Reflection for January 9, Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time: Mark 1:21-28

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “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, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him. His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

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Reflection:

What is the modern day unclean spirits that could possess us now? It’s our greed, our lack of concern for others, our arrogance, our lustful desires and the like. Who can defeat these evil spirits that enslaves us? It’s Jesus and our faith in him! But the big question is  Do we always communicate with Jesus through our prayers? Do we thirst for Jesus by always desiring to partake of His body at Holy Mass? 

Evil/unclean spirit has no chance to possess us when we are always in union with Jesus. Those who are possessed by evil spirits are those who distance themselves from Jesus. Just try to always get connected with Jesus and you will see that you will always be shielded from the possession of the evil one. 

In today's gospel, Jesus forcefully commanded the evil spirit that possessed the man to leave him. The evil spirit had no choice but to obey Jesus' authoritative command. Why? Because Jesus possesses power and authority over everything, including the numerous modern-day evils that control us! 

But come to think of it, why was the man in our gospel possessed by an unclean spirit? Why was he among the many people in the synagogue? He was lacking in faith in Jesus and perhaps he was living his life in sin otherwise he would have not been possessed.    

Let us always strive to always get in touch with Jesus for He is always there for us and let us always live righteous lives. By doing so we free ourselves from the possession of the devil and the many modern-day evils that lurks around us today. 

Do you always create time to reach out to Jesus and are you living a righteous life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas