✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – June 09, 2024: Sunday
"Realising that God is much powerful than the evil; and thus trusting in Him, to always do His Will!"
(Based on Gen 3:9-15, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1 and Mk 3:20-35 - Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)
A little boy came to his father with a great sense of earnestness and asked:
“Father, is Satan bigger than I am?"
"Yes, my boy," said the father.
"Is he bigger than you are, Father?"
"Yes, my boy, he is bigger than your father"
The boy looked surprised but thought again, and asked, "Is he bigger than Jesus?"
"No, my boy," answered the father. "Jesus is bigger than he is."
The little fellow, as he turned away, said with a smile, "Then I'm not afraid of him."
Our Christian life is a constant warfare between the forces of Satan and our choices for God’s Kingdom.
If we trust in the Lord, then at all moments, we will dare to do God’s Will
But, if we are divided in our commitment to the Lord, then we keep ourselves out of the circle of God’s Will…
… and thus always live in fear and division!
Do we realize that our God is much bigger than the evil…
… and thus, we can always trust in Him
And hence, we can always do His Will?
The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus unleashing His convictions on how He has complete power and control over the Devil…
… and thus invites and challenges all His followers, to constantly remain in the “family circle” of doing God’s Will.
The Gospel begins with the statement…
… "the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul and by the prince of demons, He casts out the demons" (Mk 3:22)
One of the reasons why the Scribes were irked by the personality of Jesus…
… was because of the tremendous authority that was displayed by Jesus!
Yes, the amazing factor in the ministry of Jesus was His tremendous authority!
The wondrous aspect in the ministry of Jesus was His awesome integrity!
Elsewhere, in the Gospel of St Mark, we read…
The people "were astonished at his teaching, for He taught as one who had authority…" (Mk 1:22)
"… they were all amazed so that they questioned among themselves…. '…with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him" ( Mk 1: 27)
This authority and integrity of Jesus, came…
… through His deep union with His Heavenly Father.
… through His faithfulness to the commands of His heavenly Father
… through His undivided devotion to His Heavenly Father
How authoritative, credible and integral are we in our life…
… as a Christian?
… in the family?
… as a consecrated person?
Authoritative does not mean arrogance…
Credibility does not mean over-confidence…
Integrity does not mean super-importance…
Authority, credibility and integrity in the Lord means…
… filled with the power and strength of God's Spirit
… imbued with a deep passion for the Lord and His Church
… living an honest lifestyle in accordance to God's Will and teachings
The Gospel of the Day calls us to check and examine…
… is my prayer life and devotion truly authentic and credible?
… is my preaching and spreading of God's Word filled with His Holy Spirit?
… is my reception of the Sacraments helping me to make an honest effort to be a true Christian?
Jesus constantly invites us to be “part of His Family”…
… the Family of those who Seek and Do His Will!
In the Old Testament – the book of Genesis – we read that when Adam and Eve sinned, they chose to “remain hiding” – away from the Presence of God
“… I heard the sound of Thee….and I hid myself” (Gen 3:10)
When Adam and Eve failed in their commitment to Seek and Do God’s Will…
… fear engulfed them
… they sought to stay away from the “Familial Presence of God”
Do I “hide from God’s Presence”
… or do I “seek God’s Presence?”
When we realize that God is much powerful than the evil …
… then we can always trust in Him
And hence, we can always do His Will!
May Jesus be our model and example to be true and honest in life!
May He be our ideal and standard to be faithful and committed to our mission!
God Bless! Live Jesus!