July is known as the month of The Precious Blood of Christ. Take a moment to look it up. And today is the feast day of St Junipero Serra. He has been in the news lately. Google Junipero Serra to find the truth. And then google Serra clubs. Maybe we could use a Serra club in our cluster?
Here is link to our readings for the day:
English: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/070120.cfm
Spanish: http://usccb.org/bible/lecturas/070120.cfm
Demons and Pigs
Many of us remember the story of the pigs. There were a couple of men who were possessed by demons. When Jesus asks the demons what is their name, they answer Legion. Legion in Roman times meant 6,000 men in service to Caesar. That would be a lot of demons and a lot of torment to those individuals attacked by Legion. The demons know who Jesus is. They do not want to fight Jesus. I am sure they know they would lose. So, they asked to be sent into the herd of swine. So here is another piece of culture. Pigs were ritually unclean. No Jew would be near or even think of raising pigs.
Now we need to realize where this is taking place is in a community known as Gadarene. It was a pagan area. This means the people there did not know the Jewish faith. Maybe they would have known that pigs were considered unclean by the Jews. No matter what it would have been a difficult life if your livelihood depended upon something that no one wanted.
The demons enter the pigs, run down the cliff into the sea, and drown. We are not told what happens to demons. Since they are spirits, I do not think spirits can drown. What is remarkable is that the local people do not want Jesus to remain there. For us, who strive to develop a relationship with Jesus, this is unheard of. Why wouldn’t you want Jesus to remain? Well, if you did not understand the Jewish faith and your livelihood had just been destroyed, perhaps we can understand why they would not want Jesus to remain.
I think there is an element of evangelization in everything Jesus does. By destroying the pigs, Jesus takes away one of the obstacles to becoming Jewish. He is preparing them slowly to learn that they, too, need to depend upon God. The second step of His evangelization process is not to listen to the Gadarenes and leave. A sign that evangelization takes time. The people have not learned of God and do not have a desire to have God in their lives. Eventually they will. Jesus makes a return trip to this area. And when He does, He is welcomed into their community. Jesus planted the seed, gave the people time to internalize what they heard and saw, and then returned to teach some more. Not everything, but some more. The simple steps of evangelization.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Fr Ed Anderson
Email: fatheredanderson[at]gmail.com
Phone: 715.817.3736
St. Joseph Church – Rice Lake
Holy Trinity – Haugen
St. John the Evangelist – Birchwood
Our Lady of Lourdes – Dobie
