The Lord has come not to destroy us but to destroy evil

Listening to the Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Listening to the Word

Mk 1:21–28

They came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “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!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere through the whole region of Galilee.

Reflection

“Have you come to destroy us?” (Mk 1:24b)
These are the words pronounced by the unclean spirit. We rejoice to listen to these words!! Why do we rejoice for destruction? Because we see the action of God who wants to “remove ground” to evil. The evil spirit was possessing the man and keeping him under his control. The man was a slave of evil and could not be any more free and able to do good.

In Mark, the first sign of Jesus is that of fighting evil. Jesus came to free man from his slavery and to restore him to life. Now, Jesus wants us free, able to become really sons and daughters of God. Jesus desires to restore people to themselves. He restores our conscience and freedom so that we can build up sincere relationships among us and we can look at each other as brothers and sisters.

So, we can ask ourselves: what are the FEARS that immobilize us, making us unable to do the good we desire? What is scaring us so much that we find ourselves like “cripple persons”?

What are our wrong DESIRES, possessing our hearts, preventing us from loving authentically the other persons?

Yes, because this is the problem: to be possessed, to be slave of some vices, prevent us of true love. We become unable to express, share our concern, care to others. If we are possessed, our way of loving is also the one of possessing. Love is never possession. Love is authentic if it brings freedom to all.

This gospel of Mark, moreover, helps us to evaluate if we are authentic disciples of Him. There are two elements that we can once again ask to ourselves.
First: Like Jesus, do I oppose the evil of man in all its forms? Or sometimes I prefer to look at the other side so as not to see and denounce evil?
Second: Do I bring an “air of freedom”, a sign of liberation from what represses us inside, from what suffocates our humanity, from all the masks and fears?

If I am trying to do so, it means that I am building up the Kingdom of God with Jesus!!