Women companions of Jesus (Luke 8:1–3)
1 Afterward he journeyed from one town and
village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve
2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
3 Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death and resurrection (where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in John 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public.
Mary Magdalene has long been confused with other women also named Mary and some anonymous women whose stories were mistakenly fused into one sensual young sinner. This conflation merging several women into one composite has incorrectly linked the Magdalene with the unnamed sinner (commonly thought to have been a prostitute) in Luke 7:36-50. Though St. Mary Magdalene is named in each of the four gospels in the New Testament, not once does it say that she was a prostitute or a sinner. Nothing in the New Testament even hints of her as a prostitute or a morally loose woman. Contemporary scholarship is said to have restored the understanding of Mary of Magdalena as an important early Christian leader.
Yet, for many centuries it was taught that St. Mary Magdalene was the person mentioned in the Gospels as being both Mary of Bethany and the "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus in Luke. The notion of Mary Magdalene being a repentant prostitute has been prevalent over the centuries at least from Ephraim the Syrian in the fourth century, Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, and many artists, writers and Scripture commentators who followed their lead. In 1969, during the papacy of Paul VI, the Vatican, without commenting on Pope Gregory's reasoning, implicitly rejected it by separating Luke's sinful woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdala via the Roman Missal.
Joanna was one of the Galilean women who had been cured of malevolent illness and then accompanied Jesus and the apostles as they traveled from town to town preaching. Joanna, along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna and others, also gave support to the group’s needs. Joanna’s close association with Jesus is especially compelling because she also had a close connection to the tetrarch of Galilee―Herod Antipas, the ruler who had John the Baptist beheaded. Her husband, Chuza, was Herod’s steward, which probably means that he oversaw the everyday business and concerns of Herod’s palace.
The various day-to-day, prayerful, and miraculous experiences that Joanna had while traveling with Christ must have been powerful. Luke’s Gospel lets readers feel confident that she stayed close to Jesus to the end, because she is listed as one of the women who were present on the first Easter morning. Joanna was with Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, and others who went to the tomb with spices to tend to the dead body of Jesus.
Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4–15)
4 When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable.
5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
6 Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture.
7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
8 And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
9 Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be.
10 He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand".
11 This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God.
12 Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved.
13 Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial.
14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.
15 But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.
It is the first parable to occur in Mark, which according to the Q hypothesis was the first book it occurred in. Jesus says he is teaching in parables because he does not want everyone to understand him, only those who are his followers. Those outside the group are not meant to understand them. Thus one must already be committed to following Jesus to fully understand his message and that without that commitment one will never fully understand him or be helped by his message. If one does not correctly understand the parables, this is a sign that one is not a true disciple of Jesus. He quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 (Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand), who also preached to Israel knowing that his message would go unheeded and not understood . This parable seems to be essential for understanding all the rest of Jesus' parables, as it makes clear what is necessary to understand Jesus is a prior faith in him, and that Jesus will not enlighten those who refuse to believe, he will only confuse them.
comments by Father David Daly (St. Louis, MO):
1. Hard Ground: We act like hard ground when we hear the inspirations of the Holy Spirit to do what is right, but let them pass as if it were no big deal. We let the devil take away the grace Jesus offers us, and it does not sink into our hearts. Many times superficiality and a lack of faith prevent us from reflecting and taking advantage of the lights that God gives us. We should pray to be more spiritual.
2. Rocky Ground: How many of us hear the Word of God with joy and follow Christ in the peaceful times, but fall away in the times of trial? We need to let our spiritual roots grow deeper; we need to let the roots of God’s word grow more profoundly into our hearts. The best way to do this is by reading and meditating on the Gospel and solidifying this faith through the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist.
3. Thorny Ground: The thorny ground represents those of us who are slowed down in our spiritual life by the anxieties, riches and pleasures of life. When the ground of our hearts is thorny, we fail to produce the mature fruit that Christ expects. And we live in the midst of so many thorns…. In order to let God’s grace grow in us, we have to sacrifice our own comfort and pleasure, because apart from the cross there is no growth in personal holiness.
Dialogue with Christ: I don’t want to place thorns or rocks or hardness of heart in the way of your word. Help me to change so that I will not put any thorns, rocks or hardness of heart in the way of your plans for my life. I want to be fertile soil for your word so that you can use me as an instrument to save souls and glorify you.
Resolution: I promise to pray these words many times today: “Not my will, but yours be done.”
comments by St. John of the Cross, "the thorns of the riches":
The vanity of rejoicing over riches, titles, status, positions, and other similar goods after which people usually strive is clear. . . . Though it is true that temporal goods of themselves are not necessarily the cause of sin, yet, because of the weakness of its tendencies, the human heart usually becomes attached to them and fails God, which is sin. . . . This is why the Lord in the Gospel calls them thorns; the one who willfully handles them will be wounded with some sin [Matt 13:22; Luke 8:14]. In St. Luke’s Gospel (18:24) the exclamation—which ought to be greatly feared—asserts: “How difficult will it be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of heaven” (those who have joy in them), and demonstrates clearly a person’s obligation not to rejoice in riches, since one is thereby exposed to so much danger.
The Lamp under a Bushel (Luke 8:16-18)
16
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a
bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see
the light.
17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
18 Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away."
comments by Joseph Simmons (Jesuit at the Jesuit Post):
St. Ignatius Loyola jotted down his many insights in the Spiritual Exercises, which have become the ‘bread and butter’ of the Society of Jesus for centuries. One such insight is the thirteenth rule for the Discernment of (good and evil) Spirits. In it Ignatius compares the evil spirit’s seductive ways to a licentious lover who seeks to keep an illicit relationship hidden. He continues, “When the enemy of human nature [the evil spirit] brings his wiles and persuasions to the just soul, he wants and desires that they be received and kept in secret; but when one reveals them to his good Confessor or to another spiritual person that knows the enemy’s deceits and evil ends, it is very grievous to him because he gathers, from his manifest deceits being discovered, that he will not be able to succeed with his wickedness.”
To bring into the light one’s sins, baggage, addictions, weaknesses—these frustrate the evil spirit who lulls us into that prideful autonomy that proclaims Non serviam! We are tempted to go-it-alone, putting on our best appearance before God and others. And yet today’s Gospel reminds us in no uncertain terms that what is hidden will not remain secret. One response to this is despair: “Big Brother is watching, and he doesn’t like what he sees.” This is a common critique of Catholic Christianity, as if we worship a judgmental God who sits watching all we do and conveys his displeasure through an equally judgmental, moralistic church hierarchy.
But there is another, more freeing understanding of this Gospel. The insight? Our God, who fashioned us and sustains us in being, knows all about our dark temptations and failings. He knows when we are petty, prideful, selfish, and dishonest. Yes, He knows our sins, our grudges, our addictions, and what we are most ashamed of in our past. And He wants us to bring these things to light not to shame us, but to be free of the undue anxiety that these can have on us in mind, body, and soul.
Mold and smells, like our secrets and temptations, spawn and thrive in the dark. When my mom would expose those moldy shower curtains and musty sheets to the sunlight, they were like new. And when we name sins and temptations, and courageously bring them out into the light, we move toward greater freedom in Christ, who makes all things new.
