Brethren, be followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has delivered Himself for us, an oblation, and a sacrifice to God, for an odour of sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not as much as be named among you, as becomes saints; nor obscurity, nor foolish talking, nor scurrility, which is to no purpose; but rather giving of thanks: for know this and understand, that no fornicator, nor unclean, nor covetous person, which is a serving of idols, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things comes the anger of God on the children of unbelief Be not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness; but now light in the Lord. Walk, then, as children of the light; for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.Thanks be to God.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The Apostle, speaking to the faithful of Ephesus, reminds them how they once were darkness, but note, he says, you are Light in the Lord...
We were sanctified almost as soon as we came into the world. Have we been faithful to our Baptism? We, heretofore, were Light. How comes it that we are now darkness? The beautiful likeness to our Heavenly Father, which was once upon us, is perhaps quite gone! But, thanks to Divine Mercy, we may recover it. Let us do so, by again renouncing Satan and his idols. Let our repentance and penance restore within us that Light, whose fruit consists in all goodness, justice, and truth.Gospel – Luke xi. 14‒28
At that time, Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke and the multitudes were in admiration at it. But some of them said, “He casts out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils.” And others tempting, asked of Him a sign from heaven. But seeing their thoughts, He said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be brought to desolation, and house upon house will fall. And if Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I, by the finger of God, cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man armed keeps his court, those things which he possesses are in peace. But if one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he will take away all his armour in which he trusted and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with me, is against me, and he that gathers not with me, scatters. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through places without water, seeking rest, and not finding, he says, ‘I will return into my house from where I came out,’ and when he has come, he finds it swept and garnished. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd raising her voice said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that gave you to suck.” But He said, “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.”Praise be to you, O Christ.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
As soon as Jesus had cast out the devil, the man recovered his speech, for the possession had made him dumb. It is an image of what happens to a sinner who will not, or dare not, confess his sin. If he confessed it and asked pardon he would be delivered from the tyranny which now oppresses him. Alas! How many there are who are kept back by a dumb devil from making the Confession that would save them! The holy Season of Lent is advancing. These days of grace are passing away. Let us profit by them, and if we ourselves be in the state of grace, let us offer up our earnest prayers for sinners that they may speak, that is, may accuse themselves in Confession and obtain pardon.
Let us also listen, with holy fear, to what our Saviour tells us with regard to our invisible enemies. They are so powerful and crafty that our resistance would be useless unless we had God on our side, and his holy Angels who watch over us and join us in the great combat. It was to these unclean and hateful spirits of Hell that we delivered ourselves when we sinned: we preferred their tyrannical sway to the sweet and light yoke of our compassionate Redeemer. Now we are set free, or are hoping to be so. Let us thank our Divine Liberator, but let us take care not to re-admit our enemies. Our Saviour warns us of our danger. They will return to the attack. They will endeavour to force their entrance into our soul after it has been sanctified by the Lamb of the Passover. If we be watchful and faithful, they will be confounded and leave us, but if we be tepid and careless, if we lose our appreciation of the grace we have received and forget our obligations to Him who has saved us, our defeat is inevitable, and as our Lord says, our last state is to be worse than the first.
Would we avoid such a misfortune? Let us meditate on those other words of our Lord in today’s Gospel: He that is not with me is against me. What makes us fall back into the power of Satan and forget our duty to our God is that we do not frankly declare ourselves for Jesus when occasions require us to do so. We try to be on both sides, we have recourse to subterfuge, we temporise: this takes away our energy. God no longer gives us the abundant graces we received when we were loyal and generous. Our relapse is all but certain. Therefore, let us be boldly and unmistakeably with Christ. He that is a soldier of Jesus, should be proud of his title!
HAVING now passed the fourteenth day of this Season which forms the tithe of our year, we lift up our eyes to you, O Lord, who dwells in Heaven. Show mercy to the miserable, and heal them that are wounded. Grant that the journey we have begun may be prosperous. Direct our hearts in the way of your commandments. Through you may we find the way of light: through you may we be inflamed with the bright burning of your love. Grant rest to our labours, and a home to us that labour, that having gained your good pleasure by our observance of these days, we may deserve to be partakers of your glory. Amen.
