Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to saint Luke 11, 15-26
When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
“By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
The spirit of division
1. Satan. The figure of evil is division. He is the one removed from Heaven due to his pride and egotism, and that ends up leading to division. Today, Satan tempts your soul not through evil things but through pride and things or situations which look good in appearance. As Saint Ignatius of Loyola teaches “the devil disguises himself as an angel of light”. We must be very careful because people who consider themselves virtuous often fall for this.
2. Expel. Today Jesus wants to make you free from whatever may be possessing you. He wants to remove from you everything that causes division in you and in others. That is why we need to be in close contact with Him, through prayer and contemplation. Today, ask God to take away your vanity and your search for recognition.
3. The Kingdom. To build the Kingdom we must be people of unity, people who want and seek unity. Today, you and I can make this day a little bit better for those around us. Jesus is the Kingdom of God. You can help others get to know Him through your attitudes, your gestures and finally, with your words. Today Jesus wants to make someone happy. That someone is close to you; can you imagine who he or she is?
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Remember that something good is on the way!