Jesus' true relatives (Luke 8:19-21)
19 Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
20 He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you."
21 He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
The brothers' authoritative behavior toward Jesus (Mark 3:31-32) suggests that they are older than he, although Jesus is Mary's firstborn (Luke 2:7). Both Hebrew and Aramaic,lacking a word for "cousin;' used "brother"to refer to a range of kinship relationships (see Gen 13:8; 2 Kings 10:13-14; Rom 9:3). The Greek termade/phos also admitted a wider meaning than full sibling. Catholics have traditionally interpreted Jesus' brothers to refer either to his cousins, as St. Jerome held, or to children of Joseph by an earlier marriage (see Catechism, 500).
comments by John W. Martens (associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas):
This Lucan passage and portrait of Jesus drives home a picture of Jesus unwilling to play into cultural conventions, such as the priority of family, which was more than simply a cultural convention, but grounded also in the command to honor and obey one’s parents (Exodus 20:12). As always, though, this is not rebellious Jesus, acting out against "The Man," but Jesus asking us to consider the ways of God. This passage is not about disrespect for family, or challenging societal norms, except for the need to place the Family of God first. Focus should be placed on "those who hear the word of God and act on it." Jesus is not saying his Mother and brothers do not do hear the word of God and act on it; he is not challenging his family, instead he is challenging the anonymous voice that presumes that family, the status quo, takes priority over the call of God. "Those who hear the word of God and act on it" are Jesus’ family. More than anything it presumes careful hearing of the word, intentional listening to the voice of Jesus, in order that one can act upon the will of God. It recalls for me, too, the notion that "connections" are what matter most. Think of John the Baptist’s chastising of the crowds who came for baptism: "Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say for yourselves, ’We have Abraham for our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham" (Luke 2:8).
Calming the storm (Luke 8:22-25)
Calming the storm is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels, namely in Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 8:23-27
22. One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail,
23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A squall blew over the lake, and they were taking in water and were in danger.
24 They came and woke him saying, "Master, master, we are perishing!" He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided and there was a calm.
25 Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" But they were filled with awe and amazed and said to one another, "Who then is this, who commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey him?"
Commenting on this passage, St. Bede expresses the Church’s teaching on the union of Jesus’ divine and human natures in his one divine person: “In this voyage, the Lord deigns to show each nature of his one and the same person. He who as man sleeps in the boat then as God tames with a word the fury of the sea". Most famous for teaching these truths about Jesus is Pope St. Leo the Great, in his letter to Flavian:
"The character of each nature, therefore, being preserved and united in one person, humility was assumed by majesty, weakness by strength, mortality by eternity. . . Each nature does what is proper to each in communion with the other: the Word does what pertains to the Word, and the flesh to what pertains to the flesh. One shines forth with miracles; the other succumbs to injuries. And just as the Word does not depart from equality with the Father’s glory, just so the flesh does not abandon the nature of our race".
comments by Rev Dr Steve Griffiths (https://www.stmaryslinton.org/) :
Jesus and the disciples were in the boat on Lake Galilee. The Lake of Galilee is about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is also in a valley area so, when the wind whips up, the storms arrive even before you know it. It is very easy indeed to get caught out in a storm on Lake Galilee.
And that, of course, is what happened to the disciples. There they were, sailing happily across the Lake, when a gale whips up out of nowhere. They are scared for their lives. They think they are about to sink. And, in the midst of all the problems, Jesus stays asleep in the back of the boat. He was exhausted! There were so many demands on Jesus; to teach, to heal, to show compassion and loving-kindness with every person he met hour after hour, minute after minute. So much was demanded of Jesus, it is not surprising that, when he eventually did get some rest, he would fall into a very deep sleep indeed.
But this, of course, was lost on the disciples. In their fear and anxiety, they shook Jesus hard and shouted, “Master! Master! We are about to die!” So Jesus gets up and orders the wind and immediately, it dies down. A great calm comes upon the waters. This is an incredible miracle that teaches us a great deal about Jesus and a great deal about our relationship with him.
The sea is a wonderful metaphor in Scripture. We come up against the sea many times in the Bible. In Job, God determines the course of the sea. In Revelation, there is a description of heaven, the new Jerusalem, where the sea will be no more. And the sea is a wonderful metaphor because in Scripture it represents chaos and disorder. So, when Jesus calms the storm and the sea is stilled, it is a symbol for us that God can still the chaos and disorder in our lives.
The disciples were desperate, their lives were in danger, they thought they would perish. Their faith was weak but, in their weakness, they called out to Jesus and he heard them and rescued them. And so it is with us. In the weakness of our faith, in the chaos of our lives, in the midst of our anxieties and fear, we too can call out to Christ in confidence that he will hear us and will meet with us in the storms of our lives.
The words of God to us in Isaiah 43 are so beautiful. His promise is this: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.”
That is the experience of Christians throughout history. That is the experience of so many of us. For those of us who are currently in the storms and chaos of life, the promise of God holds good for us today. If we are persistent in prayer, Jesus will meet with us and meet our needs. And, like the disciples in this passage, we will be amazed at his authority in our lives.
comments by Fr. Joseph Edattu VC (https://www.drcm.org):
Jesus had been ministering to great crowds. Everything was going smoothly until Jesus called aside His disciples and instructed them to get the boat ready to go to the other side of the sea. The Lord left the crowds after a long day of ministry and and joined the disciples; He slept in the stern of the boat. Meanwhile a storm broke out and large waves began to pound the boat violently. The disciples realised that the sea was far too strong for them to fight; death seemed inevitable. Mark mentions a very interest point - in the middle of the storm, Jesus was asleep on the cushion, comfortable and undisturbed. The disciples were shocked to see the Lord seemingly unaffected by all that was happening around them and by their own distress. They woke up the Lord up with great complaints, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” The evangelist continues to narrate that the Lord awoke and calmly rebuked the wind and the waves. The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Life is not always calm for many of us. Some of us are caught in storms, struggling to understand them and wondering how to pray our way out of them. This gospel passage offers some insights for us to experience the salvation and peace that Christ can bring into our lives.
This is proof - that disturbances, problems and even storms in life - are not signs of the absence of God. Problems may and should come even if we begin the journey after consulting God. Some people complain, “Father, I prayed a lot and then took the decision to marry him. But it is a mess now.” There are those say, “Father, it is after a retreat and with the permission of God that I started this business. But now I'm in great debt.”
The modern world is obsessed with easy ways out, faster solutions and shortcuts. No one would opt for the “way of the Cross.” Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (Jn 14:6). The only way that leads us to the Father is the way Jesus lays out for us; and it is indeed the “way of the Cross.”
Therefore when storms hit us, we are not to get weary or anxious. We cannot afford to halt or give up our journey. No matter how terrible the problem is, we must know He is with us. Our God is in command. We are not helpless for He is in control.
