Defeatable Demons

August 9: Saturday of Week 18 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Habakkuk 1:12-2:4; Psalm 9:8-9, 10-11, 12-13; Matthew 17:14-2

Thoughts to help us surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

“Why could we not drive it out?” Matthew 17:19

Jesus gave his disciples power to “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out demons.” That was a power they “received without payment” and were to “give without payment” (Matthew 10:8).

But to exorcise some demons, they would have to pay a price. When they could not drive out one who was casting a boy “into fire and water, to destroy him” Jesus said that kind could not be driven out “except by prayer and fasting.”

To cast out the demons of greed and violence that are destroying our civilization takes a national conversion of mind, through deep prayer; and of heart, through detachment (fasting) from affluence and power. If we Christians cannot bring this about through our ministry, it is just a matter of time before our society self-destructs.

 The conversion has to begin with ourselves. This gives us a goal to aim at.

Francis said in The Joy of the Gospel (84): “The evils of our world – and those of the Church – must not be excuses for diminishing our commitment… Divine Providence is leading us to a new order of human relations… directed to the fulfillment of God’s higher and un-hoped-for designs. Everything, even human setbacks, leads to the greater good of the Church.”

We can cast out the demons. We just have to have faith “the size of a mustard seed.”

PRAY: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

PRACTICE: Dream the impossible dream.