Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 323
Lectionary: 323
An informant came to David with the report,
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.
As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
“The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom.”
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
“Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword.”
As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.
As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul’s family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king’s officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David’s right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
“Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer.”
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head.”
But the king replied: “What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, ‘Why are you doing this?’”
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
“If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day.”
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.
Responsorial Psalm PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (8a) Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. Lord, rise up and save me.
Gospel MK 5:1-20
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man 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.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man 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.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
Meditation: "Tell them how much the
Lord has done for you"
Do you ever feel driven by forces beyond your strength? A man
driven mad by the evil force of a legion found refuge in the one person who
could set him free. A legion is no small force – but an army
6,000 strong! For the people of Palestine, hemmed in by occupied forces, a
legion, whether spiritual or human, struck terror! Legions at their wildest
committed unmentionable atrocities.Our age has also witnessed untold crimes and
mass destruction at the hands of possessed rulers and their armies. What is
more remarkable – the destructive force of this driven and possessed man – or
the bended knee at Jesus' feet imploring mercy and release? God's word reminds
us that no destructive force can keep anyone from the peace and safety which
God offers to those who seek his help. A thousand may fall at your
side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. ..Because
you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation (Psalm
91:7,9).
Jesus took pity on the man who was overtaken by a legion of evil
spirits. The destructive force of these demons is evident for all who can see
as they flee and destroy a herd of swine. After Jesus freed the demoniac the
whole city came out to meet him. No one had demonstrated such power and
authority against the forces of Satan as Jesus did. They feared Jesus as a
result and begged him to leave them. Why would they not want Jesus to stay?
Perhaps the price for such liberation from the power of evil and sin was more
than they wanted to pay. Jesus is ready and willing to free us from anything
that binds us and that keeps us from the love of God. Are you willing to part
with anything that might keep you from his love and saving grace?
"Lord Jesus, unbind me that I may love you wholly and walk
in the freedom of your way of life and holiness. May there be nothing which
keeps me from the joy of living in your presence."
 A Madman for Chris |
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Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Alex Yeung, LC
Mark 5:1-20
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to
the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man
from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man 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. Night and day among the tombs and on the
hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching
sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of
the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!" (He had been
saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!") He asked
him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name.
There are many of us." And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive
them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on
the hillside. And they pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us
enter them." And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and
entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank
into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported
the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out
to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the
man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right
mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident
explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into
the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he
would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and
announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then
the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done
for him; and all were amazed.
Introductory
Prayer: Father in heaven, my heart is hungry for your word. I believe
that you want to speak a word of hope to me today. How good it would be if I
were to see myself and my future as you do, but at least I do trust in you. I
wish to take up your challenge to be holy, whatever the cost, and I am
confident that you will accompany me closely and help me with your grace.
Petition: Lord Jesus, help me to
abandon myself to your healing power.
1. A Hopeless Situation? The man possessed by a
legion of demons seemed to the people around—and perhaps to himself—a
hopeless case. Living there alone amidst the tombs, he could not help but
harm himself, gashing himself against stones. Nobody could help him by
restraining him. In our lives with God, some seemingly unsolvable situation
may exist, perhaps some sinful state we got ourselves into, but from which we
cannot seem to extract ourselves. Or we experience that we are always falling
into the same sins, the same biting impatience, the same laziness, the same
sensuality. Friends and family seek to help us, but we don’t have the will to
change. Instead of rectifying the situation, we just make a pact with a kind
of modus vivendi, saying to ourselves, “We can only live as best
as we can.” But the result is that that one demon has multiplied in me and
become a legion of demons.
2. Jesus Has Power: Jesus encounters the possessed man. The
scene is intriguing: the man runs to prostrate himself before Christ, while
at the same time the demons show fear and beg Jesus not to be harsh with
them. How consoling to know that no situation can escape Christ’s power to
straighten it out. It is also consoling to know that Jesus wants to free us
from the power of the devil, from any sinful state in which we find
ourselves. We can always turn to Christ to ask to be healed because no one is
ever so sinful or so possessed to be totally repugnant to God’s love.
