Friends,
in today’s Gospel Jesus is accused of being in league with Satan. Some
of the witnesses said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Jesus’
response is wonderful in its logic and laconicism: "If a kingdom is
divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will
not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is
divided, he cannot stand."
The demonic power is always one of scattering. It breaks up communion. But Jesus, as always, is the voice of communio, of one bringing things back together.
Think
back to Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand. Facing a large, hungry
crowd, his disciples beg him to "dismiss the crowds so that they can go
to the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus answers, "There
is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves."
Whatever
drives the Church apart is an echo of this "dismiss the crowds"
impulse, and a reminder of the demonic tendency to divide. In times of
trial and threat, this is a very common instinct. We blame, attack,
break up, and disperse. But Jesus is right: "There is no need for them
to go away."
Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 317
Christ is mediator of a new covenant:
since a death has taken place
for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant,
those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus,
"He is possessed by Beelzebul," and
"By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
"How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,
he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder his house.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies
that people utter will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin."
For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
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