Skip to main content

I do believe, but help the little faith I have


¡Creo, pero ayuda mi poca fe!


Gospel text (Mc 9,14-29): When Jesus came to the place where they had left the disciples, they saw many peo­ple around and some teachers of the Law arguing with them. When the people saw Jesus, they were astonished and ran to greet him. He asked, «What are you arguing about with them?». A man answered him from the crowd, «Master, I brought my son to you for he has a dumb spirit. Whenever the spirit seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes stiff all over. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not».

Jesus replied, «You faithless people. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me». And they brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it shook and convulsed the boy who fell on the ground and began rolling about, foaming at the mouth. Then Jesus asked the father, «How long has this been happening to him?». He replied, «From childhood. And it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us». Jesus said to him, «Why do you say: ‘If you can?’ All things are possible for one who believes». Immediately the father of the boy cried out, «I do believe, but help the little faith I have».

Jesus saw that the crowd was increasing rapidly, so he ordered the evil spirit, «Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you: Leave the boy and never enter him again». The evil spirit shook and convulsed the boy and with a terrible shriek came out. The boy lay like a corpse and people said, «He is dead». But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him and the boy stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, «Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?». And he answered, «Only prayer can drive out this kind, nothing else».

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples

Gospel text ( L uke 11,1-4): One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when He had finished, one of his disciples said to him, «Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples». And Jesus said to them, «When you pray, say this: Father, hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also for-give all who do us wrong, and do not bring us to the test»

Money

Is money the ultimate goal, the end of all means? Nowadays, it seems, everything is not just measured in terms of money, but everything needs to be, has to be, in terms of money. Money is set as the goal, over anything. Money is meant to be just a media for exchange of goods and services, not a goal on itself, yet our society has corrupted onto making of money a statement beyond life, family, marriage and most definitively above love and truth. Such a philosophy has degraded our souls to the point of denying everything that is in conflict with the value of money. Even when charity is concerned, it seems mercy can only be measured in monetary terms, as if charity could be measured by anyone except God alone. If there is crusade or cause to be enrolled, the only acceptable way has been institutionalized as the amount of money it can be contributed, regardless of the individual efforts that could be applied or spent.

A matter of life or death

Maybe I am the only one in Ontario, ‘experiencing’ a confrontation with the 407ETR corporation, or maybe not. So far it seems the fact is that I am not, that many out there are subjected to billing from the corporation. No, I am not saying unfair, discriminatory or any of the kind, but I am going to say, unsupported and unsubstantiated. The issue of the matter is that the corporation, for some presumably important reason, is blessed by the province of Ontario to have the ability to stop the licensing of any individual who fail to pay the corporation anything they ask for even if they apparently, are not able to support with facts what they claim.