Greetings on this the Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Sirach 1:1-10; Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5; Mark 9:14-29
Summary
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
The question of power is a constant question. Who has the power?
Jesus’ faithful disciples were perplexed as to why they were unable to help this father and son in crisis.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
Jesus reminds the disciples the source of all wisdom, good and power is the Father.
His reply is closely aligned with the gospel portions just previous to the story:
- The Conditions of Discipleship – He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. To which he is referring is prayer. Prayer – communion and intimacy with the Father.
- The Transfiguration of Jesus – the Transfiguration reveals what our eyes cannot normally see. Jesus affording certain of the disciples insight into the divine glory that Jesus possesses.
The Father Cried Out!
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Faith and Prayer
The Father understands his limitations of unbelief and faith. We all have that limitation. It is a function of so many conflicting realities of our life.
The disciples needed to understand their limitations of power. Being personally infused with the divine power does not make your task effortless or easy. It must always be within the loving communion with the Father.
Why does not these words mean to us what they need to mean?
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Not of theological purity and dogmatic correctness. Not of a formula of incantation. But the connectiveness to the divine and the divine favor as an outflow of relation.
The divine-human mystery of a shared destiny can not be fully understood in this life. It is always in the context of communion which is prayer, dialog and attempts to understand and change the world by way of the heart.
Help!
Our common need today. Help us Lord in our unbelief. Help us Lord in our need to be in prayer with you.
Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022425.cfm
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry
💕🙌👍
Miss you!