By Father Andrew Kelly
The community is gathered for the Word, body and blood. The community also brings all its stories of contemporary possessions of demons that attack the community’s soul. There is no need to make a list. The community already knows well the powers that tempt the community not to follow the ways of Jesus.
The beauty of Mark’s Gospel is that when the community gathers in faith, there is a power of healing released so powerful that is capable of doing what happened in Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 1:21-28):
“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.”
The problem is this. Does the 2012 community really believe that the Word, body and blood, celebrated every Sunday, has such power to exorcise the demons that still tempt the community not to follow Jesus?
Can the community imagine itself to be so in awe of what happens during the Word, body and blood, that its only response is the acclamation from Sunday’s Gospel:
“What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