Certainly, we may fear that Christ’s medicine may hurt, but we need to trust
that the spiritual “treatment” is worth it. The treatment may be an honest
and thorough confession, a brutally sincere self-examination, or the
breaking-up of an unhealthy relationship.
3. Transformation into a Witness: Imagine the cured man,
still with the scars of his gashes, but now in his full senses. What an
amazing sight! It brings us to our knees in thanks to Christ for his power
and mercy. Of course, the cured man is overwhelmed by the transformation. He
gives no thought to going back to “ordinary” life. His thankfulness makes him
want to accompany Jesus, his friend and savior. However, Jesus gives him a
mission, sending him to his family and friends to tell the story of how Jesus
cured him. Wherever the cured man goes, he will proclaim the marvels the Lord
has done in him. When we experience absolution from our sins in confession,
does our thanksgiving cause us to proclaim the power and love of Christ to
our family and friends?
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, you have set me free and kept me from so many
vices and demons, addictions and grudges, materialism and indifference. You
have given me the grace to know you and choose you. I want to thank you for
your power and mercy towards me. I resolve to be a witness to your great love
among my family and friends.
Resolution: I will witness to some
healing that the Lord has worked in my life with a friend or family
member.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, MARK 5:1-20
(2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30, 16:5-13; Psalm 3)  KEY VERSE: "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you" (v 19). READING: Jesus demonstrated the power of his word by calming the stormy sea with a simple command (Mk 4: 35-41). In the expulsion of the "unclean spirit," Jesus again showed the power of his word. In the pagan territory of the Gerasa ("Gadera" in Mt 8:28), Jesus encountered a man who was troubled in body and spirit. The demons who were possessing him recognized Jesus as their enemy, and they tried to overpower him by invoking the divine name. Jesus was more powerful than the demons who showed their power in the superhuman strength of the man they possessed. With a word, Jesus commanded the evil spirits to depart from the man. Jesus then sent the "legions" of demons (a pun on the Roman military) into a herd of swine (regarded as unclean animals by Jews), and the hogs threw themselves into the turbulent sea. The people were seized with fear at this display of power, and they begged Jesus to leave their territory. In contrast, the healed man pleaded to be a disciple. Although Jesus usually restrained people from revealing his miraculous cures, he sent the man home to bear witness to his family. REFLECTING: Do I give witness to God's mercy to members of my family? PRAYING: Lord Jesus, remove any evil that has power over my life.
Optional Memorial of Memorial of Blaise,
bishop and martyr
 Blaise lived as a hermit on Mount Argeus. When the governor of Cappadocia came to Sebaste to persecute Christians, his huntsmen found Blaise at prayer in his cave. Blaise was arrested, and they tried to get him to recant his faith. While in prison, Blaise ministered to and healed fellow prisoners, including saving a child who was choking on a fish bone, which led to the blessing of throats on Blaise's feast day. Blaise has been extremely popular for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches. It is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The priest or deacon places the candles around the throat of whoever seeks the blessing, saying: "Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." (Excerpted from Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year.)
Optional Memorial of Ansgar, bishop
 Ansgar, the "apostle of the north" (Scandinavia) became a Benedictine at Corbie, France, where he had been educated. Three years later, when the king of Denmark became a convert, Ansgar went to that country for three years of missionary work. Sweden asked for Christian missionaries, and he went there, suffering hardships on the way. Less than two years later he was recalled, to become abbot of New Corbie (Corvey) and bishop of Hamburg. After thirteen years' work in Hamburg, Ansgar saw it burned to the ground by invading Northmen; Sweden and Denmark returned to paganism. Ansgar's biographers remark that he was an extraordinary preacher, a humble priest, devoted to the poor and the sick. He died peacefully at Bremen, Germany, without achieving his wish to be a martyr. |
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
A Beautiful Soul
Christ made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue.
