Author Topic: Proclaiming God's Kingdom (Read 1041 times)

Barbaro · « **on:** July 08, 2007, 12:09:54 AM »

Proclaiming God's Kingdom has come
through the Triumph of His Son!

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior,
For he has looked upon his lowly servant;
behold from now on His praise shall be in my mouth.

The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of heart and mind.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty."

July 4, 2007 Jesus Scared the Devil Out of Them

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 8: 28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

Father Matthew Kaderabek, LC
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, only you are my Teacher and Master. I come to you today to be taught, to learn your will for me, and to put it into practice. Teach me the way of humility and selflessness, of doing good for your eyes only. I want to please you alone, without seeking human glory.

Petition: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, model and form my heart after your divine heart.

1. Even the Demons Believe and Shudder We read throughout the Gospel many instances in which Jesus restores to health those he meets and those who were brought to him. Most of these miracles dealt with healing diseases, restoring sight to the blind, curing the lepers, and making the lame walk. But there were also regular encounters between Jesus and people who were possessed by demons. While the people who met Jesus in each town struggled to recognize him as the Messiah and as the Son of God, the demons recognized him immediately; they believed in him and shuddered (cf James 2:19). While the demons overpowered their human victims, they were no match for Jesus. They did not even waste their time putting up a fight. They rather directed their efforts to requesting from Jesus where they would be sent, as we see in this episode.

2. The Kingdom of God Had Begun While most of Jesus ministry was to the Jews, he also preached to and healed the Gentiles. That the miracle in this passage occurred in Gentile territory (Gerasa and Gadara were in the Decapolis, east of Jordan) is borne out by the fact that Jews were forbidden to raise swine, which the Law of Moses declared to be unclean. This and other instances of expulsion of demons narrated in the Gospel are referred to in the Acts of the Apostles, when St. Peter addresses Cornelius and his household: He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). It was a sign that the Kingdom of God had begun (cf. Matthew 12:28).

3. Begging God to Go Away The attitude of the local people toward this miracle reminds us that meeting God and living a Christian life require us to subordinate personal plans to Gods designs. If we have a selfish or materialistic outlook, we fail to appreciate the value of divine things and push God out of our lives, begging him to go away, as these people did.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that the devil exists and that he seeks the destruction of my soul. But, I also believe that you defeated the devil and his army of demons by your passion, death and resurrection. As long as I am united to you and seeking your face, I share in your victory and have no need to fear him. At the same time, knowing that the devil is the father of lies, I will follow your command and watch and pray so as not to fall into his clever traps.

Resolution: I will strengthen my defenses against the attacks of the devil by being particularly faithful to my prayer times this week.

Here I am Lord: Lord, send your Spirit to work with me, in me, and through me. I want to be your instrument to gather all in need into your merciful arms.

You shall be clothed with power from on high
when the Holy Spirit comes to you,
and you shall be my witnesses
throughout the ends of the earth.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2010, 07:01:07 AM »

Amen!

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Author Topic: Proclaiming God's Kingdom (Read 1041 times)

Barbaro

Proclaiming God's Kingdom

Lorenzo

Re: Proclaiming God's Kingdom