Reading 1
Am 5:14-15, 21-24
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts,
be with you as you claim!
Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.
I hate, I spurn your feasts, says the LORD,
I take no pleasure in your solemnities;
Your cereal offerings I will not accept,
nor consider your stall-fed peace offerings.
Away with your noisy songs!
I will not listen to the melodies of your harps.
But if you would offer me burnt offerings,
then let justice surge like water,
and goodness like an unfailing stream.
Gospel
Mt 8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
Meditation: Matthew 8:28-34
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. (Matthew 8:28)
Can you imagine what it must have been like to live in the area of the Gadarenes while these two demoniacs were on the loose? Perhaps some townsfolk had already been molested by them, and word had gotten out. “Stay away from that area! There are a couple of violent lunatics just waiting to pounce!” Imagine how their presence must have interrupted the flow of trade, made family visits difficult, and given people pause before going to visit the tombs of their beloved relatives.
But with just one word from Jesus, the two men were delivered. Their demonic tormentors were cast out of them, and their violent rampage came to an end. Not only were they set free but everyone around them was able to come and go once again. Life returned to normal—even better than normal!
Let’s take this image and apply it to the way our minds work. Think about what happens when someone says something hurtful to you or when someone does something that disappoints you greatly. If you don’t turn to the Lord for help, the thoughts that arise from this situation could fester inside and become an occasion for the devil to harass you with anger, resentment, guilt, or fear. The memory of the hurt could become so strong that you find it hard to think of anything else. It’s as if all other “travelers” have been held hostage to these thoughts.
It’s in these situations that we can ask Jesus to break the thoughts just as he set these demoniacs free. Jesus can break the cycle of recrimination and put our minds at ease. He can help us calm our minds and bring peace where there was torment. He can show us the way to forgiveness. He can even suggest an action step or two that we can take to set ourselves free.
We don’t have to be caught up in past hurts! We don’t have to be subject to them! Jesus has the power to teach us how to think with him so that we are no longer tossed around by our emotions. All we have to do is cry out to him, and he will set us free.
“Lord, please set me free from my wounded memories. I want nothing to block the path that leads to you!”
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