I have often wondered how a strong wind would dare to rock the boat that carried Jesus and His disciples. How could creation rebel against the Creator? It was possible because God permitted it. He did it - so that something more precious - which is our faith - should be tested and strengthened. A faith that is not challenged will never grow but will weaken and die. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).
The greater the testing, the greater is the confidence of God in us. He allows only the tests which we can overcome. Every time we give up and fall, we are disappointing God who knows our real strength.
Do we feel that Jesus is sleeping through our crises? Maybe we have given up because we believe that God is comfortable in heaven and cannot understand our needs. The usual complaints are: “I prayed a lot, but God did not hear my prayer”, “I go to church everyday, but when I have a problem, no God comes to help me.” “I work hard for God. I do a lot of charity, but when I go through this financial burden, there is no one to make returns, while those who do not go to church are prospering”.
It is true that when we are deluged by the storms in life, we may conclude that God is sleeping. He may be silent but one thing is sure: He is with us. Whether He is silent or not, He is with us. His presence is all important and that alone makes the difference.
Perhaps we have begun our journey in a family, in a particular vocation or profession. Possibly we prayed much and made the decisive step in the confidence that this was the will and desire of God. Problems will arise. We cannot afford to get frightened. As long as Jesus is with us, we are safe. The Lord Himself gives us this assurance, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink...Can any of you by being anxious add a single hour to your span of life? But strive first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day” (Cf Mt 6:25-34).
Every day comes with its share of trials. However, we should never forget that we are promised - “His mercies are new every morning.” Our problems may seem overwhelming by our human standards. It may seem like our boats will capsize. We may not be stronger than the storms. But with us is a God who assures us that we have no reason to be anxious. He is with us, His power is greater than any storm and His peace will prevail. So let us strive to be right with God, for then alone shall all be well with us.
Demon named Legion (Luke 8:26–39)
26 Then they sailed to the territory of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27 When he came ashore a man from the town who was possessed by demons met him. For a long time he had not worn clothes; he did not live in a house, but lived among the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him; in a loud voice he shouted, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
29 For he had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (It had taken hold of him many times, and he used to be bound with chains and shackles as a restraint, but he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)
30 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.
31 And they pleaded with him not to order them to depart to the abyss.
32 A herd of many swine was feeding there on the hillside, and they pleaded with him to allow them to enter those swine; and he let them.
33 The demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside.
35 People came out to see what had happened and, when they approached Jesus, they discovered the man from whom the demons had come out sitting at his feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and they were seized with fear.
36 Those who witnessed it told them how the possessed man had been saved.
37 The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had come out begged to remain with him, but he sent him away, saying,
39 "Return home and recount what God has done for you." The man went off and proclaimed throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.
The territory of the Gerasenes: the reference is to pagan territory; cf. Is 65:1. Another reading is “Gadarenes”. The man was an outcast from society, dominated by unclean spirits (Mk 5:8, 13), living among the tombs. The prostration before Jesus (Mk 5:6) indicates Jesus’ power over evil spirits.
St. Matthew mentions that there were two demoniacs who came forward from the tombs, St. Mark mentions only the one upon whom he focuses--probably the more colorful and important of the two.
Jesus did not accept the man’s request to remain with him as a disciple (Mk 5:18), yet invited him to announce to his own people what the Lord had done for him, i.e., proclaim the gospel message to his pagan family
Demonology and diabolic possession by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Rome's chief exorcist:
What is possession? Possession is when Satan enters and takes over the physical and mental capabilities of a victim, however, the soul and will remains free. Satan acts through the victim without the victim's consent, thus the victim is morally blameless. Satan does not act alone when he possesses an individual. He works side by side with many evil spirits such as spirits of lust, hate, destruction, suicide, revenge, anger, anxiety, desperation, death, torment, etc. For example, look at the case of the possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes. Jesus asked the demons possessing him their name, they replied, "Legion, for we are many." Satan's army of evil, torment many unknowing lost souls to the point of destruction of others and of themselves. Today a more favorable climate exists for cases of possession then ever before. Our world has become a playground of pornography, sex, money, material possessions, drugs, and alcohol. There are so many instruments to spread these Satanic messages such as television, Internet, radio, music, and even the clothing we wear; thus our children are exposed to a multitude of temptations and are wide open to evil. The "predominant" gods of this age we live in include money, television, music, and sex. Unfortunately, the "cure" - exorcism, is considered an "ancient" ritual and is snubbed by most religious leaving many victims to suffer indescribable torments, and in some instances, even suicide.
Proximity to Evil Places or Persons: This includes attending spiritualistic session, dabbling in magic, or consulting magicians, witch doctors, and some card readers; also, practicing the occult, belonging to satanic sects, or practicing in rites that climax with black masses, and so on, put us at great risk.
The following are symptoms of possession as represented in the Roman Ritual of Exorcism. In most cases, a victim will have one or more of the traits listed.
* Victim speaks or understands unknown languages without ever studying the language being spoken or heard
* Victim clearly knows things that are distant or hidden
* Victim can predict future events (sometimes through dreams)
* Victim has an intense hatred for holy things
* Victim shows a physical strength far above his age or normal condition
comments by Fr. John Echert on 10-21-2002:
Demons are pure spirits, and while hell is a place, to accommodate the souls of damned human beings who will exist bodily after the resurrection of the dead, hell for demons is a spiritual torment and the complete absence of true happiness, out of the presence of God. As such, they experience torment always, though somehow the possession of a body is either lessens their torment or simply provides them some twisted pleasure which they prefer to the completeness of spiritual hell.
The presence of pigs and herdsmen itself is a give-away to this feature, for the Jews had nothing to do with pigs, as a ritually unclean animal.
Jesus wants to free us from the power of the devil, from any sinful state in which we find ourselves. We can always turn to Christ to ask to be healed because no one is ever so sinful or so possessed to be totally repugnant to God's love. Certainly, we may fear that Christ's medicine may hurt, but we need to trust that the spiritual "treatment" is worth it. The treatment may be an honest and thorough confession, a brutally sincere self-examination, or the breaking-up of an unhealthy relationship.
The extensive and vivid description of this demoniac--possessed man--suggests the extend to which he was possessed by demonic forces and beings. As is common in exorcisms, Jesus demands to know the name of the possessing demon(s), which provides a certain advantage of the exorcist over the evil demons.
The demons beg to be released into the swine rather than to be expelled completely from the local countryside. Modern exorcists testify that demons prefer to possess a person rather than be vanquished to hell, for their suffering is somehow less "outside" of hell--understood metaphysically, of course. So Jesus granted their request, knowing full well that the swine would not be able to sustain such an assault and would be driven to frenzy and destructive behavior--the natural consequence of pure evil. They charged into the sea and were drowned and given that the sea was associated with the abyss below and a potential source for evil, it probably represents their return to hell and elimination from the country, at least for a time and in this case.