I belong to him whom the angels serve. -St. Agnes of Rome
— from Sisterhood of Saints
Lord, rise up and save me
‘Go home and tell people what the Lord in his mercy has done for
you.’We do not have to look far to find those on the margins of our society who resemble the demoniac in today’s gospel. While many struggle to believe in demonic possession, the plight of the mentally ill reminds us of our human vulnerability. Depression and spiritual desolation can have us dwelling among the tombs of our inner mind and heart. Nevertheless the ability of the demoniac to recognise Jesus as the ‘Son of the Most High God’, reminds us the Christ promises to free us from the spiritual shackles that imprison us.
February
3
St. Blaise
(d. 316)
St. Blaise
(d. 316)
We know more about the devotion to St. Blaise by Christians around
the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy
day in some Eastern Churches. The Council of Oxford, in 1222, prohibited
servile labor in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him
in special honor and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual
St. Blaise blessing for their throats
We know
that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in
316. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years
later. According to them Blaise was a good bishop, working hard to encourage
the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of
Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already
five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blaise was apparently
forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and
prayer, but he made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters
seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They
were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer
surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears.
As the
hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, the legend has it, a mother came with her
young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the
child was able to cough up the bone.
Agricolaus,
governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols.
The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended
from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. (English wool combers,
who used similar iron combs, took Blaise as their patron. They could easily
appreciate the agony the saint underwent.) Finally, he was beheaded.
Comment:
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.
Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.
Quote:
“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St. Blaise).
“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Blessing of St. Blaise).
Patron Saint of:
Throat ailments
Throat ailments
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 5,1-20
Lectio:
Monday, February 3, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
on God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 5, 1-20
They reached the territory of the Gerasenes on the other side of
the lake, and when he disembarked, a man with an unclean spirit at once came
out from the tombs towards him. The man lived in the tombs and no one could
secure him any more, even with a chain, because he had often been secured with
fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no
one had the strength to control him. All night and all day, among the tombs and
in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? In God's name do not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit.' Then he asked, 'What is your name?' He answered, 'My name is Legion, for there are many of us.' And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.' So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned.
The men looking after them ran off and told their story in the city and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the man who had had the legion in him -- properly dressed and in his full senses, and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? In God's name do not torture me!' For Jesus had been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, unclean spirit.' Then he asked, 'What is your name?' He answered, 'My name is Legion, for there are many of us.' And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district.
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, 'Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.' So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned.
The men looking after them ran off and told their story in the city and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there -- the man who had had the legion in him -- properly dressed and in his full senses, and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave their neighbourhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, 'Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.' So the man went off and proceeded to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, we meditate on a long text on the expulsion
of a devil which was called Legion and which oppressed and
tortured a person. Today there are many people who use the texts of the Gospel
which speak of the expulsion of the devils or impure spirits in order to
frighten others. This is a sin! Mark does the opposite. As we will see, he associates
the action of power of evil to four things: a) With the cemetery, the
place of the dead. Death which kills life! b) With thepork which
was considered an unclean animal. The impurity which separates from God! c)
With the sea, which was considered as a symbol of the chaos
which existed before creation. Chaos which destroys nature . d) with the wordLegion, a
name given to the army of the Roman Empire. The empire which oppresses and
exploits people. Well, Jesus overcomes the power of evil in these four points.
The victory of Jesus had a very great outreach for the community of the years
70’s, the time in which Mark wrote his Gospel. These communities lived being
persecuted by the Roman Legions, the ideology of which manipulated
the popular beliefs concerning the devils in order to frighten people and to
obtain submission from them.
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates persons. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behaviour of the possessed person, Mark associates the power of evil to the cemetery and to death. It is a power without any purpose, threatening, without control and destructor which makes everybody afraid. It deprives the person of conscience, of self control and of autonomy.
• In the presence of Jesus the power of evil disintegrates itself, and breaks into fragments. In the way of describing the first contact between Jesus and the possessed man, Mark stresses the total lack of proportion that exists! The power which at the beginning seemed to be very strong, melts and is broken, fragmented before Jesus. The man falls on his knees, asks not to be expelled from that district and finally says its name is Legion. With this name, Mark associates the power of evil with the political and military power of the Roman Empire which dominated the world through its Legions.
