7 September 2012 The cure of the child possessed by a devil “The nature of God is goodness”, says St Leo. Jesus here gives a proof. He bids the father, to whom he had directed a well-merited rebuke, to bring his son. “When the spirit saw Jesus coming, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell.” (cf Mk 9:20) Two things emerge -- 1. God’s anger, which in the next world are eternal, but here fleeting, are often, like heralds announcing his mercy. Our hope and confidence should remain firm, even when God chastises us or seems to forsake us. 2. When we firmly resolve to avoid sin or tepidity, the devil redoubles his efforts to overthrow us, to make us desperate or disheartened. Beware of this trap. Jesus, seeing the child rolling on the ground and foaming, “asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ He replied, ‘From childhood. If you can do anything, have pity on us, help us.’ Jesus told him, ‘All things are possible for one who believes’.” Realizing that his doubt about the power of Jesus stood in the way of the favor he asked, the father “cried with tears, ‘I do believe; help my little faith’”. (cf Mk 9:21-23) He meant: ‘I do believe as far as I can; of your mercy supply what is lacking; help me to believe as I ought.’ Let us imitate this father. Do what we can, ask God to do the rest; then wait. St Augustine’s words were adopted by the Council of Trent: ‘God does not demand of us impossible things; he means us to do our utmost, to ask for what we cannot do, and he helps us do it.’ Are we content with simply asking? Or, presuming on our strength, neglect to pray? The father’s faith, now made perfect is rewarded. “Jesus ordered the evil spirit, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, leave the boy and never enter him again’.” (cf Mk 9:25) The devil obeyed, in the manner of a devil: “... shook and convulsed the boy and with a terrible shriek came out. The boy lay like a corpse and people said, ‘He is dead’. But Jesus took him by the hand, lifted him and he stood up.” (cf Mk 9:26-7) “Jesus restored him to his father. All were astonished at the mighty power of God.” (cf Lk 9:42-3) Presented here is a picture of the violent disturbance into which the devil throws a soul that he is compelled to leave. It is a kind of agony, but one through which a soul passes from death to life, from habitual tepidity to fervor, to the full vigor of the spiritual life. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp568-70 The power of prayer The episode of the epileptic boy’s cure shows both Christ’s omnipotence and the power of prayer full of faith. Because of his deep union with Christ, a Christian shares, through faith, in God’s omnipotence, to such an extent that Jesus actually says on another occasion, “he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father” (Jn 14:12). Our Lord tells the Apostles that if they had faith they would be able to work miracles, to move mountains. “Moving mountains” was probably a proverbial saying. God would certainly let a believer move a mountain if that were necessary for his glory and edification of our neighbor. However, Christ’s promise is fulfilled everyday in a much more exalted way. Some Fathers of the Church (eg, St Jerome, St Augustine) say “a mountain is moved” every time someone is divinely aided to do something which exceeds man’s natural powers. This clearly happens in the work of our sanctification, which the Paraclete effects in our souls, when we are docile to him and receive with faith and love the grace given us in the sacraments. We benefit from the sacraments to a greater or lesser degree depending on the dispositions with which we receive them. Sanctification is something much more sublime than moving mountains, and it is something which is happening every day in so many holy souls, even though most people do not notice it. Ref: “The Navarre Bible”, “The Gospel of St Matthew”, p151 Mary’s silence during the public life of Jesus “Silence is indispensable for keeping things and pondering them in one’s heart. Profundity of thought can develop only in a climate of silence. Too much chatter exhausts our inner strength; it dissipates everything in our heart.” (cf J Guitton, “The Virgin Mary”, Madrid 1964) Our Lady did not understand everything at once in its entirety. Perhaps eventually she learned to smile at her dialogue with the Angel during the Annunciation; or her lament on finding the young Jesus at the Temple although He was only doing His Father’s business. (cf Federico Suarez, “Mary of Nazareth”, 1994, p155) The Virgin kept a discreet silence during the three years of her Son’s public life. She was not unduly affected by his departure from home, the enthusiasm of the crowds or the sensational reports of his miracles. Mary certainly missed the company of Jesus. The Evangelists record the generous women who accompanied the Master and his disciples (cf Lk 8:2-3), but they say nothing of Mary in this regard. Whenever it was possible, of course, Mary would go to see her Son, to listen to him, to speak with him. “In the course of her Son’s preaching she received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, he declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully doing.” (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 58) Jesus loves Mary more because of ties of grace rather than those of nature. We must be souls of prayer to properly understand the message of Jesus. The Christian must temper his “impatience and anxiety to the slow plodding of time. He learns the lesson that every seed needs time to germinate in the earth, take root and break forth from the soil. A person may find this process extremely dull and taxing. ... no matter, for it is essential to a plant’s growth. ... a tree will spread out its limbs in accordance with the depths of its roots.” (F Delclaux, “The silent creator”, Madrid 1969) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 5:77-9 • Vigil of the Nativity of 0ur Lady, instituted by Gregory II, about the year 722. — Balinghaia on the Calendar. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady of “Consolata”. Turin, Italy. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • “Madonna della Consolata”. Turin, Italy. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Zyrowice. Poland. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)