Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
By Beth DeCristofaro
For all of you are children of the light and children of the day…For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do. (1 Thessalonians 5:5, 9-11)
(Jesus) taught them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. (Luke 4:31-35)
Piety
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. (Psalm 12:4-13)
Study
We can see in Thessalonians why St. Paul is the patron of Cursillo. As Cursillistas, we consciously seek the light of God in each day and in each environment. We gather to share the joy of God’s presence with us. We encourage and build one another up. We share our joy in Christ our Brother with others. The USCCB notes on Paul’s letter say that Paul emphasizes how fundamental to our Christian life and salvation is the light of God’s personal revelation which is then embodied as we choose to follow Christ. The offer from God is an indestructible personal union with Christ.
In the Gospel, it is a demon that recognizes Jesus’ divinity. His human listeners are puzzled. They cannot see beyond their preconceived ideas but ultimately find him in their own needs as he heals their bodies with his touch and their spirits with his words. Jesus wants us to see and follow him. The Spirit blowing through us allows us to see Jesus in others and manifest Jesus within ourselves. Our indestructible personal union with Him is for us to accept. Do we nourish it, seeking Jesus within?
Action
What demons do we struggle with? What keeps us from God? Do our demons keep others from God? Ask for God’s mercy that the Holy One might rebuke and cast out those demons which hold us hostage and keep us from seeing the Light of God in our lives.
