- First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9
- Second Reading: First Corinthians 7:32-35
- Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
A Man with an Unclean Spirit encounters Jesus of Nazareth. Isn’t it an interesting encounter?
The very presence of Jesus brings disturbances to the unclean spirit. Knowing well what would happen to him, the unclean spirit rightly predicts, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? The unclean spirit recognizes exactly who Jesus of Nazareth is – that he is the Holy one of God.
Jesus cannot stand the sight of the unclean spirit either. Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit to come out of the man. The words of Jesus are so powerful that the unclean spirit leaves the man immediately.
The holiness of Jesus displaces the unclean spirit. The holiness of Jesus bares naked the unclean spirit. The holiness of Jesus rattles the unclean spirit. In the presence of Jesus, the unclean spirit – the unholy spirit – has to run away!
What is this ‘unclean spirit’? What is its nature? What does it do to a human? In the context of the Gospel passage today, the man with the unclean spirit seems possessed. He has evil spirits within him. He is controlled by the demons. This unclean spirit is evil and demonic! The unclean spirit is not of God and not for God.
The entire humanity can be divided on these two lines – one with the clean spirit and another with the unclean spirit. Those of us here too can identify ourselves either as ones with the clean spirit or those with the unclean spirit. Before we quickly jump to identify with any, let us try to describe what the unclean spirit could be.
As we are here celebrating together the Most Holy Eucharist surrounded by the presence of God, do we stand clean – clean of all sins? Do we stand holy – devoid of any unholy thoughts and actions? Do we stand worthy and acceptable because we haven’t committed any wrong deed? The sincere answers to this question will confirm the nature of our spirit – clean or unclean.
We have been bestowed with the God’s Spirit – the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has come and made a home in our hearts and lives. We have the indwelling Spirit! If only we listen to this Spirit, conduct our life according to the promptings of this spirit and allow this Spirt to guide our decisions and actions, we can stand upright as holy ones before Jesus with our heads held high!
If, however, we become dormant to this Spirit and go about our life not listening to the voice of Holy Spirit and lead a life ignoring the teachings of Jesus, we stand as unclean spirits disturbed before the Lord with our head hung low! It only takes a few seconds to look within our life and see if we can hold our heads high or if we should hang our heads low!
If I am egoistic for whom only I, me and mine matters – I am an unclean spirit.
If I am selfish with no concern for common good and good of the other – I am an unclean spirit.
If I am self-righteous who looks down on and illtreat the other – I am an unclean spirit.
If I take pleasure in gossip, rumourmongering and petty groupism- I am an unclean spirit
If I am prejudiced, disrespectful and unmindful of others existence – I am an unclean spirit
If I am unforgiving and vengeful hoarding grudge – I am an unclean spirit
If I am grumpy, hateful and negative – I am an unclean spirit
I better stop here!
It may be true that it is easier to perform a real exorcism than to drive the unclean spirits that I just mentioned!
Jesus our Lord cannot see his sons and daughters as those with the unclean spirits. So, he is willing to chase the unclean spirits away from us. Jesus has the power and authority to drive away the unclean spirit, provided we recognize the power and authority of Jesus as the man with the unclean spirit in the gospel did. The power and authority of Jesus is in his words – his teachings. If we recognize these teachings and allow them to transform us from within, the unclean spirit is chased out and we come to have the clean spirit – the Holy Spirit. It is only imitating Jesus Christ, putting into practice what he taught, walking Jesus’ way – we become clean spirits!
The process of letting the unclean spirit go is not easy – the man in the gospel goes through convulsions – seizures and cries aloud as the unclean spirit came out of him. It was a struggle and painful but he persevered!
It is a struggle to reduce the uncleans spirit called ego! It really causes convulsions because I need to make myself small – literally to do it implies contracting of muscles and constricting of bones. Not easy therefore to drive the unclean spirit of ego away! It is a struggle to let the unclean spirit of grudge and vengeance go! It is a struggle to cast the unclean spirit of unforgiveness out! But refusing to go through this struggle means, wanting to remain an unclean spirit, rejecting the power and authority of Jesus and staying unworthy and unacceptable before God.
Let us realize, sisters, that this Eucharist is an encounter between Jesus and each one of us. Jesus is right here with all power and authority teaching us to be clean. We do agree on the fact that we all suffer from the unclean spirits. Let us then recognize Jesus as the Holy one God. With hearts unclean and life unholy, we cannot meet Jesus. Veiled by our own uncleanness, the sight of Jesus will only be blurry! The words of Jesus will be inaudible!
In surrendering ourselves completely to Jesus and resolving firmly to follow His way, let us invite Jesus to destroy the unclean spirit within us and allow Jesus to clothe us with the Clean Spirit, Divine Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Having our hearts and lives clean, we can see Jesus clearly! We can hear His words loud and clear.
Let this encounter change me at least a little – if not totally. Let this encounter make me little clean – if not fully. If I have changed a little, if I have become a little clean – good enough-God will work through that little change and little clean.
But my stubbornness to change even a little and to become a little clean spirit is making life miserable not just for myself but for others too.
johnsekarofm 