Memorial of Our Lady of the

And the last condition of that man is worse than the first. _ Luke 11:26

       Intrigued by the title? I’m referring to Job in the Bible. He was the one who was tested and lost everything — his family, his wealth, his health. Yet because of his faith and by God’s grace, he received double of what he lost. In the end, he was “doubly better” from where his life story began.

      Now an “Anti-Job” would be someone whose condition became doubly worse than when his story began. Get it? Because that’s what the verse above is about.

       The man in Jesus’ story thought he was OK because the demon in his life was cast out. Read the Gospel and see that the demon recruits seven other devils more evil than him who “move in and dwell” in that person making him much worse than before. Warning lesson: The enemy does not rest. He always plans to do something to steal your life from you.

       But here’s the bigger lesson and truth: God’s grace, power and love do not rest as well. It always pours out. And it may not be enough for you to be “clean and in order.” You have to keep the faith alive and going. So that like Job, you end up with double blessings. That’s a “Pro-Job” for you. Alvin Barcelona (apb_ayo@yahoo.com)

Reflection:Have you had the demons in your life cast out? Are you protected by your faith, your actions, and by God’s grace against the

return of those demons?

Dear Jesus, cover me with Your most precious blood and protect me from the evil one. In Your most holy, powerful and loving Name. Amen.

St. Paul explains salvation as he has personally experienced it. Before his conversion, he was a man who lived by the law, and now he has experienced the Spirit of God in his life. The Law is important but it no longer governs our lives. We now live under the grace and power of the Holy Spirit.

7 Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. 9 Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith. 10 For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things written in the book of the law. 11 And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for the one who is righteous by faith will live. 12 But the law does not depend on faith; rather, the one who does these things will live by them. 13 Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by ecoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree 14 that the blessing of Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Psalm 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: The Lord will remember his covenant forever.

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. 2 Great are the works of the Lord, exquisite in all their delights. (R) 3 Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever. 4 He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the Lord. (R) 5 He has given food to those who fear him; he will forever be mindful of his covenant. 6 He has made known to his people the power of his works, giving them the inheritance of the nations. (R)

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Rosary. This is a traditional prayer that dates back less than a thousand years and is a powerful tool for intercession. We ask the intercession of Mary for our intentions, asking her to represent us before her Son, Jesus. Let us remember that we have a powerful intercessor in Mary, as well as the angels and the saints.

The prince of this world will now be cast out, and when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.

15 When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” 16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. 19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 24 When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ 25 But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

think: We have a powerful intercessor in Mary, as well as the angels and the saints.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Hosea 11-14

BLESSED ALONG WITH ABRAHAM

Abraham comes down in biblical and Christian tradition as the “father of faith” par excellence. He was, and remains to be, a shining beacon and model of obedience to God on account of his deep faith.

       Today is the feast of our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The feast is about another person deeply imbued with the same faith. Mary, a woman of faith, did what Abraham did — she listened to the Lord and acted accordingly.

        Acting accordingly is about listening intently and obeying promptly. As a child, there were times when I did not listen enough. I paid attention half-heartedly to the instructions of elders when they sent me for an errand. For this reason, I often did not get things right. Neither did I do the right things or did them correctly.

       Obeying promptly and faithfully is an offshoot of listening intently. That is the literal meaning of ob-audire, the root word of obedience, which means to hear or listen.

       Simply put, I cannot do the right thing if I do not listen first to instructions. Neither can I do them rightly if I miss out on the important details. I cannot feel fulfilled if certain blanks or gaping holes in my life remain to be filled. No one can honestly say he or she has gotten it all together if there remain missing pieces in the puzzle of his or her life. I cannot feel complete if I am not fulfilled. I cannot feel whole if there are empty patches in the fabric of my life. And I cannot feel blessed if I am not whole.

           Both Abraham and Mary show us the way to wholeness — through faith. Only through faith can we hope to put that missing piece in our lives — God, who alone can give us that gift of blessedness and holiness.

          I hold on to the beautiful words of St. Paul: “Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham… and those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.”

REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you sometimes feel an emptiness in your life that cannot be filled with anything material, even relationships? Listen to God. He will fill Your need.

Our Lady of the Rosary, please pray for me, that I may obey God and have faith in His love for me. Amen.