Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 31, 2022
Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.
Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.
The wisest words I have heard this school year were shared during a Morning Assembly: “Be docile. Invite the Holy Spirit into your day and be docile to how the Holy Spirit is leading you.”
This adjective, docile, evokes images of calm and peace. It is synonymous with teachable. This word’s novelty caught my attention that morning, and its message and challenge have remained with me since.
Before conveying calm or peace, today’s gospel is a sprint. It reminds me of running in Colorado because I am out of breath almost immediately. After much pleading, rushing, and running, people arrive from the surrounding countryside to observe what has happened. “And they were seized with fear.”
Rather than allowing the magnitude of the miracle to take root in their hearts, they begin pleading with Jesus to depart. He just arrived! I wish the people would simply be still. How difficult this is, though, for the doubtful crowd and for all of us today.
The healed man is truly “in his right mind,” however. With humility, he pleads to follow Jesus into the boat. Jesus has a different plan. He instructs the man to go home proclaiming the good news. With graceful docility, the man listens immediately. “And all were amazed” who heard his story.
This gospel passage—often agonizing in its progression, a tale of restlessness and seeming chaos—ends with a reunited family, quiet wonder, growing discipleship, and going home. How beautiful.
On this Feast of St. John Bosco, we remember a man whose vocation led him to be a strong, hopeful, and serene guide for rowdy and restless youth, granting them a peaceful home and a future. May we ask for similar strength to follow God’s lead, with a spirit of docility, and thereby lead others to God.
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
When he was just nine years old, St. John Bosco had a vivid dream that revealed to him the vocation that would shape his life: serving children.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Northern Italy, and his father died when he was only 2. As a boy, John dreamed that he stood in a crowd of children who were fighting and cussing and he was failing to quiet them. A mysterious lady appeared and told him, “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” As she spoke, the children turned into wild beasts and then into lambs.
John was disturbed by the dream, as he felt that what it commanded was an impossible task. Still, he could not let the vision go, and as he matured, it led him to minister to the poor and neglected boys who lived in Turin, Italy. He would perform magic tricks and juggling and acrobatics in order to gain their attention, and then he would teach them about the faith and invite them to attend Mass with him.
He soon had a constant crowd of several hundred boys following him around. When other priests or nuns tried to help, they tired or became frustrated. He had little money and many thought him to be out of his mind.
He opened several centers where young people could come to play and pray but was set back by finances and many people’s unwillingness to let a crowd of unruly children run through any property they owned. Don Bosco was undeterred and even began to let some of the children live in his home with his mother.
Money started to come in for his cause, and he opened a church for these children as well as a home and school. He encouraged boys to learn trades to become shoemakers and tailors, and persuaded many who had a vocation to the priesthood. Soon Don Bosco was serving, training, housing, and educating hundreds of boys, all with a gentleness and patience that these lost boys found nowhere else.
He became known as a popular preacher because of his eloquence and there were reports of miracles attributed to his intercession. At the height of an anti-clerical movement—when even the Jesuits had been expelled and several convents suppressed—he founded an order of priests to assist in this work with children. He named it the Salesians, after his favorite saint, St. Francis de Sales, and founded another order of women to work with girls, called the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The Salesian family also includes a community of brothers. The work of these orders continues today.
St. John Bosco died on January 31, 1888, and is honored as a patron saint of children and magicians. His story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
St. John Bosco, who loved neglected and unruly children with patience and gentleness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John Bosco is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.