Today’s Reflection
Gospel:  Mt 8: 28-34
July 05, 2023 | Wednesday

Today’s Gospel

When Jesus reached Gadara, on the other side, he was met by two men, possessed by devils, who came out from the tombs. They were so fierce that no one dared to pass that way. They cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. So the demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.” Jesus ordered them, “Go!” So the demons left the men and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

The men in charge of the pigs ran off to the town,where they told the whole story; and also what had happened to the men possessed with the demons. The whole town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

The gospel reading that speaks of the exorcism of demons constitutes another victory for Jesus over the forces of evil and thus, another step toward the fullness of the kingdom. The demons recognize this fact, though in a confused way, when they asked, “What is there between us and you, Son of God? Have you come here before time to torment us?” The expulsion of the speech-inhibiting demon reminds us that all of Jesus’ healing activities are blows struck against Satan’s grip on human life. These are instances of the rule of God bringing bodily as well spiritual liberation. It is a reality that Jesus brings life, healing, and social inclusion to afflicted humanity. From today’s reading, let us reflect on these: What are the sources of your disease, or when are your moments of being a fractured or fragmented person? What are the demons within ourselves and society that we desire to be liberated?  /Vulnerasti, 2023