also heard a very loud but unrecognizable
voice. Out of curiosity I walked going to them to simply see what they were
looking at and to find out where that big voice was coming from.
There I
saw a man with devilish eyes being held-on by a number of men, when the man
was asked who was he answered with a frightening voice that he was the devil. Afterwards
somebody came (I don’t know if it was priest of a pastor) who said prayers and
sprinkled holy water on him while invoking the name of Jesus. While this was being
administered to him the man was violently resisting and shouting until he
calmed down and he passed-out soon after.
In our
gospel we read about Jesus exorcising a demon from a possessed man. After Jesus
exorcised the possessed man the crowd said, What is there about his word? For
with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out (Luke
4:36).”
The crowd
did not know Jesus that’s why they marvelled about the power and authority of
His word. Unlike the crowd in the gospel who did not know, we know Jesus; we
know where His power and authority is coming from. Let us therefore take
advantage of our knowledge of Jesus. Let us dive deeper into it by regularly
reflecting upon His powerful words in the bible and by our regular presence at
Holy Mass.
By doing
these acts of faith we permanently immunize ourselves from the possession of
the devil. Which is still very active and pervading (in many disguises) up to
this very moment.
The devil
is very real! When you sense that he (devil) is near you (Through the many
kinds of temptations and so forth) never fail to invoke the mighty and powerful
name of Jesus! - Marino J. Dasmarinas
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