VICTORY AGAINST THE EVIL KINGDOM - 1/23/23 (Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time)

Mark 3:22–24

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Be-elzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” 

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012323.cfm

Blessed Monday! As Jesus began His ministry, He healed many people who were sick, and He casted away many demons. However, these Divine moments were not enough for the Pharisees and the scribes. Because of their pride, they remained spiritually blind, and they even accused Jesus of being possessed by an evil spirit and of using the powers of the evil spirits. This is an obvious blasphemy to God who loves us and who has been merciful with us. At the same time, the examples of the Pharisees and the scribes showed us the effects of sin in their souls and minds. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of Satan, and that Satan would not want to have a divided Kingdom. Besides just showing us how illogical their beliefs were, our Lord also revealed that the kingdom of hell, led by Satan, were all united in bringing souls to them for eternity. At first, the demons will tempt people of false promises such as satisfactions, happiness, riches, pleasures and many more, just to offend God and disobey Him. As time goes by, when people turn away from God, they may not see how they allow Satan to enter their lives and bind them to darkness. They will be surprised that all of the promises of Satan, the father of all lies, are just lies after all. This evil kingdom is a kingdom that invades the souls of people and destroys them. 

This is so different compared to the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom that shares freely its treasures to all people, and this is the gift of salvation. This is the Kingdom that invites everyone to everlasting life. Let's remember that the exorcisms of Jesus should give us hope. It's because no matter how united the kingdom of the demons are, they will always be defeated by our Lord. By depending on Jesus and trusting in Him, we will always be victorious against the temptations of numerous evil spirits. When Jesus warned the scribes of the eternal sin which could never be forgiven, He was speaking of the mortal or grave sins of people who never repented, even at the last moment of their lives. And yet, this should also be understood in light of God's mercy. He has given us many opportunities in our lives  to repent of our sins and deepen our love for Him. If we have committed grave sins, let's not be afraid to seek the forgiveness of God, especially in the sacrament of confession. When we are tempted to commit sins, even to sins that some people treat as small such as lying, let's always turn to Jesus and beg for His strength to resist such temptations. Today, in the US, the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children is also celebrated. Even though some women had the unfortunate past of abortion and even though some people supported it in the past, let's not lose hope because by God's mercy, He will grant healing to those who had traumatic experiences and bring conversion to humble souls. May we pray for the protection of the unborn, for the eternal repose of the unborn children who died, for the health and enlightenment of the mothers, for the intentions of pro-life people, and for the conversion of people, especially pro-abortion supporters. The Kingdom of God will always be victorious against the kingdom of evil.  

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/january-22-day-of-prayer-for-the-legal-protection-of-unborn-children-usa-memorial/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth