Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Readings: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Ps. 145:8-14, Luke 4:31-37
“And in the synagogue, there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out loudly, ‘Ah! 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.’” (Luke 4:33-34)
“What have you to do with us?” meaning: “Why did you come here? What is your business with this place? Why not allow us to do our thing while you stay on your side?” The demon questioned Jesus for coming into the synagogue to disrupt its peace. This means it had completely taken over that space.
- What business has darkness with light? How can a demon take possession of the House of God to the extent that it is even angry with Jesus for coming into the place? Do you now understand how the house of prayer could become a den of robbers, and no one saw anything wrong with it? (cf. Mark 11:17ff). The fact that the chief priests were planning to destroy Jesus for daring to cleanse the temple reveals how blinded they had become to the presence of demons.
- Not all those who say “Lord, Lord” are in Church to worship God. There are wolves among the sheep; outwardly, they appear beautiful but full of filth on the inside. Do make the mistake of David. David felt he had soldiers he could rely on, not knowing that while they battled fiercely in the field, a spiritual battle raged in his house: the battle against sins of the flesh. The soldiers won theirs, but David lost him, almost costing him the kingdom.
- Revelation 12:17 reads: “Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.” We are at war; the sooner we open our eyes, the better we are positioned for victory. Since demonic agents surround us (they are in our churches), what defence do we have against their power?
- One, develop your spiritual life. Do not be worldly-minded; do not dismiss the existence of the spirit world. In today’s first reading, St. Paul says: “The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man judges all things but is himself to be judged by no one.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15).
- Two, be prayerful. Prayer is power. Jesus started with prayer, and all through His public ministry, Jesus never joked with prayer. He would rise early in the morning, go to a quiet place to pray (Luke 4:42), and at the end of the day, after dismissing the crowd, he would go again to a lonely place to pray. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46). He would even spend a whole night praying (Luke 6:12). When you are prayerful, a certain aura goes with you; you don’t need to shout or make noise. Your very presence in any space is already a threat to demons. Jesus did not break a sweat dealing with the demon-possessed man. As we often say: “power pass power.”
- Today, we remember Pope St. Gregory the Great. He was born in Rome and followed the usual public service career for the son of an aristocratic family. He finally became Prefect of the City of Rome, a post he held for years. He founded a monastery in Rome and some others in Sicily and became a monk. He was ordained a deacon and sent as an envoy to Constantinople on a five-year mission.
- He was elected Pope on 3 September 590, the first monk to be elected to this office. He reformed the administration of the Church’s estates and devoted the resulting surplus to assisting the poor and the ransoming of prisoners. He negotiated treaties with the Lombard tribes ravaging northern Italy, and by cultivating good relations with these and other barbarians, he could keep the Church’s position secure in areas where Roman rule had broken down. He wrote extensively on pastoral care, spirituality, and morals and designated himself a “servant of the servants of God.” He died on 12 March 604, but as this date always falls within Lent, his feast is celebrated on the date of his election as Pope.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, open our eyes to see the battles before us. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saint Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor. Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Ps. 145:8-14, Luke 4:31-37).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu
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