Daily Reflections ...

Driving to the parish this week, I was listening to a secular radio station. The host was asking for people to phone in if they had ever experienced possession. This was a strange request. A young man called in to share that he believed he had been possessed last year by demons. He described the moment he remembered feeling very different in himself and what followed was incredibly surreal and scary. He said he started having thoughts of self-harm, developed terrible fetishes and would hear voices telling him to do evil things. He told the listeners that he had gone to several doctors for help, and no treatment had cured him. He shared that one day out of desperation he went to his local church. After they prayed with him, he told us that Jesus had saved him – he was free and well again. This young man said that before this dark episode in his life, he was an atheist but now he is a Christian and owes his life and freedom to Jesus. What a testimony!

In today’s Gospel the man possessed by a demon would’ve felt the same relief and freedom when Jesus cast out the impure spirit. All the onlookers were amazed at Jesus’ authority and power As we progress through the Gospel of Luke chapters, we learn that Jesus passes this authority and power onto his disciples.

The authority that Jesus passed on was not brute force but delegated power and authority from God. We too are disciples of Jesus. Are you aware of your authority and power in Christ? This means that you are backed up by the power of God’s grace, healing and peace. We, too can rely on God’s power to pray for people in need and miracles can happen.

by Vanessa Comninos