Daily Mass Gospel Reading - When the Ego Recognizes Christ

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 07-05-23 | Bishop Robert Barron

[MurphsLaw]

Matthew 8:28–34

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus drives demons out of two possessed persons.
Notice that the demons always know who Jesus is.
The demonic voice stands for the sinful structure of consciousness;
it is the mouthpiece for a soul dominated by the fearful ego.

When the New Being appears,
when the new consciousness emerges in the person of Jesus,
it is precisely this demonic power that most clearly recognizes it,
just as a threatened animal is most acutely aware of the approach of the predator.
The ego-dominated psyche knows intuitively what the onset of Jesus means:
“What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”

What is important for us spiritually
is to listen with great attentiveness to these inner voices of protest,
to these demons within us,
for they will, paradoxically, facilitate the assimilation of the Christ,
showing us clearly where we have to be changed.

[MurphsLaw]

+++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.+++