The sheer force and numbers associated with Legion, which exceeds other demoniacs mentioned in the Gospel in Jewish territory, suggests that the demons were even more active and effective in the Gentile world than the Jewish world, as would be expected, given the disadvantage of the Gentiles and their general ignorance of the one God. Jesus demonstrates the love of God for the Gentiles, which this demoniac symbolized in his wretched condition and in his restored state. Rather than command this man to silence to removing his from his country as requested, Jesus commanded him to tell of the Good News to his friends, thereby beginning the process of evangelization of the nations who were not of the Mosaic Covenant. This event foreshadows what the Lord would do for the Gentiles in the life of the Church as the Gospel was preached to the ends of the earth.
Daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:40–56)
40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
41 And a man named Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come to his house,
42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As he went, the crowds almost crushed him.
43 And a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, who (had spent her whole livelihood on doctors and) was unable to be cured by anyone,
44 came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 Jesus then asked, "Who touched me?" While all were denying it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are pushing and pressing in upon you."
46 But Jesus said, "Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me."
47 When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling. Falling down before him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately.
48 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace."
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer."
50 On hearing this, Jesus answered him, "Do not be afraid; just have faith and she will be saved."
51 When he arrived at the house he allowed no one to enter with him except Peter and John and James, and the child's father and mother.
52 All were weeping and mourning for her, when he said, "Do not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping."
53 And they ridiculed him, because they knew that she was dead.
54 But he took her by the hand and called to her, "Child, arise!"
55 Her breath returned and she immediately arose. He then directed that she should be given something to eat.
56 Her parents were astounded, and he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
- Comments by Fr Jose LaBoy:
In spite of all the people that were physically touching Jesus, only one person had “really” touched him. That is why Jesus exclaims: “Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me” (Lk 8:46) The woman who had just touched the tassel of his cloak comes forward and Jesus tells her: “Daughter, your faith has saved you!” (Lk 8: 48)
It is clear therefore that having touched Christ through faith is a stronger way to be in contact with Christ than to be physically near him. Christ wants us to touch him through faith. That is why he appeared to the Apostles after his resurrection to strengthen their faith.
According to Leo the Great, once the apostles are strengthened in their faith they can approach him who is equal to the Father, no longer needing the bodily presence of Christ, since they are called to “touch” him not with their hands but with a spiritual understanding:
“A better instructed faith then began to draw closer to a conception of the Son’s equality with the Father without the necessity of handling the corporeal substance in Christ, whereby he is less than the Father, since, while the nature of the glorified body still remained the faith of believers was called upon to touch not with the hand of flesh, but with the spiritual understanding the Only begotten, who was equal with the Father”(Homily 74, 4).
That is why St. Leo interprets the words of the Risen Lord to Mary Magdalene as a lesson to the later generations of Christians regarding true contact with him:
“Hence comes that which the Lord said after his Resurrection, when Mary Magdalene, representing the Church, hastened to approach and touch him: Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father (Jn 20:17): that is, I would not have you come to me as to a human body, nor yet recognize me by fleshly perceptions: I put you off for higher things, I prepare greater things for you: when I have ascended to my Father, then you shall handle me more perfectly and truly, for you shall grasp what you cannot touch and believe what you cannot see”(Homily 74, 4).
Therefore, the fact that we cannot physically see, hear or touch Jesus is not a problem, but an opportunity to come into contact with him in a much deeper way.
- comments by Emil Berendt (Society of Catholic Social Scientists):
Scripture records many times when parents interceded for their children. Baptism of their children is also a time when Parents are truly intercessors, for they are bringing their children to Jesus.
Some see faith as something we need to muster up if God is to listen to us. They believe that if God does not answer prayer in the way they want, they do not have enough faith. What saved the life of the girl was not her faith, but the faith of her father. The trusting intercession of her father together with the Church community (represented by Peter, John, and James) was sufficient for God’s life-giving presence to enter his household. In Baptism, the faith which infants lack is supplied by the faith of the gathered Church. In the final analysis, it is not the faith of any particular person but a loving God who saves us.
Faith is a gift, not an achievement. Interceding for others involves humbly asking God and expectantly awaiting a reply. Even in ordinary adult human relations we rarely receive anything from others unless we ask for it.
Do I act as if faith were a work? Do I act as though I have to earn God’s favor?
comments by Francis Martin, president of Father Francis Martin Ministries (FFMM), commentary on the Gospel of John:
The raising of Jairus daughter or Lazarus (11:43-44) is not resurrection but resuscitation. Jesus bring them back to mortal life, and consequently they will die again. Resurrection is categorically different because it is the raising to a glorified, perfected, and embodied existence, not a return to ordinary mortal life. Those resurrected to glory will never die again. As St. Paul writes "Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him" (Rom 6:9).
comments by Pope John Paul II regarding Creation and Death:
The Biblical-Christian view of the origins of the cosmos and of history, and of humanity in particular has had an important influence on the spiritual, moral and cultural formation of entire peoples for more than twenty centuries. This view is so undeniably outstanding, inspiring and original, that to speak of it explicitly, even if synthetically, is a duty which no pastor or catechist can omit.
The Bible begins absolutely with a first, and then with a second account of creation. The origin of everything from God, of things, of life, of man (Gen 1-2), is interwoven with the other sad chapter about the origin of man, not without the temptation of the devil, of sin and of evil (Gen 3). But God does not abandon his creatures. So a tiny flame of hope is lit toward a future of a new creation freed from evil. These three threads - God's creative and positive action, man's rebellion, and, already from the beginning, God's promise of a new world - form the texture of the history of salvation. They determine the global content of the Christian faith in creation.
We shall focus a profound attention on man, as the center of the cosmos, in his reality as the "image of God," of a spiritual and corporeal being, subject of knowledge and freedom. Other themes will help us later on to explore this formidable creative event, especially God's government of the world, his omniscience and providence, and how in the light of God's faithful love the enigma of evil and suffering finds its satisfactory solution.
The truth of creation expresses the thought that everything existing outside of God has been called into existence by him. In Sacred Scripture we find texts which speak clearly of this.
The theory of natural evolution, understood in a sense that does not exclude divine causality, is not in principle opposed to the truth about the creation of the visible world, as presented in the Book of Genesis.
May our reflection on creation lead us to the discovery that, in the act of creating the world and man, God has provided the first universal testimony of his powerful love, the first prophecy of the history of our salvation.
Man is created for immortality. He does not cease to be the image of God after sin, even though he is subjected to death. He bears in himself the reflection of God's power, which is manifested especially in the faculty of intelligence and free will. Man is an autonomous subject. He is the source of his own actions, while maintaining the characteristics of dependence on God, the Creator.
In regard to the first it is opportune to recall the words of the Book of Wisdom: "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they may exist" (Wis 1:13-14). As regards the permission of evil in the physical order, e.g., the fact that material beings (among them also the human body) are corruptible and undergo death, it must be said that this belongs to the very structure of the being of these creatures. In the present state of the material world, it would be difficult to think of the unlimited existence of every individual corporeal being. We can therefore understand that, if "God did not make death," as the Book of Wisdom states, he nonetheless permitted it in view of the overall good of the material cosmos.
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| Frederick Sandys - Mary Magdalene (1859) |
2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
3 Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death and resurrection (where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in John 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public.
