Tuesday – 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel - Luke 4:31-37

I Know You!

Synagogue in Capernaum

A few years ago, I was up at St. Benedict Abbey chaperoning/leading a Kairos retreat for a group of St. Pat’s boys.  One evening as we were sitting down for dinner, I heard a familiar voice behind me.  I didn’t even need to look around; I knew who it was.  Peter!  A teacher of mine from the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola U!  It was almost 40 years ago since I was in his class and yet I recognized his voice right away.  Imagine that!

We hear another voice of recognition in today’s Gospel.  A man possessed by a demon recognizes the voice of Jesus and calls on Him to leave him alone.  Now normally we would reflect on being able to recognize Jesus in His voice, His words.  But consider the setting here!  Jesus is preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.  And the man possessed by a demon is in the synagogue; he’s been sitting there the whole time.  And yet no one pays him any attention; they don’t recognize him.  And it is only when he speaks that the people realize his affliction.  You have to think his presence must have been startling!  How did they not realize he was there?

So the question for us today is this.  What does it take for us to recognize all the evil that exists around us?  Does it have to literally announce itself in order for us to perceive its presence?  Do we realize that it could be sitting right next to us?  Just because it doesn’t directly speak to us doesn’t mean that temptation isn’t close to us.  How do we handle it?  Do we reach out to God in prayer and petition for help in those moments of weakness?  Do we seek strength, healing and hope from the Lord?

 

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