Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

News and Notes:

From time to time, we really have to stop and ask questions like: “What has gotten into us?  Why do people made in the image and likeness of God do such bad things?  Why is our moral compass so way off kilter from time to time?  Why are we so stressed; so messed up in our values; so afraid of going against the grain of our culture when we should as followers of Christ? Why are we so scared to reject the behavior of our peer group when such a decision is called for? Why are we so hesitant to put our trust in God and live the gospel of Jesus Christ?” Perhaps, it is, in part, the work of demons that are eager to displace Christ from the throne of our hearts.

This weekend, the story of the possessed man outside the synagogue encourages us to approach Jesus once more, and ask him to release us from the clutches of all our demons.  The only power that makes demons flee is the power of Christ’s love---so we have to stay as close to Jesus as we can get, through prayer, charity and the Eucharist.

Blessings to all of you in the week ahead!