Mary Magdalene has long been confused with other women also named Mary and some anonymous women whose stories were mistakenly fused into one sensual young sinner. This conflation merging several women into one composite has incorrectly linked the Magdalene with the unnamed sinner (commonly thought to have been a prostitute) in Luke 7:36-50. Though St. Mary Magdalene is named in each of the four gospels in the New Testament, not once does it say that she was a prostitute or a sinner. Nothing in the New Testament even hints of her as a prostitute or a morally loose woman. Contemporary scholarship is said to have restored the understanding of Mary of Magdalena as an important early Christian leader.
Yet, for many centuries it was taught that St. Mary Magdalene was the person mentioned in the Gospels as being both Mary of Bethany and the "sinful woman" who anoints Jesus in Luke. The notion of Mary Magdalene being a repentant prostitute has been prevalent over the centuries at least from Ephraim the Syrian in the fourth century, Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, and many artists, writers and Scripture commentators who followed their lead. In 1969, during the papacy of Paul VI, the Vatican, without commenting on Pope Gregory's reasoning, implicitly rejected it by separating Luke's sinful woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdala via the Roman Missal.
Joanna was one of the Galilean women who had been cured of malevolent illness and then accompanied Jesus and the apostles as they traveled from town to town preaching. Joanna, along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna and others, also gave support to the group’s needs. Joanna’s close association with Jesus is especially compelling because she also had a close connection to the tetrarch of Galilee―Herod Antipas, the ruler who had John the Baptist beheaded. Her husband, Chuza, was Herod’s steward, which probably means that he oversaw the everyday business and concerns of Herod’s palace.
The various day-to-day, prayerful, and miraculous experiences that Joanna had while traveling with Christ must have been powerful. Luke’s Gospel lets readers feel confident that she stayed close to Jesus to the end, because she is listed as one of the women who were present on the first Easter morning. Joanna was with Mary Magdalene, Mary of Clopas, and others who went to the tomb with spices to tend to the dead body of Jesus.
Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4–15)
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| Van Gogh - The Sower (1888) |
5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
6 Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture.
7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
8 And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
9 Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be.
10 He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand".
11 This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God.
12 Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved.
13 Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial.
14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.
15 But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.
It is the first parable to occur in Mark, which according to the Q hypothesis was the first book it occurred in. Jesus says he is teaching in parables because he does not want everyone to understand him, only those who are his followers. Those outside the group are not meant to understand them. Thus one must already be committed to following Jesus to fully understand his message and that without that commitment one will never fully understand him or be helped by his message. If one does not correctly understand the parables, this is a sign that one is not a true disciple of Jesus. He quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 (Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand), who also preached to Israel knowing that his message would go unheeded and not understood . This parable seems to be essential for understanding all the rest of Jesus' parables, as it makes clear what is necessary to understand Jesus is a prior faith in him, and that Jesus will not enlighten those who refuse to believe, he will only confuse them.
comments by Father David Daly (St. Louis, MO):
1. Hard Ground: We act like hard ground when we hear the inspirations of the Holy Spirit to do what is right, but let them pass as if it were no big deal. We let the devil take away the grace Jesus offers us, and it does not sink into our hearts. Many times superficiality and a lack of faith prevent us from reflecting and taking advantage of the lights that God gives us. We should pray to be more spiritual.
2. Rocky Ground: How many of us hear the Word of God with joy and follow Christ in the peaceful times, but fall away in the times of trial? We need to let our spiritual roots grow deeper; we need to let the roots of God’s word grow more profoundly into our hearts. The best way to do this is by reading and meditating on the Gospel and solidifying this faith through the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist.
3. Thorny Ground: The thorny ground represents those of us who are slowed down in our spiritual life by the anxieties, riches and pleasures of life. When the ground of our hearts is thorny, we fail to produce the mature fruit that Christ expects. And we live in the midst of so many thorns…. In order to let God’s grace grow in us, we have to sacrifice our own comfort and pleasure, because apart from the cross there is no growth in personal holiness.
Dialogue with Christ: I don’t want to place thorns or rocks or hardness of heart in the way of your word. Help me to change so that I will not put any thorns, rocks or hardness of heart in the way of your plans for my life. I want to be fertile soil for your word so that you can use me as an instrument to save souls and glorify you.
Resolution: I promise to pray these words many times today: “Not my will, but yours be done.”
comments by St. John of the Cross, "the thorns of the riches":
The vanity of rejoicing over riches, titles, status, positions, and other similar goods after which people usually strive is clear. . . . Though it is true that temporal goods of themselves are not necessarily the cause of sin, yet, because of the weakness of its tendencies, the human heart usually becomes attached to them and fails God, which is sin. . . . This is why the Lord in the Gospel calls them thorns; the one who willfully handles them will be wounded with some sin [Matt 13:22; Luke 8:14]. In St. Luke’s Gospel (18:24) the exclamation—which ought to be greatly feared—asserts: “How difficult will it be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of heaven” (those who have joy in them), and demonstrates clearly a person’s obligation not to rejoice in riches, since one is thereby exposed to so much danger.
The Lamp under a Bushel (Luke 8:16-18)
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| Antonio MarÃa Esquivel - Christ the Saviour (1842) |
17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
18 Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away."
comments by Joseph Simmons (Jesuit at the Jesuit Post):
St. Ignatius Loyola jotted down his many insights in the Spiritual Exercises, which have become the ‘bread and butter’ of the Society of Jesus for centuries. One such insight is the thirteenth rule for the Discernment of (good and evil) Spirits. In it Ignatius compares the evil spirit’s seductive ways to a licentious lover who seeks to keep an illicit relationship hidden. He continues, “When the enemy of human nature [the evil spirit] brings his wiles and persuasions to the just soul, he wants and desires that they be received and kept in secret; but when one reveals them to his good Confessor or to another spiritual person that knows the enemy’s deceits and evil ends, it is very grievous to him because he gathers, from his manifest deceits being discovered, that he will not be able to succeed with his wickedness.”
To bring into the light one’s sins, baggage, addictions, weaknesses—these frustrate the evil spirit who lulls us into that prideful autonomy that proclaims Non serviam! We are tempted to go-it-alone, putting on our best appearance before God and others. And yet today’s Gospel reminds us in no uncertain terms that what is hidden will not remain secret. One response to this is despair: “Big Brother is watching, and he doesn’t like what he sees.” This is a common critique of Catholic Christianity, as if we worship a judgmental God who sits watching all we do and conveys his displeasure through an equally judgmental, moralistic church hierarchy.
But there is another, more freeing understanding of this Gospel. The insight? Our God, who fashioned us and sustains us in being, knows all about our dark temptations and failings. He knows when we are petty, prideful, selfish, and dishonest. Yes, He knows our sins, our grudges, our addictions, and what we are most ashamed of in our past. And He wants us to bring these things to light not to shame us, but to be free of the undue anxiety that these can have on us in mind, body, and soul.
Mold and smells, like our secrets and temptations, spawn and thrive in the dark. When my mom would expose those moldy shower curtains and musty sheets to the sunlight, they were like new. And when we name sins and temptations, and courageously bring them out into the light, we move toward greater freedom in Christ, who makes all things new.
