SAINT JOHN BOSCO, PRIEST (MEMORIAL)

The man . . . began to proclaim . . . what Jesus had done for him. 

Today’s Gospel recounts one of the most dramatic exorcisms Jesus performed. The possessed man, described only by the “unclean spirit” that tormented him day and night, is a frightening presence among the Gerasenes (Mark 5:2). He frequently cries out and harms himself. His community tries to protect him and themselves by binding him with chains, but they are powerless to help. He simply breaks the chains and continues to be tormented and to torment others.

After some back-and-forth with the unclean spirits, Jesus sends them into a herd of swine, and the man is dramatically set free. Suddenly, his shame and his torment are replaced with a “right mind,” and in place of his isolation and rejection, he receives a call to share his transformation with others: “Go . . . and announce . . . all that the Lord in his pity has done for you” (Mark 5:15,19). He doesn’t just have a message—he is the message. And he uses his experience to tell everyone he meets that Jesus has come to deliver them too.

What has Jesus delivered you from? Probably not a demon, but maybe harassment or the lies of the evil one? Healing in your body or in your heart? Transformation in your mindset or in your marriage? Has Jesus given you his peace in place of anxiety? Forgiveness of your sins? If so, then you are the perfect candidate for sharing that good news with others!

You may not know quite what to say, but simply living out and sharing what Jesus has done in your life can give someone hope that he is still at work in the world today. And if you need healing, transformation, or peace, why not ask a priest or some close friends to pray for or with you?

Jesus longs to give you greater freedom. Just as the people in today’s Gospel were amazed when the delivered man told them what Jesus had done for him, so too let the people around you know what Jesus has done for you. May they too be amazed and filled with hope!

“Jesus, thank you for all that you have done for me and for making me a witness to your deliverance.”

2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13
Psalm 3:2-7
Mark 5:1-20