Reflection for Monday January 24, Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: Mark 3:22-30

Gospel: Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

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Reflection:

A  family would always go to church as a family and whenever there is a problem in their family. The father or mother would always see to it that they reconcile before the day is over. For to them God always wants a unified family. Indeed, God is an advocate of unity. 

Yet the devil wants to destroy the unity of the family for the simple reason that the devil is for disunity, problem and conflict. Because when there’s problem, disunity and conflict the evil one has the opportunity to come in and sow more havoc and disunity.     

In the gospel, Jesus talks about the importance of unity. He tells us; If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.  

Unity indeed is very important and essential, for example in a family. What would happen If there’s no unity between the father and mother? Same as with friendship, how can friendship last if friends are not operating on the same wavelength?  

The same is true if we are not united with Jesus in everyday of our lives. What would happen to us If we live our lives apart from Jesus? And if we stand by ourselves in this world? We end up with nothing but division, loneliness and evil. – Marino J. Dasmarinas