💖 HOMILY - OCTOBER 9 💖

First Reading - Galatians 3:7-14 

Gospel - Luke 11:15-26

We often focus on removing the negative things from our lives: bad habits, anger, resentment, jealousy, or selfishness. But an important question remains: once we remove these things, what do we put in their place? It is not enough to remove what is evil; we must also allow God to fill our hearts with what is good.

In the first reading, St. Paul reminds the Galatians that Abraham believed God, and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. God's promise was never meant to be a reward that people could earn through their own achievements. Through Christ, the blessing promised to Abraham reaches all nations, and we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Paul also reminds us that Christ took upon himself the curse of the law to redeem us. At the heart of the Christian faith, therefore, is not our ability to save ourselves, but what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We are invited to receive this gift with faith and allow it to transform our lives.

In the Gospel, Jesus casts out a demon, but some people accuse him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. Instead of recognizing God's liberating work, they interpret it with suspicion. Jesus responds by showing the contradiction in their accusation: if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?

Then Jesus declares, “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Jesus is revealing that God's Kingdom is present in his ministry. He has come to free people from the powers that enslave them and to restore them to life with God.

But Jesus adds a warning. When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it may return and find the house swept and put in order but empty. The person’s condition then becomes worse than before.

This image gives us an important spiritual lesson. It is not enough to abandon sin; we must allow Christ to take possession of our hearts. If we remove anger but do not cultivate patience, if we abandon resentment but do not learn forgiveness, or if we give up selfishness but do not grow in generosity, the empty space can easily be filled again by the old habits.

This connects with Paul's message. Through faith in Christ, we receive God's grace and the promise of the Spirit. But this gift is not meant to remain something we simply profess with our lips. It must shape our daily choices, our relationships, and our way of living.

A Christian life is not simply a life in which we avoid doing wrong. It is a life in which Christ becomes increasingly present. Prayer, the Word of God, the Eucharist, forgiveness, service, and love help us remain open to the Spirit's work within us.

We can also learn something from the reaction of the people in the Gospel. Sometimes God works in ways we do not expect, through people we may not appreciate or in circumstances we do not understand. Rather than immediately judging or becoming suspicious, we are invited to discern honestly whether God's goodness is at work.

Today, let us ask ourselves two questions: What do I need Christ to free me from? And what must I allow him to cultivate within me?

May we never be satisfied with an empty house. May our hearts become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, filled with faith, love, patience, humility, and compassion. For Christ does not come merely to remove what enslaves us; he comes to fill us with God's life.

When we welcome him and remain close to him, our lives become a living sign that the Kingdom of God is among us.