At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him.
Luke 4:40-42

Reflection:
We had first read about Simon's mother and her fever being rebuked, where she was able to get up and serve those who were there. To another part where many sick came seeking to be cured. The testimony of those who were filled with demons, for all to hear that Jesus is the Son of God, is quite something. Imagine that, it took demons to say who Jesus really is.But Jesus in his humble way rebuked them to be silent. It was for mankind to understand this on their own.

We read of Jesus going off to a deserted place. Not to escape from doing what is asked of him, but to purify himself, to renew and refresh. From this we are given his example of having to rest in order to refresh our souls by placing ourselves in God's hands and leaving at his feet all we have taken upon ourselves for the sake of his kingdom. Jesus didn't go off for weeks on end, but for brief periods to pray.

What stops us from doing the same in our everyday life, taking time to pray and renew our spirit. To give what clutters our life over to God. Taking moments of silence to listen, and giving moments of silence to conversation to our Lord in return. These are the moments we create our deserted place to renew and refresh our lagging spirit.

All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed. Romans 3:23-25

Reflection:
We are all sinners, and we lose out on the glory of God. It's amazing when we release the sins that bind us, how we feel afterward. Can we then say we understand at that moment what it is to feel the glory of God. It's awesome isn't it. But then when we do sin, we take it away.

I was thinking about this, because when we do not let go of what truly binds and clogs our hearts from God, we do not understand or know the presence of God. It is in the releasing of sin, that we come to know God and his glory. How can I explain something that has been felt, and the difference when it is not, because of sin. As I encounter others who love and know our Lord, who have had the grace to to be rewarded for their faithfulness to Him, they know the glory of God from their faith.

Without Jesus freeing us by his redemption we would not know of the glory of God. His life was given for us freely so we would know him. It is our selfish nature's that remove us from the glory of God. Where he gives us freely his love, we often turn away from it, because we lack undersanding of God's divine nature.

When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28-30

Reflection:
There are two things that happen in this reading: 1. Jesus was spoken of highly by those who were there, and 2. They heard, and all were filled with fury, and rose up, to drive him from the town. Touchy people aren't they, that they could not listen to honesty from one of their own.

Now I can understand, why when someone we love tells us something about our loves that needs fixing and we go off on a bender and literally drive them away. All because we don't want to hear what is being said. Yet prior to it we would be doing the same as the elders in the synagogue, that of talking highly of the one who cares about us.

In our daily life we encounter much as Jesus had but in a different way, we don't go around healing and driving out demons. But we hopefully love each other enough to accept honesty from another for any errors we do not see in ourselves.

I remember once my reaction to such loving honesty, I reacted the same as the one's in today's reading. I too had become furious and attempted to drive them out of my life. The only thing that saved me from dire consequences was the fact that the anger was short lived and I listened to the honesty given.
This enabled me to fix what was wrong with me. Today I can write about this with the Holy Spirit's help in acknowledging that the scriptures bear much truth, and love does conquer all.

Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile." Mark 7: 15, 20-23

Reflection:
What would affect us if we let it enter into our hearts and minds?

As I attended class this whole year, I was within hearing of a woman who swore constantly. Or made comments about the relationship of her and her spouse, that were of a sexual nature. Since this is what comes from her mouth, it is in her heart and mind as well as her soul.

On my end who hear these things, it will not affect me unless I take it to heart and begin to think thoughts that defile my soul. Or I too begin to swear, using the epitaph of the day, just to look cool, when in fact it would do the opposite.Because in those moments my heart is nothing, I took the goodness away from it.

What we hear will not harm or defile, unless it takes root within our soul and causes us to think, feel and act upon what we hear. What we are letting into our hearts, when what comes out of another may foul the ears of our souls.

It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Matthew 25:14-15

Reflection:
This is a hard one, especially for those who are going through a purification process. And for many it is a rejoicing that they have received the worldly riches that they have come to know.

But remember this is a parable and not necessarily what it is about. We have been accustomed to understand that it has to do with whether or not we take care of what we have as money and how we invest it. But what if it about love and how well we give it out to others. When we give love we receive love, but if we give it half way we only receive it half way in return. And when we don't give any love at all, we never receive it in return.

Since Jesus used parables, he used what would make sense to a world that lives off of the world. How else would it be possible to reach people who live according to what they make and how they treat others because of it.

When we love, we store much more in heaven than we do on earth, we truly are rich then. But not in the way of material wealth. Many would argue this is not what this parable is about, but when we think about it and what gifts we are given to love those around us, and how we use them or not use those gifts shows us how we take care of what has been entrusted to us. Love is a very special gift that we have and one that we often bury so others will not know of it.

In a sense we turned love into something that no one should feel today. It's not the in thing. And our young one's are seeking the physical love to replace a love that has been buried. Do we bury the love we have so others will not know we have this gift. Or do we invest it, and watch it grow.