Greetings on this the Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Readings: 1 COR 2:10B-16; PS 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14; Lk 4:31-37
Authority and Power
Natural Man questions the action: “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Natural Man’s Frame of Reference: Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
Summary
In order to approach the divine we must transcend our natural binary limitations:
- “What I see I believe.”
- “What I believe I see.”
Reflection
Even in ordinary Emotional Intelligence (EQ) skill building we are encouraged to understand our own reactions and the motivations of others.
The five skills of EQ:
- Self-awareness.
- Self-regulation.
- Motivation.
- Empathy.
- Social skills.
Even more so in spiritual matters, we must receive the spirit who is from God. In our gospel portion today, we are given a glimpse of the totality of such a swap-out.
A man suppressed by a spirit of an unclean demon was given a great healing (removal and acceptance). Jesus rebuked him [the demon] and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm.
A natural man can be trapped by his self-limitation and the refusal to remember he is a spiritual being and physical being. E=MC2 might be a good starting place to allow the natural frame of reference morph.
From the letters of Saint Gregory, the Great, circa 590, there are three ways to miss the mark (paraphrase). Ignorance, weakness and set purpose. Weakness is more severe than ignorance but set purpose the most severe of all. Here is what the natural man must know.
The theological virtues of:
- Faith – the Eternal Hills are given you.
- Hope – the future is a gift granted you for your Joy.
- Love – the charity of the divine is for you, completely and entirely.
These gifts can only be sensed by the spiritual man – that is – the part of you that you suppress.
Personal Reflection
If what I see is all there is, that would be enough. But true sight can see the divine presence in the natural and then beyond. Receive the spirit who is from God is to allow the spiritual you to sense the spiritual Lord and be glad.
Sacred Readings
Full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090324.cfm
First Reading
Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Responsorial
The Lord is just in all his ways.
Gospel Acclamation
A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.
Gospel
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “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, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry
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