November 20, 2022
March 24, 2022
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
Luke 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.”
Reading today’s Gospel, I am reminded that when people give speeches today, they tend to have a positive crowd. When they don’t, they have security remove the troublemakers.
Jesus didn’t always have the luxury of a positive crowd. In today’s Gospel we hear the age-old battle of good vs. evil. Jesus is the Good and those in the crowd trying to diminish his message are the Evil.
I think, we are the crowd. Inside of us is this same battle of good vs. evil. We are a house too easily divided. Sometimes listening to Jesus and others listening to Satan.
I feel, if we are completely honest, we will admit that there are times when the evil in us bubbles to the surface. We gossip, we cheat, we lie, we hurt others and there is only one suit of armor to save us from this duality in our nature – prayer. We must pray to God to give us the strength to overcome that evil and forgive our weakness in giving into it from time to time. During this time of Lent, we should be especially aware of that shade in us.
As our world today seems hell bent on descending into Chaos, we have the responsibility of being more God like. God always brings Good from something Evil. We must search out the Good in every circumstance.
We cannot allow Evil to win.
At least that’s what I heard Him say…
What I Heard Him Say 
You always deliver inspirational homilies.! Cindy & Charles
Sent from my iPhone
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Thank you. I’d love to claim them as mine but the Holy Spirit forms these messages. I’m only a wordsmith.
But it’s exciting to hear they are well received.
Maybe I’ll try to do more.
Blessings.
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Thank you for sharing what you hear Him say! I am listening as always! This is so good my precious friend and brother in Christ.
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My high school crush still reading. That is a great honor. Hope you are doing well. You’ve been missing too long.
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the honor is mine. I look forward to reading everything you “hear him say”. I love to read over the homilies you sent to me in the past as well. I am doing well, thank you. His strength is perfect when my strength is gone.
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