Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 3, 2020
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.
He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.
The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.
As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
We think of freedom today often it terms of being not restrained: I am free to do whatever I want. I answer only to myself. I decide what truth is. We are bombarded by different temptations and demons that narrow-in on our weaknesses: I’m the only one who has to know about it. Is it really that bad? We easily can become enslaved to sin when we make selfish choices based solely on what we alone deem to be right and wrong. This too cannot be true freedom.
Pope Saint John Paul II said, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” As Christians, we have guidance in knowing what is right and wrong—in knowing what we ought to do. Christ guides us through Scripture, his Church, and the Holy Spirit.
The man in the gospel becomes free only when he encounters Jesus. His demons are removed, and only then is he in his right mind. Why? Jesus, who is Truth, has set him free. Liberated, the man now is sent on mission to proclaim the good news of the Lord’s mercy.
We encountered Jesus at our Baptism and we encounter him at every celebration of the Mass in the Word and the Eucharist. May we be open to each of these encounters with Christ, for only he can set us truly free. And then we can go out and proclaim how much Jesus has done for us—and all will be amazed.
Prayer
Our days, O God, are often spent in the midst of a world that is filled with the mystery of human weakness. We experience bewilderment and disorder as we attempt to decipher the contradictions of mind and spirit. Many of our brothers and sisters often give up hope of rediscovering peace of mind and right judgment. With the help of your divine grace, O Lord, help us to understand that our daily life is not to be understood as conflict and confusion, but rather as an opportunity to grow in tranquility and holiness. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Many Catholics are familiar with St. Blaise because he is associated with a special blessing of the throats that is given on this day.
Blaise was born to a wealthy family of noble heritage in present-day Armenia in the fourth century. He received a good education—some accounts tell us that he was a physician before he was named a bishop.
During a persecution of Christians, Blaise escaped arrest by living in a cave. There are many stories about him interacting with wild animals during his hiding. People sought him out there to ask for his intercession because he was known for curing the sick.
One woman came to him with her little boy, who was close to dying because he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. Blaise healed the boy; this event and others like it has made him the patron saint of those with throat trouble.
He was eventually discovered and brought to authorities. While he was being transported to prison, the arresting party came across a poor woman in distress. The woman depended upon her pig for her livelihood, but a wolf had carried the pig away. At the command of St. Blaise, the wolf returned it unharmed.
While he was imprisoned, Blaise was beaten and starved. The woman whose pig he saved brought him food, and she also brought him candles so that he would not have to sit in the dark of his dungeon. Eventually, Blaise was tortured and beheaded.
The story of the throat miracle and the candles in the dungeon are the origins of the special blessing of the throats that is given today with candles. Traditionally, the candles are blessed on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.
Priests hold these candles in the shape of an “X” and place them over the head or under the chin, and extend this prayer: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
The Church prays in a special way today for all of those who are sick as well as those who care for them. St. Blaise’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Blaise, who saved a boy from choking to death and intercedes for those facing illness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Blaise is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
