Monday - 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Mark 5:1-20

The Knots of Sin and Stress

Sea of Galilee, Eastern Shore

For the past two years or so, although it feels like forever, my parish - St. Robert Bellarmine - has been in the process of uniting with our neighboring parish St Constance. This is all part of an archdiocese-wide effort called RENEW.  As we continue to unify resources, personnel and ministries, we were also tasked with discerning a new name for the newly combined parish.   And so our new parish is called “Mary, Undoer of Knots.”  Yes, I know; it’s a mouthful.  But it is a rather evocative and descriptive title.  And it is a good reminder that, as individuals, parishoners and as a parish, we all have ‘knots’ in our lives that need to be loosened and undone!

As most of you know, Mark is the shortest, by far, of all the Gospels. He does not spend a lot of time on details; he gives you the basics and then moves on.  He doesn’t even include the Nativity story.  He cuts right through to the important stuff!

That’s what makes today’s Gospel reading so unique.  It is so rich in detail – the name of the demon, the long history of the efforts of the people to control the possessed man and his terrifying struggle with evil. 

And yet look at how Jesus deals with him – with compassion and tenderness.  See what happens when evil (Legion) is confronted with good (Jesus).  He actually prostrates himself before Jesus.  Just by His presence, evil is bows before Him.  And look at the effect on the man after he is released from his demons.  He wants nothing more than to be with Jesus, to continue to be in the presence of good.  The Power of Good! 

Truth be told, we all, at some point in our lives, have our own personal demons, our own knots.  We all are shackled and tormented, possessed and tied up by evil in our life.  But Jesus reminds us today of the power of good over evil, the healing power of His presence and His actions.   That man has been freed from his shackles, literally and figuratively.  He has been restored to his life and his family through the power of Jesus’ presence and words of healing.

Perhaps today we can take the time to remind ourselves that, even in the worst of times when we feel the chains and pains of sin and the knots of stress and depression, Jesus is still here, still present with us, still offering love and forgiveness, mercy and healing.    

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