Jesus' true relatives (Luke 8:19-21)
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| Bartolomé Murillo - The Holy Family with a Little Bird (1650) |
20 He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you."
21 He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
The brothers' authoritative behavior toward Jesus (Mark 3:31-32) suggests that they are older than he, although Jesus is Mary's firstborn (Luke 2:7). Both Hebrew and Aramaic,lacking a word for "cousin;' used "brother"to refer to a range of kinship relationships (see Gen 13:8; 2 Kings 10:13-14; Rom 9:3). The Greek termade/phos also admitted a wider meaning than full sibling. Catholics have traditionally interpreted Jesus' brothers to refer either to his cousins, as St. Jerome held, or to children of Joseph by an earlier marriage (see Catechism, 500).
comments by John W. Martens (associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas):
This Lucan passage and portrait of Jesus drives home a picture of Jesus unwilling to play into cultural conventions, such as the priority of family, which was more than simply a cultural convention, but grounded also in the command to honor and obey one’s parents (Exodus 20:12). As always, though, this is not rebellious Jesus, acting out against "The Man," but Jesus asking us to consider the ways of God. This passage is not about disrespect for family, or challenging societal norms, except for the need to place the Family of God first. Focus should be placed on "those who hear the word of God and act on it." Jesus is not saying his Mother and brothers do not do hear the word of God and act on it; he is not challenging his family, instead he is challenging the anonymous voice that presumes that family, the status quo, takes priority over the call of God. "Those who hear the word of God and act on it" are Jesus’ family. More than anything it presumes careful hearing of the word, intentional listening to the voice of Jesus, in order that one can act upon the will of God. It recalls for me, too, the notion that "connections" are what matter most. Think of John the Baptist’s chastising of the crowds who came for baptism: "Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say for yourselves, ’We have Abraham for our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham" (Luke 2:8).
Calming the storm (Luke 8:22-25)
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| Rembrandt van Rijn - The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) |
22. One day he got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, "Let us cross to the other side of the lake." So they set sail,
23 and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A squall blew over the lake, and they were taking in water and were in danger.
24 They came and woke him saying, "Master, master, we are perishing!" He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided and there was a calm.
25 Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?" But they were filled with awe and amazed and said to one another, "Who then is this, who commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey him?"
Commenting on this passage, St. Bede expresses the Church’s teaching on the union of Jesus’ divine and human natures in his one divine person: “In this voyage, the Lord deigns to show each nature of his one and the same person. He who as man sleeps in the boat then as God tames with a word the fury of the sea". Most famous for teaching these truths about Jesus is Pope St. Leo the Great, in his letter to Flavian:
"The character of each nature, therefore, being preserved and united in one person, humility was assumed by majesty, weakness by strength, mortality by eternity. . . Each nature does what is proper to each in communion with the other: the Word does what pertains to the Word, and the flesh to what pertains to the flesh. One shines forth with miracles; the other succumbs to injuries. And just as the Word does not depart from equality with the Father’s glory, just so the flesh does not abandon the nature of our race".
comments by Rev Dr Steve Griffiths (https://www.stmaryslinton.org/) :
Jesus and the disciples were in the boat on Lake Galilee. The Lake of Galilee is about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is also in a valley area so, when the wind whips up, the storms arrive even before you know it. It is very easy indeed to get caught out in a storm on Lake Galilee.
And that, of course, is what happened to the disciples. There they were, sailing happily across the Lake, when a gale whips up out of nowhere. They are scared for their lives. They think they are about to sink. And, in the midst of all the problems, Jesus stays asleep in the back of the boat. He was exhausted! There were so many demands on Jesus; to teach, to heal, to show compassion and loving-kindness with every person he met hour after hour, minute after minute. So much was demanded of Jesus, it is not surprising that, when he eventually did get some rest, he would fall into a very deep sleep indeed.
But this, of course, was lost on the disciples. In their fear and anxiety, they shook Jesus hard and shouted, “Master! Master! We are about to die!” So Jesus gets up and orders the wind and immediately, it dies down. A great calm comes upon the waters. This is an incredible miracle that teaches us a great deal about Jesus and a great deal about our relationship with him.
The sea is a wonderful metaphor in Scripture. We come up against the sea many times in the Bible. In Job, God determines the course of the sea. In Revelation, there is a description of heaven, the new Jerusalem, where the sea will be no more. And the sea is a wonderful metaphor because in Scripture it represents chaos and disorder. So, when Jesus calms the storm and the sea is stilled, it is a symbol for us that God can still the chaos and disorder in our lives.
The disciples were desperate, their lives were in danger, they thought they would perish. Their faith was weak but, in their weakness, they called out to Jesus and he heard them and rescued them. And so it is with us. In the weakness of our faith, in the chaos of our lives, in the midst of our anxieties and fear, we too can call out to Christ in confidence that he will hear us and will meet with us in the storms of our lives.
The words of God to us in Isaiah 43 are so beautiful. His promise is this: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.”
That is the experience of Christians throughout history. That is the experience of so many of us. For those of us who are currently in the storms and chaos of life, the promise of God holds good for us today. If we are persistent in prayer, Jesus will meet with us and meet our needs. And, like the disciples in this passage, we will be amazed at his authority in our lives.
comments by Fr. Joseph Edattu VC (https://www.drcm.org):
Jesus had been ministering to great crowds. Everything was going smoothly until Jesus called aside His disciples and instructed them to get the boat ready to go to the other side of the sea. The Lord left the crowds after a long day of ministry and and joined the disciples; He slept in the stern of the boat. Meanwhile a storm broke out and large waves began to pound the boat violently. The disciples realised that the sea was far too strong for them to fight; death seemed inevitable. Mark mentions a very interest point - in the middle of the storm, Jesus was asleep on the cushion, comfortable and undisturbed. The disciples were shocked to see the Lord seemingly unaffected by all that was happening around them and by their own distress. They woke up the Lord up with great complaints, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?” The evangelist continues to narrate that the Lord awoke and calmly rebuked the wind and the waves. The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Life is not always calm for many of us. Some of us are caught in storms, struggling to understand them and wondering how to pray our way out of them. This gospel passage offers some insights for us to experience the salvation and peace that Christ can bring into our lives.
This is proof - that disturbances, problems and even storms in life - are not signs of the absence of God. Problems may and should come even if we begin the journey after consulting God. Some people complain, “Father, I prayed a lot and then took the decision to marry him. But it is a mess now.” There are those say, “Father, it is after a retreat and with the permission of God that I started this business. But now I'm in great debt.”
The modern world is obsessed with easy ways out, faster solutions and shortcuts. No one would opt for the “way of the Cross.” Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (Jn 14:6). The only way that leads us to the Father is the way Jesus lays out for us; and it is indeed the “way of the Cross.”
Therefore when storms hit us, we are not to get weary or anxious. We cannot afford to halt or give up our journey. No matter how terrible the problem is, we must know He is with us. Our God is in command. We are not helpless for He is in control.
I have often wondered how a strong wind would dare to rock the boat that carried Jesus and His disciples. How could creation rebel against the Creator? It was possible because God permitted it. He did it - so that something more precious - which is our faith - should be tested and strengthened. A faith that is not challenged will never grow but will weaken and die. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).
