Destruction is a powerful force. When we hear of it, we often picture devastating events or moments. However, with the death of one thing, newness follows. Take, for example, the seasons. Every year, winter comes and the trees and fl owers wither. Their frail, bare appearance is not much to look at. However, as spring comes, those very trees and plants come to life and are made new again.

Sometimes in our lives we feel that Christ is asking us to destroy parts of who we are to come closer to him. Why do we feel this way? The short answer is that we lack trust in him. We don’t see how fulfilling his will gives us fullness of life. Deep down, we don’t truly believe Jesus’s words: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, RSV).

First Reading Reflection

Deuteronomy 18:15–20

We find this short prophecy of the coming “prophet like Moses” at the heart of the Book of Deuteronomy. The whole book is a series of speeches given by Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. It is filled with history, laws, and guidelines for the future. At this point in time, Moses, the leader God appointed, will not be coming into the Promised Land himself. Once Moses is gone, how will the people know what God wants? Moses here predicts that God will grant the people a new prophet, one who can speak with divine authority.

While we could argue that many Old Testament figures fulfill this pre-diction, from Joshua to Isaiah and Jeremiah, the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy awaits the coming of a New Moses. The Jews expected the coming of “the prophet” (John 1:21), and Jesus is the one who ultimately fulfills this prediction. He is the Teacher who goes up a mountain (cf. Matthew 5:1) and hands down a new law “as one who had authority” (Matthew 7:29, RSV).

We confront moments in our lives when it seems God is far away and we cannot hear him speak. It is precisely in these moments when we need a reliable source, a true authority who can speak to us on God’s behalf. Jesus is that voice, the “prophet like Moses” who gives us the authentic word of the Lord. His authority is delegated in a special way to the Church, which guards the Deposit of Faith for all of us to receive.

Second Reading Reflection

1 Corinthians 7:32–35

St. Paul, the greatest evangelist, traversed the whole Roman Empire planting churches, making converts, and preaching the Gospel. He was also celibate. In 1 Corinthians 7, he explains his teaching regarding Christian marriage and divorce. This reading gives us one of the central principles at work in his thought: that celibacy provides freedom from worldly cares so that a person can focus on serving God. Paul here describes one of the challenges of marriage—the need to care for one’s spouse. He does not reject the notion that married persons are required to please their spouses. In fact, elsewhere he lays down rules for exactly how to please your spouse (cf. Ephesians 5:22–33). Paul does not forbid marriage and says clearly that if you marry, you do not sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:28).

However, like Jesus (cf. Matthew 19:12), Paul teaches that celibacy is     a higher calling. The Church considers chastity in celibacy—one of the three evangelical counsels—to be one way toward Christian perfection rather than an absolute rule for all (cf. CCC 915). Celibacy allows those who commit to it to serve the Lord with an undivided heart. However, the Lord calls people in a variety of ways. As Paul says, “Each has a particular gift from God” (1 Corinthians 7:7). Each one of us must discern our calling from God and pursue it heartily with love and obedience. He knows the right path for each of us to follow.

Gospel Reading Reflection

Mark 1:21–28

This story of Jesus exorcising a demon from a man at a synagogue is the very first miracle narrated by the Gospel of Mark. Its placement signifies Jesus’s mission to defeat the powers of darkness and free us from their dominion. The demonic power holding this poor man hostage reacts violently to the truth Jesus is teaching, crying out Jesus’s name and taunting him. The New Testament provides several examples of the practice of naming demonic and angelic entities in order to gain power over them (cf. Mark 5:9; Acts 19:13). It seems that the demon is trying to assert himself over Jesus by naming him and his role in God’s plan (cf. Luke 4:41). When Jesus casts the demon out of the man, showing his own God-given power, the witnesses react with surprise. They are awed by his teaching, his spiritual authority, and the fact that even the demons are compelled to obey him.

If we put ourselves into this story, we might choose to be in the shoes of the witnesses who are awed by the power of Jesus, but it might be more helpful to see ourselves as the man with the demon. He is chained by the demon and coerced against his will to speak against Jesus; he is no longer in control of himself. Our own sins can become like this demon: enslaving and oppressive. When we lose ourselves in sin, we can be deprived of freedom, trapped in a cycle of bad behavior. But Jesus frees this man— and he can free us too, so that we can be “freed from sin” and become “slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:18).
 

DIGGING DEEPER:

Litany of Humility

• Part of making changes in our lives requires an attitude of humility. Pray this prayer together as a group.
• O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
• From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
• That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
• That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
• That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
• That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
• That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
• That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

PRAYER:

Reflect on the question of the man with the unclean spirit to Jesus— “Have you come to destroy us?” Do you feel like following Christ means destroying certain parts of your life? What areas of your life do you need to subject to Jesus’s authority? Reread the Gospel passage and refl ect on a word or phrase that stands out to you. Apply it to your own life. For instance, if the words “obey him” stand out to you, you may ask yourself how you can obey the Lord. What do you need to surrender to his authority?

RESOLUTION: 

Often, we try to eliminate sin and weakness from our lives without asking for God’s help. But we need Christ’s authority, grace, and mercy in order to progress in the spiritual life. How will you, calling on the Lord for help, make a step forward in destroying an area of sin or undue attachment to worldly things in your life this week?

Reprinted from  Opening the Word at Formed.org .
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