4th Sunday of the Year (B)

(Edited) Reflections (From) 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), January 29, 2012

Liturgical readings

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm 95
1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28

"Jesus rebuked him sharply."

We live in a world that has acquired much scientific and technological know-how that a majority forget that there is a world beyond just the physical. This is a spiritual world where God's Spirit and His ancient enemy battle for the possession of souls. In the early Christian centuries (ca. 540s A.D.), St. Gregory calls the ancient enemy against God, "hostis antiquus", and mentions it in his biography on St. Benedict of Nursia. Now this is the ancient enemy which the gospel this Sunday presents, and this enemy can take the form of unclean spirits. Seeing him present in a man, Jesus confronted this unclean spirit who challenged Jesus' authority. Jesus sharply rebuked the unclean spirit until with a loud shriek, it came out of the man.

The gospel of Mark describes unclean spirits as noisy, destructive, and crying out or shouting with a loud voice. That is why Jesus' response to such unclean spirits was always: "Be silent, come out of the man". If the mystery of God and His mercy was revealed to all Christians in the Person of Jesus, then the mystery of evil is revealed (at least in how the gospel of Mark describes it) as something noisy, violent and against Jesus. One will discover in this passage of Mark and in the other passages about unclean spirits, that Jesus, in His divine mercy, cares to act as a Savior to men with unclean spirits; He saves them by banishing the unclean spirit with His divine authority.

What do present gospel studies say about this passage from Mark? Bible scholar Wilfrid Harrington defines this unclean spirit in Mark's gospel as a demon. Harrington writes that the struggle between the demon and Jesus in the gospel passage, is also a struggle that is continued in the life of everyone of us - whatever our state of life. Whether that evil comes from within us (through our weakness against temptations and distractions in life and work), outside us, or from both within and without, we all can learn from this gospel. It is Jesus (in the community of the Church and in the Sacraments) who can use His authority to expel evil and heal individuals from its influence - which is generally manifested in various infirmities or habits of anger or greed.

Lines Written in St. Teresa of Avila's Breviary

The poem of St. Teresa of Avila, said to be written in her breviary, is printed as an alternative to the hymn of Tuesday's Night Prayer in the modern breviary. The poem is well known and also made into a chant by the Taize community in France:

Let nothing disturb thee,
Nothing affright thee;
All things are passing;
God never changeth;
Patient endurance
Attaineth to all things;
Who God possesseth
In nothing is wanting;
Alone God sufficeth.

The wisdom St. Teresa of Avila expresses in this poem is undisputed. It is a wisdom born from her deep prayer, fruiutful contemplation, and perseverance in doing God's will. St. Teresa of Avila lived in a time when Spain's Catholic Church was very much dominated by a male hierarchy. Even in such a climate were the odds is against her, St. Teresa heard the Lord's call and responded to it by her work to reform Carmel. She led the reformation that directed the Order to its original spirit - poverty, simplicity, prayer and self-denial. She was greatly opposed by many for her efforts. Despite all the opposition she had to experience, St. Teresa continued on, and built the mission entrusted to her by the Lord.

The poem above is a fruit of St. Teresa's spiritual experiences and her work in the reformation of the Carmelite Order. Through wisdom, she learned (as all those who seek God learn also), that ultimately, only God is what is important above all others. Possessing God in one's soul is the one thing necessary. It directs all lives and efforts in the pursuit of His holy will.

God's presence in one's mind and heart will create a peace which nothing can disturb, nor frighten. It produces an equanimity born of wisdom. When wisdom reveals that all things are passing in relation to One who is Eternal, the spiritual discipline to patiently seek God's will, and persevere in it comes naturally. For faith and confidence in God's Divine Providence is all that was, is, and ever shall be needed.

Memorial of Saints (January 23)

St. Emerentiana, according to Tradition, was a foster sister of St. Agnes - one of the illustrious virgin-martyrs of the early Church. When St. Agnes was martyred because of her faith in Christ, Emerentiana prayed at the grave of her foster sister. It was while praying at the grave of St. Agnes that Emerentiana, who was just in her teenage years, was seen by an anti-Christian mob and was stoned to death (died ca. 304 A.D.).

St. Asclas was a Christian from Egypt who was arrested for his faith and tortured under the rule of governor Arrian. St. Asclas was able to miraculously convince Arrian to acknowledge the God of the Christians in writing. However, Arrian had eventually subjected Asclas to further torture and had him drowned in the river Antinoe (died ca. 3rd century).

St. Agathangelus was the deacon of St. Clement, bishop of Ancrya, Galatia. Both Clement and Agathangelus devoted themselves to the education of the young and the poverty-stricken. During the persecution of Christians, both were tortured and executed by the sword (died ca. 308 A.D.).

St. John the Almsgiver was from a noble family in Cyprus. He married early in life, but after his wife and child passed away, he entered into religious life. Because of John's holiness and charity, he was named patriarch of Alexandria in 608 A.D. He earned the title "Almsgiver" because of his well known concern and financial aid to the poor (died ca. 619 A.D.).

St. Ildephonsus of Toledo became a monk at Agalia, near Toledo in Spain. He soon became the abbot of that monastery and had occasion to attend the two councils in Toledo in 653 A.D. and 655 A.D. In 657 A.D., he was named archbishop of Toledo. Known for his devotion to the Mother of God, he also wrote several theological treatises - one of which was dedicated to Mary (died ca. 667 A.D.).

St. Barnard was raised in the court of Charlemagne. He restored the monastery at Ambronay in 800 A.D. Eventually he decided to join the Benedictines there and soon became Ambronay's abbot. Because of his gifts of leadership, he was also named archbishop of Vienne. As the prelate of Vienne, he founded the abbey of Romans in 837 A.D. (died ca. 841 A.D.).

St. Lufthildis was very charitable to the poor. Unmarried and a virgin, her charity was misunderstood by her stepmother, who always mistreated her. So she left home to become a hermitess at Cologne, Germany. Numerous miracles were known to have occured at her tomb (died ca. 850 A.D.).

St. Maimbod, also known as Mainbouef, was an Irish missionary. Tradition narrates that Maimbod was martyred by pagans while preaching near Kaltenbrunn in Alsace, northeastern France (died ca. 880 A.D.).

Blessed Henry Suso was a German Dominican mystic who wrote and preached much in his time. He wrote "Book of Eternal Wisdom" and an autobiography. In 1343 A.D., he was elected prior of Diessenhafen and lived in the Dominican house at Ulm, Germany, where he died on January 25, 1365 A.D.