Mark 5:2,4
"A man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him... and no one was strong enough to subdue him."
Remember when you were little and you couldn't open up the lid to a bottle? What did you do? More than likely, if you were at home, you found your parents and asked them to open up the bottle for you. And remarkably, although you had really struggled to get that lid open, your parents seemed to have absolutely no problem with it at all! In fact, it seemed rather effortless to them—it was no sweat at all.
We see the mighty power of our heavenly parent (Our Father) on display in today's Gospel. St. Mark makes a point of emphasizing how the man bound by demons was very difficult to deal with—he had to be held down by chains, and even then the chains didn't do a very good job of keeping him calm. Yet Jesus, in His power, sets this man free from the demons—and does so just by speaking to him. It seems rather effortless, almost.
This mighty power of Jesus is still at work among us. Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Blase and ask for his intercession that God may "deliver [us] from every disease of the throat and from every other illness." Today, make this prayer more than words; make this prayer an opportunity for confident trust in our Heavenly's Father's almighty power.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Deacon Connor Penn, Fourth Theology
Home parish: Corpus Christi, Temple Terrace
Did you know...
I usually end up getting the flu just about every year right after Christmas--although this year I didn't!
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
