Friday, October 07, 201627th Week in Ordinary Time Our Lady of the Rosary First Reading: Gal 3: 7-14 Gospel Reading: Lk 11:15-26
As Jesus was casting out a devil some of the people said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” So others wanted to put him to the test by asking him for a heavenly sign.
But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons? They themselves will give you the answer.
“But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger one attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on and disposes of his spoils.
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters.
“When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands looking for a resting place. And finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Is the devil real? Two kids named Bon and Van walk back home after their Christmas party. Bon’s daddy had played the Santa Claus in that party and had to stay behind to entertain the kids. While walking, Bon asks Van: “Do you think there really is a devil?” Van replies: “Naah – it’s just like Santa Claus – it’s your dad.”
The devil must be real. When the people accused Jesus in today’s Gospel reading of driving demons by the power of the chief of demons, a simple denial of the existence of devils would have sufficed. But Jesus engaged them, instead, in a lengthy discussion about how devils behave and move about. In his “The Art of War” Sun Tzu wrote: “So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose. If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself.” What could be said of those who deny the existence of the devil? – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT <message/ name/age/address> at i-send sa 4467.