4th Week in Ordinary Time 2024 (School Mass)- Unbinding through education

 The image in the Gospel is a powerful one. A man possessed by a demon had been bound, shackled, and chained because that demon caused him to thrash about and cause harm to himself and others. Because of that demon, that evil spirit within him, he could not control his body, he could not control his words, he could not control his actions. 

And then Jesus draws close to the demon possessed man. And through his divine authority as God in the flesh, Jesus commands the demon to depart from him. And free from the demon, he regained used of mind, his body, his words, and his actions. The chains could come off and he could return to his family—to pursue the goodness for which he was created.

Again, what a powerful story: Jesus offers freedom from the spirits and ideas and behaviors which cause us harm. Jesus offers us freedom from evil, those sorts of evil which take root in our minds and hearts, which can lead us to harm the people we love, and even ourselves. The sort of evil that causes us to act more like wild animals than children of God. Evil that keeps us from peace and joy and goodness.

What a powerful story. One that contains a promise. Draw near to Jesus. Allow Jesus to draw near to you. Be willing to allow Jesus to free you from all the forms of evil that shackle and chain and cause self-harm and harm to others.

A powerful story for any day of the year for us to consider, but also one that is absolutely perfect for the beginning of Catholic Schools Week.

Why do Catholic Schools exist? Education. What is education? The word education comes from the latin – educare – to lead a person out of something. To lead a person out of something. Out of what? Out of ignorance. The sort of ignorance that can cause harm to ourselves and to others. An uneducated mind can cause real harm in this world. And so education leads us out of ignorance. Out of Ignorance, but also it leads us into, the higher realm of Truth and Life and Goodness. And that is where happiness lies. 

When we are young we put training wheels on bicycles so we do not harm ourselves or others. But through the training and practice education offers, those training wheels can come off and we can ride further and faster and freer and happier.

Students, let your teachers teach you. Because in a Catholic School, Jesus is at work through them to lead you out of ignorance.

But teachers, your responsibility is great, to allow the Truth and Goodness of Jesus to animate your vocation. Education is not simply accomplished through words, words, words. But how you conduct yourselves, your prayerfulness and patience and gentleness and generosity and faith. 

The evil spirits and errors of our world are legion, they are many. But the goodness of Christ can free all those who want to be free. And children need examples of those who live in the freedom of Christ. 

May this Catholic Schools Week help us to recommit to the learning and teaching Jesus wants for us, that we may live in the freedom befitting the children of God for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

27th Week of OT 2020 - Friday - Seven demons worse than the first

The Gospels contain many instances of Jesus performing exorcisms—casting out evil spirits. These many instances of exorcism indicate that a primary aspect of Jesus’ ministry is to deliver us from bondage to evil. Why? Because evil dehumanizes us—it defaces our human dignity. The human mind and heart were not made to be dominated by forces like Lust, Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Addiction. 

This is why we often see in the gospels the demon possessed displaying inhuman characteristics. Think of the Garasene demoniac bound in chains like an animal, screaming and gashing himself with stones. Or the possessed boy unable to speak—speech being one of the human faculties which differentiates us from the beasts.

The Lord Jesus, over and over in the Gospels, casts out evil spirits which dehumanize us; He has come to liberate us from the powers of sin and evil which keep us from living in the freedom of the children of God.

Yet, today’s Gospel provides a lesson of paramount importance regarding our liberation through Christ. What do we do once we have been freed from evil. What do we do once we’ve encountered Christ? Once we’ve been baptized? Once we’ve been liberated by Christ in the Sacrament of Confession?

The Lord teaches about a certain danger inherent in the spiritual life. If you do nothing, following your deliverance, it is likely you will be worse off than before your deliverance. It’s like a gardener who pulls up all the weeds from his garden, but then doesn't plant any crops. The weeds grow right back and in great numbers. 

This is why we see so many fallen away Catholics engaging in terrible behavior. Yes, they were freed from evil through baptism. They might have even gone to Catholic School for a while. But falling away from the faith, falling away from the Sacraments, their hearts turn hostile to God, and the begin to justify one sin after another. They stop hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and end up settling for so much less. Even priests, bishops, consecrated religious, can end up in terrible spiritual states because they begin to justify sin. It's usually through the cracks of pride--that these new demons enter our lives.

Rather, we need to always be pressing forward in the spiritual life—seeking growth, cultivating and making use of the spiritual gifts, as St. Peter writes, growing in grace and the knowledge of Our Lord. There are no plateau’s in the spiritual life, we are either pushing forward, climbing the mountain, growing in holiness, or we are falling back into old sinful habits or forming new ones. And those new ones might be worse than the old ones. 

The Lord wishes to produce abundant life in us, to perfect his love in us, to complete his joy in us. But we must cooperate daily, repent daily, humble ourselves daily, exert effort daily to grow in grace for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

 

That the clergy and the lay faithful may be vigilant against the tactics of the enemy to corrupt and destroy the Church, for a purification from all corruption within the Body of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering may come to know the healing and peace of Christ.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

February 3 2020 - St. Blaise - Deliverance from Demons and the Powers of Death

Yesterday, at Sunday Mass, we heard in the letter to the Hebrews that Jesus came and shared our flesh that “he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil.” St. Luke gives a similar explanation for Jesus’ ministry, saying in the book of Acts that Jesus' ministry was to go "about doing good works and healing all who were in the grip of the devil". In fact, the Lord got quite the reputation in his ministry as an itinerant exorcist, one who traveled through the land, liberating the possessed.  And today, we hear the powerful story of the Lord casting out Legion, the unclean spirit or spirits possessing the Garasene demoniac. 

There are demons which seem to have free reign in our nation and in our neighborhoods—demons with names like “Addiction”, “Pornography”, “Greed”, “Blasphemy”, and “Despair”. But the Lord’s ministry of deliverance, casting out the demons from this world, is meant to continue, through us. Whenever we visit a new place, or a home which seems to house evil, we do well to pray, “Lord, deliver us from evil, deliver this place from evil, deliver these souls from evil.”

The unclean spirits will continue to be at work for the ruin of souls until the Lord returns, but we are certainly called to engage in the work of deliverance as well, offering up our sufferings for deliverance, praying for deliverance, setting good Christian example that those enslaved to sin might see that deliverance is possible.

Today we honor St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr from the 4th century. He had gained a reputation for his holiness among his people and for deliverance. He famously he healed a boy who had fish bones stuck in his throat and near death. He cast out this instrument of death, like the Lord casting out a demon. And so for centuries, Blaise has been invoked as the patron saint of those with throat ailments.

Up and down the centuries we see the saints standing up to the powers of death, opposed to the powers of evil and corruption. We invoke them, and seek to imitate them. That we like them, may become instruments of God’s power and goodness in the world, instruments of Christ who came to liberate all those captive to sin, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, may use their authority wisely and courageously in standing against the evils of this world.

For all those under the sway of evil, error, and corruption, for their deliverance by the power of Christ.

For the protection of young people from the corrupting influences of the world, for Christians families, and for the conversion of the faithless.

For the sick, suffering, and sorrowful, for miracles for hopeless causes.

For the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.