DAILY- HOMILY

01 February 2016 

Monday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time 

Green.            

2 Sm 15:13-14, 30; 16: 5–13 / Mk 5:I–20.  

From the Gospel Reading:  Mk 5:1-17  

They arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than he was met by a man with evil spirits who had come from the tombs. He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with a chain. . . .  

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? For God's sake I beg you, do not torment me." He said this because Jesus had commanded, "Come out of the man, evil spirit." And when Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" he replied, "Legion is my name, for we are many." And all of them kept begging Jesus not to send them out of that region.

Now, a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside, and  the evil spirits begged him, "Send us to the pigs and let us go into them." So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the herd rushed down the cliff and all were drowned in the lake. . . .

They came to Jesus and saw the man freed of the evil spirits sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid. And when those who had seen it told what had happened to the man and to the pigs, the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

Reflection 

We have never been as distracted. The defeated devil is as real as our victorious Jesus. The devil is the father of all lies. The devil's simple trick is to convince people that he doesn't exist. To believe in his lies is to be in chains. The largest chain that has crippled us is the chain of indifference. Fears and lies have led us to be indifferent to the pains of our brothers and sisters. Is it fear of being taken advantage of? Afraid of not having enough and losing one's comforts? Or is it just a lack of concern for others? The more we become insensitive, the more we are like beating ourselves with stones. Just like the man possessed with evil spirits "bound with fetters and chains." No man will be truly at peace doing nothing with the knowledge that many people are hurting. 

During one of the meetings of the cardinals of the Church leading to the conclave, Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio said, "When the Church does not come out of herself to evangelize, she becomes self-referential and then gets sick… In Revelation, Jesus says that he is at the door and knocks [Rev. 3:20]. Obviously, the text refers to his knocking from the outside in order to enter but I think about the times in which Jesus knocks from within so that we will let him come out…" 

True peace and joy comes from allowing the unconditional love of Jesus in us to flow freely to our brothers and sisters especially to those who are in pain and who feel neglected.

[Reference: http://www.catholic.com/blog/jimmy-akin/the-4-minute-speech-that-got-pope-francis-elected]

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Meldy C. Briones

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

     Franz & Abigail Saw

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Evelyn C. Ong

OTHER INTENTIONS:

For the personal intentions of Pauline Kahn.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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