Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9, 14-29
As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
Prayer heals
1. A possessed person. By this I’m referring to a person who suffers, who is struck by misfortune, who feels he can’t go on, who suffers a family problem, and becomes rigid because life has hit him so hard that he doesn’t want to continue suffering. He hurts himself and others in the process. He hears many different voices in his head and that leads him to confusion and takes him to the limit of his strength. How many times have you been in a state like that! You may even hurt yourself badly or feel depressed.
2. Everything is possible to one who has faith. This is a beautiful thought to begin the week. There are many of us that feel battered by the many obstacles that come our way, and our heart begins to get weary. God asks us today to have faith; this, too, shall pass. If you have faith, there is always a way to overcome difficulties. Miracles await if you believe. Trust and abandon yourself to God.
3. Prayer. It is necessary to pray in order to be healed, and to heal others. Nothing is achieved without prayer. Prayer heals and solves everything. You must be an apostle who prays, if you don’t, you are only a speaker, who speaks well of God, but does not transmit his love. God asks you to heal others and spread His word, but both need prayer. Today ask Jesus for peace within you and pray that He might increase your faith. Don’t lose faith. Even if everything is dark around you, there is a star in the night; it will appear.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you and keep you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
