January 31, 2005 - Monday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time

People in Need

Readings:
Heb 11:32-40; Ps 31:20-24  Mk 5:1-20

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
through your Son Jesus Christ
you showed your concerned love
even to the most pitiable of people.
Inspire among us too people who care,
and may our own words and gestures
always reflect the love without boundaries
of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction
       The author of Hebrews gives praise to the faith of great men and women of the Old Testament: Kings and other leaders, prophets, martyrs. Even if they did not yet know Christ, they had great faith.

First Reading: Heb 11:32-40

Do I need to say more? There is not enough time to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, as well as Samuel and the prophets. Through faith they fought and conquered nations, established justice, saw the fulfillment of God's promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the sword, were healed of their sicknesses; they were weak people who were given strength to be brave in battle and repulse foreign invaders.

Some women recovered their dead by resurrection but there were others-persecuted and tortured believers-who, for the sake of a better resurrection, refused to do what would have saved them. Others suffered chains and prison. They were stoned, sawn in two, killed by the sword. They fled from place to place with no other clothing than the skins of sheep and goats, lacking everything, afflicted, ill-treated. These people of whom the world was not worthy had to wander through wastelands and mountains, and take refuge in the dens of the land.

However, although all of them were praised because of their faith, they did not enjoy the promise because God had us in mind and saw beyond. And he did not want them to reach perfection except with us.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:20-24

R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.
R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous mercy
he has shown me in a fortified city.
R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Once I said in my anguish,
"I am cut off from your sight";
Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.
R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.
R (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel Introduction:
       On his first journey to pagan territory, Jesus cures a possessed man. Biblical scholars generally accept the historical foundation of this strange incident, namely, that Jesus took pity on a sick man and revealed his divine power to the pagans. Much of the rest may be a midrash, a sort of free allegorical theological commentary in rabbinic style. For the Jews had a very low opinion of pagans. They were slaves of demons, living in impure places of death, like tombs, and not much better than pigs. In any case, Jesus is not limited by boundaries and goes to these most alienated people, but they do not accept him. Only the man who is healed shows faith in Jesus.

Gospel Reading: Mk 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than he was met by a man with evil spirits who had come from the tombs. He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with a chain. He had often been bound with fetters and chains but he would pull the chains apart and smash the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. Night and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming and beating himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? For God’s sake I beg you, do not torment me.” He said this because Jesus had commanded, “Come out of the man, evil spirit.” And when Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” he replied, “Legion is my name, for we are many.” And all of them kept begging Jesus not to send them out of that region.

Now, a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside, and the evil spirits begged him, “Send us to the pigs and let us go into them.” So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the herd rushed down the cliff and all were drowned in the lake. The herdsmen fled and reported this in the town and in the countryside, so all the people came to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus and saw the man freed of the evil spirits sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid. And when those who had seen it told what had happened to the man and to the pigs, the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to stay with him. Jesus would not let him and said, “Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” So he went throughout the country of Decapolis telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were astonished.

Commentary

A MAN who lived among the tombs, needing to be restrained, more dead than alive whose identity is legion. They recognize Jesus' power and holiness and plead not to be destroyed. Jesus demands that they come out of the man and they flee from his Word into a herd of pigs that then rush headlong over a cliff, drowning in the lake below. The man is subdued and sitting in the presence of Jesus and all who see and hear are afraid and want Jesus to leave. And the man, wanting to stay is sent home to preach the Good News done for him and show forth the glory of God.

This is Mark's gospel and the legion is Rome. Jesus' holiness and power, his presence will demand that all that makes people live in chains, more dead than alive and without hope, leave! Evil cannot stand and is overpowered by Jesus' truth and authority. The choice is to be freed or to live inhumanly. There will be reactions of fear, but those freed are sent to release others by their lives converted, and made whole by Jesus' presence in the world.

General Intercessions

–   For the many in our harsh world who are still suffering from discrimination, treated as outcasts or nowhere welcome, we pray:

–   For all of us, that we may never see compassion as weakness or something to hide, we pray:

–   For gratitude for the gifts we have received from the Lord and for the goodness people have let us experience, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we bring bread and wine before you
to share in the thanksgiving of your Son.
With him we give you praise
for your covenant of love
and we ask you in all humility
always to remember that those around us
belong to you as much or more than we do,
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, you taught us today
that it is better to forgive than to punish,
better to help than to speak words of pity.
Help us to have toward our neighbor,
even when it is not appreciated,
the compassionate and uplifting attitude
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

To the man he had cured, Jesus said: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” Let us tell our friends how much the Lord has done for us, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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