The illness can only be driven out only by Prayer

The illness can only be driven out only by Prayer

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

Jam. 3:13-18, Mk 9:14-29. According to today's first reading, spiritual health and welfare come to those who seek wisdom. The wisdom that brings integrity comes from above and it is innocent, peaceable, lenient, docile, rich in sympathy with kindly deeds. Our spirituality can only be improved upon if we avoid hypocrisy and in wisdom seek true peace: "Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; there no trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it."

To avoid giving in to hypocrisy, Jesus comments that "this illness can be driven out only by prayer" when the disciples confronted a fearful experience of evil in the valley. When the spiritual experience deepens, we see God better and we can also be able to understand evil better. Our closeness to God enables us to distinguish evil better and to know that Jesus will take us through it safely. Yet, it is surprising that the disciples were not able to expel the evil spirit as they came down the mountain after experiencing reassuring presence of God. Each of us may feel this from time to time. Our faith is dented when major trouble comes our way. It is hard to reconcile our faith with what is happening to us. Faith can be severely tested when we struggle with the darker side of life. When our faith is put to the test, we need to pray all the more, to cope with the struggle and come through it. Even when all seems lost, we need to keep reaching out, like the man in today's Gospel, whose prayer was finally heard.

May the Lord restore our hope and build up our faith on the solid rock! Amen!! Good morning and have a productive week!!!

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