A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (11:14-23)
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself,
how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
(The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!)
Reflection: Choose to be grateful and holy!
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus heals a man who was made mute by a demon. Some of the leaders who were present accused Jesus of doing healings through Beelzebub because of their great jealousy of seeing crowds following Jesus. They were jealous of the healings and wonders that Jesus is able to do and they were trying to discredit Jesus, and some even asked Jesus for a sign from Heaven. Their envy and jealousy completely blinded their reasoning even as they were already witnessing multiple signs and miracles from Heaven through Jesus, right in front of their eyes!
How often have we fallen in the same trap of letting envy and jealousy dwell in our hearts and minds to cloud our judgment, when we meet someone who is so well liked, is smarter than us or more talented and popular, and are able to do things that we have been unable to do, like being more eloquent in speech, or does a better job at work, and we try to criticize or discredit and put them down? Or have we been envious of an athlete who trains and runs or swims faster than us, or a cyclist who makes it first to the top of the hill, and we choose to be jealous and not congratulate them?
Reactions or attitudes of jealousy are the works of the scatterer, the devil, the deceiver. He prefers that everyone is divided, not united and one. He likes everyone to be in strife, to be in anger, to have hatred for others and one another, to criticize, to put others down, to be at war, he wants everyone to be jealous and envious of each other, to remove our joy and peace.
Is it not better to choose to be humble, to congratulate the person for a job well done, to learn from them on how we can also be better and productive as well to improve ourselves? Is it not better to be grateful for our own gifts and blessings from God? To be in a state of joy and in peace?
Our Heavenly Father is the source of all love and He desires that we choose to be united, to be in harmony and in peace as we are always in His presence. We have the ability to choose to be holy, to be grateful for the blessings and unique gifts that we have received, to choose to give and receive the gift of love, instead of choosing to be envious or jealous of others. Every innate ability, material possession, and achievement in our life that we currently have is a gift that was granted to us by the grace of our almighty God.
May we heed the daily promptings of the Holy Spirit to choose to be grateful for our blessings, to choose to be holy, to allow the welling up of kindness, compassion, humility and goodness to well up in our hearts; because choosing holiness always leads to the grace of joy and peace that allows us to give and receive love with one another and with our mighty God. All we are and have “is a gift from God”. Choose to be grateful and holy!
Action for the Day:
In quiet prayer, ask God to increase our faith, to strengthen our hearts and minds, to help us choose to grateful for our blessings. To help us daily and guide us in choosing how to be holy.
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