Friday, October 11, 2019
27th Week in
Ordinary Time
First Reading: Jl 1: 13-15, 2: 1-2 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 boys named Bon and Van were walking 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 they were walking, Bon asked: “Do you think there really is a devil?” Van replied: “Naah – it’s just like Santa Claus – it’s your dad.”
Today’s Gospel shows us how real the devil is. When the people accused Jesus 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 in a lengthy discussion about how the devil behaves. He likened the devil to a stronger one prevailing over even an armed man guarding his house.
He even described graphically how the devil moves when he said: “When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands looking for a resting place.” Then he continued with this alarming caveat: “The devils move into the person and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.” The devil is real, and he is dangerous. Forewarned is forearmed! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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