The greater the testing, the greater is the confidence of God in us. He allows only the tests which we can overcome. Every time we give up and fall, we are disappointing God who knows our real strength.
Do we feel that Jesus is sleeping through our crises? Maybe we have given up because we believe that God is comfortable in heaven and cannot understand our needs. The usual complaints are: “I prayed a lot, but God did not hear my prayer”, “I go to church everyday, but when I have a problem, no God comes to help me.” “I work hard for God. I do a lot of charity, but when I go through this financial burden, there is no one to make returns, while those who do not go to church are prospering”.
It is true that when we are deluged by the storms in life, we may conclude that God is sleeping. He may be silent but one thing is sure: He is with us. Whether He is silent or not, He is with us. His presence is all important and that alone makes the difference.
Perhaps we have begun our journey in a family, in a particular vocation or profession. Possibly we prayed much and made the decisive step in the confidence that this was the will and desire of God. Problems will arise. We cannot afford to get frightened. As long as Jesus is with us, we are safe. The Lord Himself gives us this assurance, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink...Can any of you by being anxious add a single hour to your span of life? But strive first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day” (Cf Mt 6:25-34).
Every day comes with its share of trials. However, we should never forget that we are promised - “His mercies are new every morning.” Our problems may seem overwhelming by our human standards. It may seem like our boats will capsize. We may not be stronger than the storms. But with us is a God who assures us that we have no reason to be anxious. He is with us, His power is greater than any storm and His peace will prevail. So let us strive to be right with God, for then alone shall all be well with us.
Demon named Legion (Luke 8:26–39)
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| Antonio Esquivel - The Fall of Lucifer (1840) |
27 When he came ashore a man from the town who was possessed by demons met him. For a long time he had not worn clothes; he did not live in a house, but lived among the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him; in a loud voice he shouted, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
29 For he had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (It had taken hold of him many times, and he used to be bound with chains and shackles as a restraint, but he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)
30 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.
31 And they pleaded with him not to order them to depart to the abyss.
32 A herd of many swine was feeding there on the hillside, and they pleaded with him to allow them to enter those swine; and he let them.
33 The demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside.
35 People came out to see what had happened and, when they approached Jesus, they discovered the man from whom the demons had come out sitting at his feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and they were seized with fear.
36 Those who witnessed it told them how the possessed man had been saved.
37 The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. So he got into a boat and returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had come out begged to remain with him, but he sent him away, saying,
39 "Return home and recount what God has done for you." The man went off and proclaimed throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him.
The territory of the Gerasenes: the reference is to pagan territory; cf. Is 65:1. Another reading is “Gadarenes”. The man was an outcast from society, dominated by unclean spirits (Mk 5:8, 13), living among the tombs. The prostration before Jesus (Mk 5:6) indicates Jesus’ power over evil spirits.
St. Matthew mentions that there were two demoniacs who came forward from the tombs, St. Mark mentions only the one upon whom he focuses--probably the more colorful and important of the two.
Jesus did not accept the man’s request to remain with him as a disciple (Mk 5:18), yet invited him to announce to his own people what the Lord had done for him, i.e., proclaim the gospel message to his pagan family
Demonology and diabolic possession by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, Rome's chief exorcist:
What is possession? Possession is when Satan enters and takes over the physical and mental capabilities of a victim, however, the soul and will remains free. Satan acts through the victim without the victim's consent, thus the victim is morally blameless. Satan does not act alone when he possesses an individual. He works side by side with many evil spirits such as spirits of lust, hate, destruction, suicide, revenge, anger, anxiety, desperation, death, torment, etc. For example, look at the case of the possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes. Jesus asked the demons possessing him their name, they replied, "Legion, for we are many." Satan's army of evil, torment many unknowing lost souls to the point of destruction of others and of themselves. Today a more favorable climate exists for cases of possession then ever before. Our world has become a playground of pornography, sex, money, material possessions, drugs, and alcohol. There are so many instruments to spread these Satanic messages such as television, Internet, radio, music, and even the clothing we wear; thus our children are exposed to a multitude of temptations and are wide open to evil. The "predominant" gods of this age we live in include money, television, music, and sex. Unfortunately, the "cure" - exorcism, is considered an "ancient" ritual and is snubbed by most religious leaving many victims to suffer indescribable torments, and in some instances, even suicide.
Proximity to Evil Places or Persons: This includes attending spiritualistic session, dabbling in magic, or consulting magicians, witch doctors, and some card readers; also, practicing the occult, belonging to satanic sects, or practicing in rites that climax with black masses, and so on, put us at great risk.
The following are symptoms of possession as represented in the Roman Ritual of Exorcism. In most cases, a victim will have one or more of the traits listed.
* Victim speaks or understands unknown languages without ever studying the language being spoken or heard
* Victim clearly knows things that are distant or hidden
* Victim can predict future events (sometimes through dreams)
* Victim has an intense hatred for holy things
* Victim shows a physical strength far above his age or normal condition
comments by Fr. John Echert on 10-21-2002:
Demons are pure spirits, and while hell is a place, to accommodate the souls of damned human beings who will exist bodily after the resurrection of the dead, hell for demons is a spiritual torment and the complete absence of true happiness, out of the presence of God. As such, they experience torment always, though somehow the possession of a body is either lessens their torment or simply provides them some twisted pleasure which they prefer to the completeness of spiritual hell.
The presence of pigs and herdsmen itself is a give-away to this feature, for the Jews had nothing to do with pigs, as a ritually unclean animal.
Jesus wants to free us from the power of the devil, from any sinful state in which we find ourselves. We can always turn to Christ to ask to be healed because no one is ever so sinful or so possessed to be totally repugnant to God's love. Certainly, we may fear that Christ's medicine may hurt, but we need to trust that the spiritual "treatment" is worth it. The treatment may be an honest and thorough confession, a brutally sincere self-examination, or the breaking-up of an unhealthy relationship.
The extensive and vivid description of this demoniac--possessed man--suggests the extend to which he was possessed by demonic forces and beings. As is common in exorcisms, Jesus demands to know the name of the possessing demon(s), which provides a certain advantage of the exorcist over the evil demons.
The demons beg to be released into the swine rather than to be expelled completely from the local countryside. Modern exorcists testify that demons prefer to possess a person rather than be vanquished to hell, for their suffering is somehow less "outside" of hell--understood metaphysically, of course. So Jesus granted their request, knowing full well that the swine would not be able to sustain such an assault and would be driven to frenzy and destructive behavior--the natural consequence of pure evil. They charged into the sea and were drowned and given that the sea was associated with the abyss below and a potential source for evil, it probably represents their return to hell and elimination from the country, at least for a time and in this case.
