Gospel
Lk 11:14-23
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them 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."
Reflection
When I read this Gospel, I thought about the many couples out in the world that are working toward building a future together. There are many worries on their minds, among them is bringing children into this world.
They may think about the many families that have fallen apart, and wonder, will this happen to us? How do families fall apart? What can we do to avoid division within the family?
I pray for all the priests that have the responsibility to counsel married couples. The husband and wife need to be together and not against each other. The family cannot stand if there is division.
Putting God at the center of the family and trusting Him to work in their lives will help keep it together. But just putting God in the center is still not enough, there needs to be a willingness to work with God. We are sinful creatures and in need of God's mercy and grace. We need to be open to His grace in order to receive it into our hearts. "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
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