• The power of evil is impure and has no autonomy nor consistency. The devil has no power in its movements. He only manages to enter into the pigs with the permission of Jesus! Once he has entered into the pigs, they charged down the cliff into the sea. There were 2000! According to the people the pig was a symbol of impurity, the impurity which prevented the human being to enter into relationship with God and to feel accepted by Him. The sea was the symbol of chaos which existed before creation and which according to the belief of the time, threatened life. This episode of the pigs which threw themselves into the sea is strange and difficult to understand, but the message is sufficiently clear: before Jesus the power of evil has no autonomy nor consistency. The one who believes in Jesus has already overcome the power of evil and should not be afraid, should have no fear!
• The reaction of the people of the place. On the advice of the herdsmen who took care of the pigs, the people of the place ran to see the man who had been liberated from the power of evil, now “in his full senses”. But the Legion entered the pigs! And for this reason they ask Jesus to leave. For them, in fact, the pigs were more important than the human person who had just returned to be himself. The same thing happens today: the neo-liberal system gives very little importance to persons. What is important for it is gain!
• To announce the Good News means to announce “what the Lord has done for you!”. The man who was liberated wanted to “follow Jesus”, but Jesus tells him: “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you”. Mark addressed this phrase of Jesus to the communities and to all of us. For the majority of us “to follow Jesus” means: “Go to your house, to your people, announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates persons. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behaviour of the possessed person, Mark associates the power of evil to the cemetery and to death. It is a power without any purpose, threatening, without control and destructor which makes everybody afraid. It deprives the person of conscience, of self control and of autonomy.
• In the presence of Jesus the power of evil disintegrates itself, and breaks into fragments. In the way of describing the first contact between Jesus and the possessed man, Mark stresses the total lack of proportion that exists! The power which at the beginning seemed to be very strong, melts and is broken, fragmented before Jesus. The man falls on his knees, asks not to be expelled from that district and finally says its name is Legion. With this name, Mark associates the power of evil with the political and military power of the Roman Empire which dominated the world through its Legions.
• The power of evil is impure and has no autonomy nor consistency. The devil has no power in its movements. He only manages to enter into the pigs with the permission of Jesus! Once he has entered into the pigs, they charged down the cliff into the sea. There were 2000! According to the people the pig was a symbol of impurity, the impurity which prevented the human being to enter into relationship with God and to feel accepted by Him. The sea was the symbol of chaos which existed before creation and which according to the belief of the time, threatened life. This episode of the pigs which threw themselves into the sea is strange and difficult to understand, but the message is sufficiently clear: before Jesus the power of evil has no autonomy nor consistency. The one who believes in Jesus has already overcome the power of evil and should not be afraid, should have no fear!
• The reaction of the people of the place. On the advice of the herdsmen who took care of the pigs, the people of the place ran to see the man who had been liberated from the power of evil, now “in his full senses”. But the Legion entered the pigs! And for this reason they ask Jesus to leave. For them, in fact, the pigs were more important than the human person who had just returned to be himself. The same thing happens today: the neo-liberal system gives very little importance to persons. What is important for it is gain!
• To announce the Good News means to announce “what the Lord has done for you!”. The man who was liberated wanted to “follow Jesus”, but Jesus tells him: “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you”. Mark addressed this phrase of Jesus to the communities and to all of us. For the majority of us “to follow Jesus” means: “Go to your house, to your people, announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
4) Personal questions
• Which point of this text pleased or struck you the most? Why?
• The man who was cured wanted to follow Jesus. But he should remain at home and tell everybody what Jesus has done for him. What has Jesus done for you which can be told to others?
• The man who was cured wanted to follow Jesus. But he should remain at home and tell everybody what Jesus has done for him. What has Jesus done for you which can be told to others?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, what quantities of good things
you have in store for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see. (Ps 31,19)
you have in store for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see. (Ps 31,19)
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