I went through a lot of struggles in ministry months after Mom died. One day, I woke up feeling a dark cloud around me. I didn’t want to get up from bed. The sadness kept me depressed for months. 

Thank God for friends who accompanied me in that journey. They visited and called me up, not to give advice, but just to sit beside me and tell me that they were there for me. In my darkest moments, I told God I wanted to give up my leadership position in our community—I even wrote a resignation letter—but they didn’t want me to. 

With a lot of prayer and the help of my friends, I held on to God’s power, believing that He always wins. Just like in our Gospel today, where the forces of good in Jesus clashed with the enemy in a demon-possessed person, God won the battle and restored me.

If you feel defeated, powerless, and want to give up right now, hold on to the power of God because He always wins. Never give up because He won’t ever give up on you!

Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

reflect

In the darkest pit, when you’re frail and weak with nothing left to give, know that God will always pull you through. 

Dearest Lord, thank You for not giving up on me. Amen.

Saint Giles, abbot, pray for us.

Paul reminds us in today’s reading that we can have the mind of Christ if we fully surrender to Him. When reflecting on the state of the world, it is easy to be discouraged by the faithlessness of this generation. Yet, despair has no place in God’s Kingdom. It stifles hope and stalls the movement of the Gospel—it is the paralyzer of the Spirit.

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters: The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ Among men, who knows what pertains to the man except his spirit that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. ¹² We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. ¹⁴ Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. ¹⁵ The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 13-14 (or Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5 or Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35) 

R: The Lord is just in all his ways.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. ⁹ The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. (R) ¹⁰ Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. ¹¹ Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. (R) ¹² Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. ¹³ Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R)  The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. ¹⁴ The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. (R)

Gospel | Luke 4:31-37 (or Matthew 6:24-34 or Matthew 8:23-27)

Jesus commands demons, and they obey Him, for the Father has given Him authority over all things. The good news is that we, too, have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through faith and belief, we can banish the devil from our lives. To do so, we must know the Word of God—reading, reflecting, and allowing it to shape our identity, revealing the gifts He has bestowed upon us.

Gospel Acclamation

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

³¹ Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, ³² and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. ³³ In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, ³⁴ “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” ³⁵ Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶ They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” ³⁷ And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Reflect

What does the Scriptures tell us about how to overcome temptations, sin, and the world?

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 36 - 40 today.

Two nuns at the Assumption Iloilo made a lasting impact on many students—not through loud words or strict rules, but simply by their presence. They would quietly stand in a corner, and no one dared break the silence or leave the classroom without permission. One had a strong, firm presence; the other, gentle and calm. One was obeyed out of fear; the other, out of love and respect. But they had one thing in common: integrity.

After Jesus was rejected in His own native place, He travelled to Capernaum. There, the people recognized something in Him. They listened to Him teach and heard “authority” in Him. The Scripture says: “The people were astonished at Jesus’ teaching because He spoke with authority” (Luke 4:32). This gift, however, escaped many and was deemed imperceptible among the teachers of the law. It is authority that gives weight to our words and the ability to bring about change. This same Divine authority was present at Creation, when God’s Word brought all things into being. In the Gospel, that authority is seen in Jesus—His word sets a man free from a tormenting spirit. By the end of the passage, the crowd clearly recognizes that this power is not ordinary but comes from God Himself: “With authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4:36).

The people saw in Jesus someone with authority because He was living a life that manifested what He proclaimed. No one will believe us if we do not practice what we preach. The integrity of Jesus’ way of life gave His words power, which also drew many to Him and challenged them to live lives of the same integrity. We are reminded that the only way to manifest authority in Jesus and to witness to His teachings in our midst is by living a life of integrity.

Fr. Ricky Montañez, AA

reflection question

In what ways can you be more faithful to your words and actions so that others may see the light of Christ in you?

May God’s Word not only inform us but transform us, making us people of integrity. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________