Gospel Reflection 2-1-07

One of the ways we prayed on retreat was to read the day's Gospel and then briefly meditate on it, listening for God's voice as we do. It's pretty easy and has been very fruitful for me. Here's today's reading:

Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two-by-two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick -- no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

My thoughts:

How electrifying to be sent out with power over unclean spirits! And unarmed! This must have taken a great deal of faith, even for people who were sent by Christ himself. I find it interesting that they go off, preach repentance, and then drive out the demons. It makes me think of the demons that I have in my own life (both literal and metaphorical) that I entertain because I am too lazy or unwilling to repent. From this reading it seems clear that the Gospel and demons can't inhabit the same dwelling. One of them has to go.

In my own life I've noticed that one of them also leaves a lot more quietly than the other. After my weekend of repentance and recommitment to Christ, I find that the unlcean spirits I struggle against (anger, sloth, disorder) are leaving but they mock me as they exit. And they dilly dally asking if I said something, looking for any excuse to come back in.