First Reading - 2 Samuel 15:13-30,16:5-13
Gospel - Mark 5:1-20
In the first reading, we see David escaping for his life. Absalom, David's son, wanted the throne of David and threatened to kill him and his household but David escapes for his life and others. The escape of David shows his desire to resist war and killings among themselves. The attitude of humility of David becomes obvious in sparing the life of Shimei who, seeing the miserable condition of David escaping for life, recalls the offences of David and slurs curses on him. David calmly endures everything. David admits the bad situations he was through but believes in God that God would certainly turn His avenging face from him and show his mercy.
The gospel presents a most exciting scene of exorcism done by Jesus. He casts a legion from the possessed man. The legion (it was a term used for for the Roman soldiers consisting of four to 6 thousand men but this also stands for the grave spiritual situation of the man) symbolizes a great spiritual impairment of the person caused by the possessing demons. The demons in the person recognize the power of Jesus and his divinity. The powerful demons by their possession had made the man furious and dangerous submit to the power of Jesus and are cast out among the swine on the hill and perish. The furious man becomes gentle and calm and is restored to his family after the liberation from the demonic possession.
Dear friends, today we are reminded by the readings of today to believe in the power God. David had a great faith in God that He would show His mercy on him and change his perilous situations which he was facing. He accepted the situation and believed that God is able to revert the bad situations into good. We also have to accept the hardships we face and believe in God that He can change our hard times into good when it's opportune and according to His will.
The gospel reminds us that we too need liberation from the legion that are residing in us in the form of vices. The legion in the man worsened his social and spiritual life so are our vices within; the vices of greed, anger, gluttony, hatred, envy, licentiousness, selfishness, individualism, materialism, consumerism etc. They gradually deteriorate or corrode our inter-personal and spiritual lives. We do need to approach Jesus in order to be liberated from bundles of vices residing in our hearts. Once we are liberated, we will also be free to proclaim the good news that we will have experienced. Let's approach Jesus in faith that He may heal us from our vices and liberate us.
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