UNCLEAN SPIRITS ABOUND IN THE CHURCH – Father Joey Belcina

Minglanilla 1/29/12:  4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Relating what he has seen in the movie, ANGELI E DEMONI, Father Joey says that the Devil has been in and out in houses of worship and that it is not afraid of the Cross as believed.  He relates that the unclean spirit in Verse 24 of Mark 1 was in fact inside a Jewish Synagogue and shouting at Jesus it said:

24  What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who are you:  the Holy One of God. (NJB)

Father Joey says that the commotion was an indirect introduction of the Messiah which in this case was a confession only of Knowledge but not in Faith.  The unclean must have known Jesus long before the Angelic Revolt and it could be one of the Fallen Angels (angeli caduti) or a new recruit, a frequent visitor of the Synagogue who got agitated by the presence of Jesus. 

And how did Jesus disposed of the unclean?  He did so in this manner:  

25  But Jesus rebuked it saying, 'Be quiet! Come out of him!'

26  And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.  (NJB)

Then Father Joey recalls a parallel incident in the gospel of Matthew in Chapter 16 (herewith detailed for emphasis):

13  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of man is?'”

14 And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'”

15 But you,' He said, 'who do you say I am?'”

16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'”   (NJB)

Father Joey emphasizes that although the event was an earlier case of indirect introduction of the Mesiah, it was by far of a different light.  The declaration of Simon Peter is one of Faith –  of the Knowledge revealed to him by the Father in Heaven.

Knowing Jesus, we accept Him by Faith and by accepting Him, we follow Him in Obedience that we may become One in Him as He is with the Father.  This is blessedness!

Father Joey ended his homily by enjoining everybody at the pew to be watchful of unclean spirits who are working very hard to snatch us from Jesus.

I believe he was also referring to those who continue to create divisiveness in the Parish; those who claim to be champions of truth but are becoming impertinent as if the world is ended today beyond the reach of understanding and love.

THE FULL GOSPEL OF ST. MARK

Chapter One (New Jerusalem Bible)

21 They went as far as Capernaum, and at once on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach.

22 And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.

23 And at once in their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he shouted,

24 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.'

25 But Jesus rebuked it saying, 'Be quiet! Come out of him!'

26 And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.

27 The people were so astonished that they started asking one another what it all meant, saying, 'Here is a teaching that is new, and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.'

28 And his reputation at once spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

29 And at once on leaving the synagogue, he went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew.