READING OF THE DAY
GAL 3:7-14
Brothers and sisters:
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.
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.
Consequently, those who have faith are blessed
along with Abraham who had faith.
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.
And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear,
for the one who is righteous by faith will live.
But the law does not depend on faith;
rather, the one who does these things will live by them.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,
for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,
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.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
LK 11:15-26
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.”
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
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.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.“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.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
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.”
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
[…] Pope Francis commented on St Luke’s account of Jesus’ casting out demons (Lk 11:15-26).
He noted that Jesus offers us several guides or criteria for helping us to perceive the devil’s presence and respond to it. The first is that it is Jesus who battles the devil. The second is that “we cannot obtain the victory of Jesus over evil and the devil by halves” for “he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters”.
“On this point,” Pope Francis said, “there is no shadow of a doubt. A battle exists, a battle in which the eternal salvation of us all is at stake”. There are no alternatives, he said, even if at times we hear about “pastoral proposals” that seem more accommodating. “No! Either you are with Jesus or you are against him”.
The final guide is watchfulness. “We must always be vigilant against the deception and seduction of the evil one”. Again citing the Gospel, he said: “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace”.
“We can ask ourselves: Do I keep watch over myself? Do I guard my heart? My feelings? My thoughts? Do I guard the treasure of grace? Do I protect the Holy Spirit’s presence within me? If we do not protect this presence”, he continued again to the Gospel, “one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil”.
Pope Francis also stressed that we musn’t be naive: “the demon is shrewd: he is never cast out forever, this will only happen on the last day”. “No,” he continued returning to the Gospel, “when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says: ‘I will return to my house from which I came’. And when he comes he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more evil that himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first”.
“This is the devil’s strategy”, Pope Francis warned: “you become a Christian, go forward in your faith, and I will leave you alone; I will leave you in peace. But then, once you have have grown accustomed to it, are no longer watchful and feel secure I will return”. However, he continued, “today’s Gospel begins with the demon being cast out and concludes with the demon coming back. St Peter said he is like a roaring lion prowling around us”. This is no mere fable, he said: “it is the Word of the Lord”.
“Please, let’s not do business with the devil,” he said. “The devil is on the first page of the Bible and he is still there on the last, when God has his final victory”.
Pope Francis concluded: “Let us ask the Lord for the grace to take these things seriously. He came to battle for our salvation, and he has conquered the devil”.
(Santa Marta, 11 October 2013)