Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"
(He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")
He asked him, "What is your name?"
He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
"Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you."
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Reflection

This is the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, and it's clear that he makes us aware that Jesus came into the world to destroy a power, the power of evil. And it’s fascinating in this story that we see this evil being so aware that God has somehow come in the presence of Jesus into the presence of this evil, and He doesn't have a chance, even cries out to God, don't destroy us, please.

And Jesus does his destructive work, his best work. And the interesting thing about the people who watch this, instead of saying, this is wonderful, this is wonderful news. They were terrified. They asked him to leave. They didn't understand some power like this over evil. It's interesting that they were frightened by his power. We need to grasp and understand the power that God has given to you and to me, that we have power over evil because of our redemption.

And we can't run or ignore that great promise.

Closing Prayer

Father, we constantly struggle with weaknesses, and we wonder so often why we are plagued by these shortcomings, and we turn to you always. And we need to understand your power over anything that's seeking to destroy us is stronger than that which destroys us. So we should have confidence as we struggle against those weaknesses, knowing that they will ultimately have no power over us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross