Homily: Monday of the 4th Week of OT 2016 - Deliverance from Demons

The episode from today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ first excursion into non-Jewish territory, and it begins in a similar way as his public ministry among the Jews: with an exorcism—the casting out of the unclean spirit. In fact, in Mark’s Gospel we often see Jesus confronting and emerging victorious over the powers of evil.  Just as the calming of the storm shows Jesus’ power over the forces of destruction in nature, so the exorcisms show his power over the forces of destruction within the human person.

Mark’s description of the Gerasene demoniac shows how demonic influence seeks to distort and destroy the image of God in us.  We see this man living away from his family, wild-eyed, shouting, bearing the marks of self-mutilation—he is crying out, bruising himself with stones.  In a sense, he is more a danger to himself than to anyone else. 

So too, when we are given over to the powers of addiction, lust, greed, wrath, when we allow ourselves to be possessed by the spirits of sin, our goodness becomes distorted, an ugly, unclean power begins to fill us. 

St. Mark even shows the futility of society’s efforts to deal with the demonic problem.  The most they can do is attempt to restrain the man physically, and even that is ineffective; the demon fills the man with a strength which breaks the shackles and chains.  Similarly, the world attempts to free man from his demons through silly pop psychology, self-help programs, pagan or esoteric spirituality, or techniques of the so-called “new age”, or they claim that science is the cure of all man’s ills. 

But Jesus shows, that in the end, it is only the power of the Most High which can free us from our demons.  For often the cause of the demonic relationship is a rupture of the relationship with God and family. 

This is why, after the exorcism, Jesus sends the man back to his family to announce the Lord’s mercy. “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the lord in his pity has done for you.” Jesus restores the relationship with God and heals the rifts of family division.

Today, begins the month of February, a month typically dedicated to the Holy Family, and seeking their intercession for our families. What a fitting Gospel to begin this month, as we pray for the Spirit of Christ to free our families from all evil, to deliver all members of families from demonic attitudes and behaviors, and to free us from our sins during the upcoming season of Lent, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.