Daily Gospel Reflection

The Freedom Test

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant where each day, we are looking for a word or a phrase or an idea in the gospel to anchor our days. Today's reading is from the Gospel of Luke, 4:31-37. "And Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His Word had authority. And in the synagogue, there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 'What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.' But Jesus rebuked him saying, 'Be silent and come out of him.' And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, 'What is this word, for with authority and power, he commands even the unclean spirits, and they come out?' And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region."

So we see here today Jesus casting out another evil spirit. And we think to ourselves, "Okay. Well, who in our lives is possessed by an evil spirit?" And we can probably think of a number of people for different reasons. And perhaps what we're being called to today is to pray for those people. But I also think that it's important for us to take a look at it and say to ourselves, "Okay. In what way am I possessed by an evil spirit? In what way am I not fully free? In what area of my life or what aspect of my life am I not fully free?" I say to people all the time, "If you're not free to say no, you're not free to say yes." People get invited to things all the time and they feel obligated, "Oh, I have to go to this. If I don't go to this, them--" it's as if the world will come down if they don't attend some specific event." And I say to them, "Do you feel free to say no?" And inevitably, they don't. And so the truth is if we don't feel free to say no, we are not free to say yes. So perhaps today's prayer or examination is what don't you feel free to say no to? Have a great day. And remember, Be Bold. Be Catholic.