The sheer force and numbers associated with Legion, which exceeds other demoniacs mentioned in the Gospel in Jewish territory, suggests that the demons were even more active and effective in the Gentile world than the Jewish world, as would be expected, given the disadvantage of the Gentiles and their general ignorance of the one God. Jesus demonstrates the love of God for the Gentiles, which this demoniac symbolized in his wretched condition and in his restored state. Rather than command this man to silence to removing his from his country as requested, Jesus commanded him to tell of the Good News to his friends, thereby beginning the process of evangelization of the nations who were not of the Mosaic Covenant. This event foreshadows what the Lord would do for the Gentiles in the life of the Church as the Gospel was preached to the ends of the earth.
Daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:40–56)
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| Ilya Yefimovich Repin - The Raising Of Jairus' Daughter (1871) |
41 And a man named Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and begged him to come to his house,
42 because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As he went, the crowds almost crushed him.
43 And a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years, who (had spent her whole livelihood on doctors and) was unable to be cured by anyone,
44 came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 Jesus then asked, "Who touched me?" While all were denying it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are pushing and pressing in upon you."
46 But Jesus said, "Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me."
47 When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling. Falling down before him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately.
48 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace."
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue official's house arrived and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer."
50 On hearing this, Jesus answered him, "Do not be afraid; just have faith and she will be saved."
51 When he arrived at the house he allowed no one to enter with him except Peter and John and James, and the child's father and mother.
52 All were weeping and mourning for her, when he said, "Do not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping."
53 And they ridiculed him, because they knew that she was dead.
54 But he took her by the hand and called to her, "Child, arise!"
55 Her breath returned and she immediately arose. He then directed that she should be given something to eat.
56 Her parents were astounded, and he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
- Comments by Fr Jose LaBoy:
In spite of all the people that were physically touching Jesus, only one person had “really” touched him. That is why Jesus exclaims: “Someone has touched me; for I know that power has gone out from me” (Lk 8:46) The woman who had just touched the tassel of his cloak comes forward and Jesus tells her: “Daughter, your faith has saved you!” (Lk 8: 48)
It is clear therefore that having touched Christ through faith is a stronger way to be in contact with Christ than to be physically near him. Christ wants us to touch him through faith. That is why he appeared to the Apostles after his resurrection to strengthen their faith.
According to Leo the Great, once the apostles are strengthened in their faith they can approach him who is equal to the Father, no longer needing the bodily presence of Christ, since they are called to “touch” him not with their hands but with a spiritual understanding:
“A better instructed faith then began to draw closer to a conception of the Son’s equality with the Father without the necessity of handling the corporeal substance in Christ, whereby he is less than the Father, since, while the nature of the glorified body still remained the faith of believers was called upon to touch not with the hand of flesh, but with the spiritual understanding the Only begotten, who was equal with the Father”(Homily 74, 4).
That is why St. Leo interprets the words of the Risen Lord to Mary Magdalene as a lesson to the later generations of Christians regarding true contact with him:
“Hence comes that which the Lord said after his Resurrection, when Mary Magdalene, representing the Church, hastened to approach and touch him: Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my Father (Jn 20:17): that is, I would not have you come to me as to a human body, nor yet recognize me by fleshly perceptions: I put you off for higher things, I prepare greater things for you: when I have ascended to my Father, then you shall handle me more perfectly and truly, for you shall grasp what you cannot touch and believe what you cannot see”(Homily 74, 4).
Therefore, the fact that we cannot physically see, hear or touch Jesus is not a problem, but an opportunity to come into contact with him in a much deeper way.
- comments by Emil Berendt (Society of Catholic Social Scientists):
Scripture records many times when parents interceded for their children. Baptism of their children is also a time when Parents are truly intercessors, for they are bringing their children to Jesus.
Some see faith as something we need to muster up if God is to listen to us. They believe that if God does not answer prayer in the way they want, they do not have enough faith. What saved the life of the girl was not her faith, but the faith of her father. The trusting intercession of her father together with the Church community (represented by Peter, John, and James) was sufficient for God’s life-giving presence to enter his household. In Baptism, the faith which infants lack is supplied by the faith of the gathered Church. In the final analysis, it is not the faith of any particular person but a loving God who saves us.
Faith is a gift, not an achievement. Interceding for others involves humbly asking God and expectantly awaiting a reply. Even in ordinary adult human relations we rarely receive anything from others unless we ask for it.
Do I act as if faith were a work? Do I act as though I have to earn God’s favor?
comments by Francis Martin, president of Father Francis Martin Ministries (FFMM), commentary on the Gospel of John:
The raising of Jairus daughter or Lazarus (11:43-44) is not resurrection but resuscitation. Jesus bring them back to mortal life, and consequently they will die again. Resurrection is categorically different because it is the raising to a glorified, perfected, and embodied existence, not a return to ordinary mortal life. Those resurrected to glory will never die again. As St. Paul writes "Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him" (Rom 6:9).
comments by Pope John Paul II regarding Creation and Death:
The Biblical-Christian view of the origins of the cosmos and of history, and of humanity in particular has had an important influence on the spiritual, moral and cultural formation of entire peoples for more than twenty centuries. This view is so undeniably outstanding, inspiring and original, that to speak of it explicitly, even if synthetically, is a duty which no pastor or catechist can omit.
The Bible begins absolutely with a first, and then with a second account of creation. The origin of everything from God, of things, of life, of man (Gen 1-2), is interwoven with the other sad chapter about the origin of man, not without the temptation of the devil, of sin and of evil (Gen 3). But God does not abandon his creatures. So a tiny flame of hope is lit toward a future of a new creation freed from evil. These three threads - God's creative and positive action, man's rebellion, and, already from the beginning, God's promise of a new world - form the texture of the history of salvation. They determine the global content of the Christian faith in creation.
We shall focus a profound attention on man, as the center of the cosmos, in his reality as the "image of God," of a spiritual and corporeal being, subject of knowledge and freedom. Other themes will help us later on to explore this formidable creative event, especially God's government of the world, his omniscience and providence, and how in the light of God's faithful love the enigma of evil and suffering finds its satisfactory solution.
The truth of creation expresses the thought that everything existing outside of God has been called into existence by him. In Sacred Scripture we find texts which speak clearly of this.
The theory of natural evolution, understood in a sense that does not exclude divine causality, is not in principle opposed to the truth about the creation of the visible world, as presented in the Book of Genesis.
May our reflection on creation lead us to the discovery that, in the act of creating the world and man, God has provided the first universal testimony of his powerful love, the first prophecy of the history of our salvation.
Man is created for immortality. He does not cease to be the image of God after sin, even though he is subjected to death. He bears in himself the reflection of God's power, which is manifested especially in the faculty of intelligence and free will. Man is an autonomous subject. He is the source of his own actions, while maintaining the characteristics of dependence on God, the Creator.
In regard to the first it is opportune to recall the words of the Book of Wisdom: "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things that they may exist" (Wis 1:13-14). As regards the permission of evil in the physical order, e.g., the fact that material beings (among them also the human body) are corruptible and undergo death, it must be said that this belongs to the very structure of the being of these creatures. In the present state of the material world, it would be difficult to think of the unlimited existence of every individual corporeal being. We can therefore understand that, if "God did not make death," as the Book of Wisdom states, he nonetheless permitted it in view of the overall good of the material cosmos.
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