Jan 28 Sun
The tormented man of Capernaum recognized Christ. And Jesus commanded the devil with authority, "Be silent, and come out of him. And they were all amazed.”
John Paul II teaches that the evil spirit can exercise its influence not only on material things, but also on the body of man, which is why we speak of "diabolical possessions.” Satan can reach this extreme expression of his dominance.
In the Gospel, diabolical possession is usually accompanied by pathological manifestations: epilepsy, dumbness, deafness.... The possessed often lose control over themselves, over their gestures and words; sometimes they are material instruments of the devil. Therefore, these miracles performed by the Lord manifest the coming of the kingdom of God, and the expulsion of the devil out of the realm of the kingdom: Now the prince of this world is going to be cast out.
When the seventy-two disciples return, filled with joy at the results of their apostolic mission, they say to Jesus: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And the Master answered them: I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Since the coming of Christ, the devil has been fighting in retreat, although his power is great and his presence becomes stronger as man and society move away from God. Through it, many become subject to the slavery of the devil, they move away from the kingdom of God to enter the kingdom of darkness, of evil; they become instruments of the devil in the world, and are subjected to the worst of slavery. Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. And mortal sin is the worst misfortune that can happen to a Christian.
With the light of faith, we can see in this possessed man every sinner who wants to convert to God, freeing himself from Satan and sin.
We must remain vigilant, to discern and reject the tempter, who grants himself no pause in his eagerness to harm us, since, after the original sin, we are subjected to the passions and exposed to the assault of concupiscence and the devil.
“We need to be vigilant because the world, the devil and the flesh are a band of adventurers who, taking advantage of the weakness of that savage you bear within you, want you to hand over to them the pure gold and the pearls and the diamonds and rubies drenched in the living and redeeming blood of your God, which are the price and the treasure of your eternal happiness, in exchange for the glittering tinsel of a pleasure, which is worth nothing¬¬."
Deliver us, Lord, from sin, from the Evil One; lead us not into temptation. Grant, by your infinite mercy, that we may not yield to the infidelity to which we are seduced by him who has been unfaithful from the beginning. And when we feel that our feet are of clay, we need to appeal to Christ and his Blessed Mother, our Mother.
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