Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
In both of our readings today, there is much talk about “spirit.”
In the Gospel, St. Luke presents Jesus entering a synagogue. This was the practice of Jesus. Recall the famous passage where Jesus opens the scroll containing the prophecy recorded in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. He reads, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners” (Isaiah 61).
In today’s selection, Jesus encounters an individual with the spirit of an unclean demon. The demon cries out in fear but recognizes that Jesus is the Holy One of God. Jesus compassionately expels the demon without the individual suffering any injury.
In the first reading, St. Paul writes about God’s Spirit and the spirit in us human beings. God’s Spirit knows the inmost being of God. Human beings can be either “natural” or “spiritual.” St. Paul affirms that he and his fellow Christians in Corinth have received the “Spirit who is from God.” This enables them to “understand the things freely given us by God.” Those who have not received the Holy Spirit (in baptism) cannot understand “what pertains to the Spirit of God.” They can only judge on the “natural” level.
The reading concludes with St. Paul’s strong affirmation: “We have the mind of Christ!” That will be the basis for his challenging the Corinthians to live in Christ.
Reflection: Do we allow Jesus to drive out the evil spirits that tempt us to sin?
Reflection by Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections