Luminous Mysteries, pt. 2

 3. Proclaiming the Kingdom

   Who among you has never sinned? Which one of you does not rationalize why you continue to do what your own conscience would ask you to stop and reconsider? We are all sinners! We all need to repent. Come to Jesus, confess your brokenness and ask Him to forgive you. Then "do whatever He tells you to do," just like Mary told the servers at the wedding in Cana. And the story begins from there...

 "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe the good news!" This is the message that Jesus preached when He returned from the wilderness. Repentance means that we recognize what we have done wrong, and our responsibility for it. We see that we need to change our lives, and we make a solemn vow to change our habits and stop offending against God, or at the very least, to try our best and let our consciences tell us that we owe Him our apologies, and get back up to try harder. No longer can we sin, and ignore how it offends both God and our neighbors. We have to stop, and make whatever amends we can.

 And if we hear and believe, and choose to follow  and obey Him, Jesus promises to forgive our sins, and lead us into the Kingdom of God, both now and in Heaven. Jesus made an extended campaign of proclaiming the Gospel, first in Galilee, then in Judaea, and finally opening it up to include any of the gentiles who would believe and follow his teachings. He went to local synagogues to read from the prophets' scrolls and teach people about "the acceptable year of the Lord." That was what He did at Nazareth, reading from the scroll of Isaiah. He was declaring his agenda for proclaiming the good news, that He would release us from the confusion, captivity and oppression of the demons that warp our view of the world. When we are free, we can once again trust God to defend and provide for us. And as we see that happening, we can respond in obedience to love God and our neighbors.
 

When we follow Jesus, we are no longer led by our nearsighted self interest. We are reaching for higher things, choosing to do what is right rather than seeking our own advantage. This changes the world, bit by bit, allowing the Father's will to be done through us, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

4. Casting out Demons (suggested)

     "I do believe! Help my unbelief!" 

     - Mark 9:17-29 ~ "overcoming" 

Someone from the crowd came to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, I have brought to you my son. He is possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so." Jesus said to the gathering crowd, "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me." They brought the boy to Him, and when he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then He questioned his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He replied, "Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can?! Everything is possible to one who has faith!" Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help my unbelief!" Jesus looked out upon the rapidly growing crowd, then rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!" Shouting and convulsing the boy again, it came out. The boy lay limp and still as a corpse, so that many thought he was dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. Then all were amazed. Later, his disciples asked Him in private, "Master, why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer and fasting." 

A central message in Jesus' mission to Israel, and to the world, is breaking the bonds of sin. When we willingly sin, we become slaves to sin, and unwittingly allow the minions of Satan to enter and take control of our lives. These demons are often quite destructive, intending to harm us however they can. They don't want us to have the time to believe and repent, or to seek the Lord for help. They can even give us grave illness, or troublesome conditions, which challenge our faith, so we may doubt whether we deserve to be healed. And the truth is, we don't deserve it, due to our lack of faith. But Jesus knows how we want to believe, and his aid comes as a free gift, if we will ask humbly, acknowledging our sins to repent. Sometimes it may be difficult, such that we may need to prepare ourselves with prayer and fasting. But if it will serve to establish faith, in ourselves and possibly others who see it, then He is fully able to grant the miracle. All of the demons are subject to Him, even Satan himself must obey his commands, for they know that He comes with the power and authority of the Father. And yet, Jesus comes to us with the compassion and love of a brother, seeking to call us back into the Kingdom where we can share his love with one another. 

 

5. The Transfiguration of Jesus 

(5. The First Eucharist - belongs with the Theological Mysteries, on Thursday)