Thursday of Third Week of Lent
Jer 7: 23-28; Lk 11: 14-23
Deacon Larry Brockman
The other day I saw a man in the hospital from another state who claimed he was beyond saving. His marriage was a wreck; he alone and separated from his family, and now, to top it all off, he had a serious medical problem and ended up in the hospital. He felt guilty of many things, and thought he was beyond saving. This man was in the grip of the devil because the devil had convinced him he was beyond saving. How ironic that is, because from the depths of his depression, I could sense that this man had already taken the first critical step- He recognized his sinfulness and was disposed to repent. And yet, he resisted prayer and the sacraments because he believed he was beyond saving. This is just one form of modern day possession by the devil. Yes, indeed, the devil is alive and well, and he controls many people either this way, or in some other cycle of possession.
For example, there are many people who have lost a close one who can’t seem to snap out of it; the devil wants them to keep holding on, and works on them to shut God and his love out. Then, there are many are addicted to food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, Facebook, or any number of other things These people are not listening to God; but are slave to their addictions. .The devil feeds them on their gilt and gluttony, and encourages them to their excess. And then there are people so stagnant in their daily routine that they resist any and all kind of change. They have locked out the voice of God urging them to change, or they do as the man in the hospital, they tell themselves that they are beyond saving. All of these things can be modern forms of possession.
What’s the way out? Well, first we have to listen to the voice of God. Just as the prophets such as Jeremiah heralded God’s message to the Israelites long ago, The Church and its messengers herald the voice of conversion and change. The Israelites are accused by Jeremiah of “not listening”. We need to learn a lesson from them, and listen to God.
The Church asks us to listen for change often. We do it twice a year formally- in Advent and Lent. And of course, we are in the middle of Lent right now. So are we all listening?
Now I know that all of you are committed to the focus of Lent. That’s why you’re all here at daily Mass. And so, all of you are searching for ways to improve your lives as Christians. You are listening for the voice of God as you earnestly pray to make yourselves better. But are you making the same mistake that many in the crowd made in the Gospel reading? Are you looking for a sign from heaven? You see, God has already spoken to us; and His word lasts forever. It is present in the scriptures, it is present in the traditions of the Church; and it is spoken to us unwittingly by those God places in our path every day. We just have to listen for it; and not look for a direct sign from heaven.
Jesus says something very powerful at the end of the Gospel as well. He talks about strength. The implication is clear. Make yourself strong spiritually so that the enemy cannot overcome you. For those of us who sincerely seek change in our spiritual wellness, spiritual strength is the key. And that means prayer, bible study, the sacraments, and becoming the best version of ourselves. It’s all the things that the Dynamic Catholic People are talking about in BestLentEver.com.
God loves all of us and never gives up on us. He is constantly after us to repent and change.His message is ever right before us. So, If today you hear his voice, however weak that may be, harden not your hearts
Tags: Modern Day Demonic Possession, Nobody is beyond saving; Inner Strength