Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 323
Lectionary: 323
Brothers and sisters:
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
What more shall I say?
I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets,
who by faith conquered kingdoms,
did what was righteous, obtained the promises;
they closed the mouths of lions, put out raging fires,
escaped the devouring sword;
out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle,
and turned back foreign invaders.
Women received back their dead through resurrection.
Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance,
in order to obtain a better resurrection.
Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword's point;
they went about in skins of sheep or goats,
needy, afflicted, tormented.
The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered about in deserts and on mountains,
in caves and in crevices in the earth.
Yet all these, though approved because of their faith,
did not receive what had been promised.
God had foreseen something better for us,
so that without us they should not be made perfect.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24
R. (25) Let
your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Once I said in my anguish,
"I am cut off from your sight";
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Once I said in my anguish,
"I am cut off from your sight";
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
AlleluiaLK 7:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 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 more than 5,000
strong! For the people in the time of Jesus' ministry, 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.
Jesus
has power to free us from every evil spirit of oppression
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).
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."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The God-Man beheld, by
Gregory of Nazianzus (330 - 390 AD)
"Yes,
he is recognized by demons (Luke 4:33-34, Mark 1:23-24), drives out
demons (Matthew 8:16, Mark 1:34), drowns deep a legion of spirits (Matthew
8:32; Mark 5:9,13; Luke 8:30,33) and sees the prince of demons falling
like lightning (Luke 10:18). He is stoned, yet not hit (John 8:59;
10:31,39); he prays yet he hears prayer (Matthew 8:13; Mark 1:35). He
weeps (John 11:35), yet he puts an end to weeping (Luke 7:13; 8:522;
23:28). He asks where Lazarus is (John 11:34) - he was man; yet he
raises Lazarus (John 11:43-44) - he was God." (excerpt
from ORATION 29, ON THE SON 20)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, MARK 5:1-20
Weekday
(Hebrews 11:32-40; Psalm 31)
Weekday
(Hebrews 11:32-40; Psalm 31)
KEY VERSE: "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you" (v 19).
TO KNOW: 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 showed their power by the superhuman strength of the man they possessed. They recognized Jesus as their enemy, and they tried to overpower him by invoking the divine name. Jesus was more powerful than the demons, and, with a word, he 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, which were regarded as unclean by the Jews. The animals threw themselves into the turbulent sea. The people were seized with fear at this display of power, and they begged Jesus to leave the 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.
TO LOVE: Have I witnessed to my family of God's mercy toward me?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, remove any evil that has power over my life.
Monday 4 February 2019
Hebrews 11:32-40. Psalm 30(31):20-24. Mark 5:1-20.
Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord – Psalm
30(31):20-24.
‘He went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much
Jesus had done for him; everyone was amazed.’
People kept their distance from the demoniac: he was left to
suffer alone, and it was only when loss of their property came with his cure that
people took any notice. They opted for cutting further losses by asking Jesus
to leave.
Was this demoniac the first apostle to the gentiles? He is
commanded by Jesus to go away and tell his friends ‘how much the Lord has done
for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ He obeys, telling all he meets of
how Jesus had brought him renewal, peace, and life.
Saint Joseph of Leonissa
Saint of the Day for February 4
(January 8, 1556 – February 4, 1612)
 |
| Saint Fidelis of Sigmarigen and Saint Joseph of Leonessa | Giovanni Battista Tiepolo |
Saint Joseph of Leonissa’s Story
Joseph was born at Leonissa in the Kingdom of Naples. As a boy
and as a student in early adulthood, Joseph drew attention for his energy and
virtue. Offered a nobleman’s daughter in marriage, Joseph refused and joined
the Capuchins in his hometown in 1573 instead. Avoiding the safe compromises by
which people sometimes undercut the gospel, Joseph denied himself hearty meals
and comfortable quarters as he prepared for ordination and a life of preaching.
In 1587, he went to Constantinople to take care of the Christian
galley slaves working under Turkish masters. Imprisoned for this work, he was
warned not to resume it on his release. He did and was again imprisoned and
then condemned to death. Miraculously freed, he returned to Italy where he
preached to the poor and reconciled feuding families as well as warring cities
which had been at odds for years. He was canonized in 1745.
Reflection
Saints often jar us because they challenge our ideas about what
we need for “the good life.” “I’ll be happy when. . . ,” we may say, wasting an
incredible amount of time on the periphery of life. People like Joseph of
Leonissa challenge us to face life courageously and get to the heart of it:
life with God. Joseph was a compelling preacher because his life was as
convincing as his words.
LECTIO
DIVINA: MARK 5:1-20
Lectio Divina:
Monday, February 4, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
help us to love You with all our hearts
and to love all people as You love them.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - 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 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.
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel, we meditate on a long text on the expulsion
of a devil which was called Legion 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 the pork which
was considered an unclean animal. The impurity which separates from God. c)
With the sea, which was considered a symbol of the chaos which
existed before creation, and a chaos which destroys nature . d) With the
word Legion, a name given to the army of the Roman Empire -
the empire which oppressed and exploited people. 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 under persecution by the Roman Legions, with an
ideology which manipulated the popular beliefs concerning the devils in order
to frighten people and to obtain their submission.
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates people. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behavior 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 destructive, 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 his description of 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. It is 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 neither 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 had 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 from entering into relationship with God and from feeling 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 local people. 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 had 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 his normal self. Those pigs also had a large economic value to the local people. The same thing happens today: we often give very little importance to people. It frightens people to be given the choice to give up wealth for the peace of Christ.
• 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, and announce to them what the Lord has done for you!”
• The power of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates people. The initial verses describe the situation of the people before the arrival of Jesus. In the way of describing the behavior 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 destructive, 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 his description of 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. It is 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 neither 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 had 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 from entering into relationship with God and from feeling 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 local people. 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 had 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 his normal self. Those pigs also had a large economic value to the local people. The same thing happens today: we often give very little importance to people. It frightens people to be given the choice to give up wealth for the peace of Christ.
• 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, and 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? Do you want to share this with 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? Do you want to share this with 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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