IN ONE MAN
WE FIND HOPE
One Man shows us
where to find hope! However tormented we may be by past mistakes or present
failings, one Man stands as a reminder that life can be renewed. Saint Paul
wrote this message in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 8: "Nothing can
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."
Jesus takes
on all the powers that try to separate us from God. Jesus defeats these powers,
and shows us that anyone who suffers from secret sin, and doesn't turn to Him
will begin to be possessed by them. The man from today's Gospel is tormented
beyond bearing, and Jesus heals, renews, restores him, and shows us by this
example where to find hope. "If God is for us, who can be against
us?" St. Paul asks this question, knowing full
well that the answer is "no one." Our Master, Savior, our sweet
Jesus, heals, renews, forgives, and restores God's beloved children. Then this
man shows us what to do next: we go to our families and those around us, and we
proclaim the Good News of all that Jesus Christ has done, to the amazement of
all.
In the
present age, we continue to witness crimes and the mass destruction of those
who are possessed by greed and power over peoples and nations. But what is more
remarkable in the event in today's Gospel, the destructive force of this driven
and possessed man, or the bended knee of the man at Jesus' feet imploring mercy
and release? Our heavenly Father's word reminds us that no destructive force
can keep any one of us from the peace and safety that He offers in our souls.
The peace and safety is there for those of us who seek His help. Let us
remember that God is our loving Parent.
In today's
responsorial psalm, we acclaim, "Let your hearts take comfort, all who
hope in the Lord" (Ps 31). Jesus took pity on the man who was overtaken by
a legion of evil spirits. Jesus is ready to free us from anything that binds us
and keeps us from the love of our heavenly Father, if only we are willing.
I would
like to end this reflection with a quotation from Abraham Lincoln: "I have
been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had
nowhere else to go."