Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
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?
It strikes me that this question of the devils, is one that our society today often makes, not necessarily in so many words but in its indifference to the relevance of the Church and her teachings. “What have you to do with us?”
The atmosphere of individualism in which we live does not care to be reminded of any authority that would remind us that there is a God who loves us and calls us to live from his love for us. Such an authority threatens our search for comfort and security, inviting us to look into our hearts and there find deeper desires that actually would dignify our humanity. Another way to say it: the human being has been created by God for communion – communion with self, communion with others, communion with God – here and hereafter! Such living in human solidarity is at odds with the search of instant gratification and validation. And so, practical atheism is the philosophy of the day!
This is exemplified in these texts where the devils recognize who Jesus is and call him holy—“you are the Holy One of God.”
Quite simply, “holy” here means that God has authority or dominion over all things that exist, including our bodies and souls. This “holiness” is always a call to conversion – that is why it is threatening!
Reflection by Fr. Xavier Nacke, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections