From: Mark 9:14-29

The Curing of an Epileptic Boy

[14] And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them,
and scribes arguing with them. [15] And immediately all the crowd when they
saw Him (Jesus), were greatly amazed, and ran up to Him and greeting Him.
[16] And He asked them, "What are you discussing with them?" [17] And one
of the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a
dumb spirit; [18] and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams
and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked Your disciples to cast it
out, and they were not able." [19] And He answered them, "Oh faithless gene-
ration, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring
him to Me."

[20] And they brought the boy to Him; and when the spirit saw Him, immediately
it convulsed the body, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the
mouth. [21] And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he
said, "From childhood. [22] And it has often cast him into the fire and into the
water, to destroy him; but if You can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
[23] And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who be-
lieves." [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help
my unbelief!" [25] And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, He
rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command
you, come out of him, and never enter him again." [26] After crying out and con-
vulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of
them said, "He is dead." [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up,
and he arose. [28] And when He had en- tered the house, His disciples asked
Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" [29] And He said to them, "This
kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting."

Commentary:

17. The demon who possessed this boy is described as a "dumb spirit" be-
cause dumbness was the main feature of the possession. On diabolic pos-
session cf. note on Matthew 12:22-24.

19-24. As on other occasions, Jesus requires submission of faith before He
works the miracle. The exclamation of Jesus refers to the request of the boy's
father (verse 22), which seemed to suggest some doubt about God's omnipo-
tence. The Lord corrects this way of asking and requires him to have firm faith.
In verse 24 we can see that the father has quite changed; then Jesus does the
miracle. The man's strengthened faith made him all-powerful, for someone with
faith relies not on himself but on Jesus Christ. Through faith, then, we become
sharers in God's omnipotence. But faith is a gift of God, which man, especially
at times when he is wavering, should ask humbly and tenaciously, like the father
of this boy: "I believe, help my unbelief," and like the Apostles: "Increase our
faith!" (Luke 17:5).

28-29. "In teaching the Apostles how to expel a spirit as evil as this He is tea-
ching all of us how we should live, and telling us that prayer is the resource we
should use to overcome even the severest temptations, whether they come from
unclean spirits or from men. Prayer does not consist only in the words we use
to invoke God's clemency but also in everything we do, out of faith, as homage
to God. The Apostle bears witness to this when he says: `Pray constantly' (1
Thessalonians 5:7)" (St. Bede, "In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Mass Readings

First reading	Ecclesiasticus 1:1 - 10 ©
All wisdom is from the Lord, and it is his own for ever. The sand of the sea and the raindrops, and the days of eternity, who can assess them? The height of the sky and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss, who can probe them? Before all other things wisdom was created, shrewd understanding is everlasting. For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered? Her resourceful ways, who knows them? One only is wise, terrible indeed, seated on his throne, the Lord. He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her, and poured her out on all his works to be with all mankind as his gift, and he conveyed her to those who love him.

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 1:1 - 10 ©

All wisdom is from the Lord,
and it is his own for ever.
The sand of the sea and the raindrops,
and the days of eternity, who can assess them?
The height of the sky and the breadth of the earth,
and the depth of the abyss, who can probe them?
Before all other things wisdom was created,
shrewd understanding is everlasting.
For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered?
Her resourceful ways, who knows them?
One only is wise, terrible indeed,
seated on his throne, the Lord.
He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her,
and poured her out on all his works
to be with all mankind as his gift,
and he conveyed her to those who love him.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 92

Gospel	Mark 9:14 - 29 ©
When they rejoined the disciples they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead’. But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

Gospel

When they rejoined the disciples they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead’. But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’