Posted on 06/30/2026 9:59:40 PM PDT by fidelis
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?” Matthew 8:28–29p>
After delivering His Sermon on the Mount and performing many miracles among His own people, Jesus intentionally journeys across the Sea of Galilee into Gentile territory—the region of the Gadarenes, near Gadara, a town within the pagan Decapolis. His choice underscores His mission to extend salvation beyond Israel.
The location where Jesus and His disciples arrived was no accident. It was a desolate area filled with tombs, symbols of death, impurity, and spiritual desolation. According to Jewish law, contact with graves rendered one ritually unclean (cf. Numbers 19:16). Spiritually, these tombs vividly illustrate the isolation, emptiness, and lifelessness that sin imposes upon the human soul.
The note that the demoniacs “were so savage that no one could travel by that road” further reveals the effects of grave sin. Evil seeks dominance and destruction; it isolates, destroys relationships, and makes peaceful coexistence impossible. This passage reflects the devastating consequences of allowing evil to reign unchecked within one’s soul: It becomes uncontrollable, violent, and destructive. Evil never leads to peace, but rather to chaos, isolation, and fear.
By entering into this territory, our Lord reveals His willingness to enter the isolation and desolation we all experience due to sin and every evil attack. He comes to us precisely when we are at our worst, most vulnerable, to set us free from the grip of the evil one and from all of his destructive works.
When these two men see Jesus, the demons possessing them immediately recognize Him as the Son of God and acknowledge His authority over them. Their recognition raises an important spiritual question for each of us: Do I also recognize Christ’s presence in my life? Am I aware of His divine authority over sin and evil, and do I trust in His desire and power to set me free?
When the demons ask Jesus, “Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”, they reveal their full knowledge of their ultimate fate: eternal damnation. They understood this clearly because, even after their fall, demons retain their natural angelic powers. Among these powers is their exceptional intelligence and their capacity to tempt humans by subtly suggesting deceptive thoughts, drawing us persistently away from God’s truth.
Because demons know their eternal fate with clarity, they seek to use their intellect and suggestive powers to lead us into the very despair they themselves experience. They have no hope of eternal life. Out of their hatred for God and humanity, they attempt to conform us to their hopelessness, convincing us that we cannot escape sin, that hope is lost, and that we are doomed to misery.
Reflect today on Jesus’ choice to cross the Sea of Galilee for the sole purpose of setting these two demoniacs free from their oppression. Our Lord journeys to you with the same resolve. What is it that oppresses you? What thoughts tempt you to fear or despair? What sins do you habitually struggle with? Jesus wants to enter into every form of isolation and desolation you experience. Look for Him, recognize Him when He comes, profess your faith in His authority, and let Him fulfill His deepest desire by setting you free.
Most powerful Lord, You have all authority over evil. In my weakness, I cry out to You and plead for Your mercy. Please set me free, O Lord, and protect me from the evil one. Forgive my sins and restore me to deeper communion with You and all Your children. Jesus, I trust in You.
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The Month of July is Dedicated to the Precious of Jesus
“They triumphed over the devil by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11)
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of July, 2026:
For respect for human life
Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.
Today’s First Reading
From: Amos 5:14-15, 21-24
Exhortation
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[14] Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the god of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
[15] Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the god of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Formalism in religion condemned
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[21] “I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
[22] Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
I will not accept them,
and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts
I will not look upon.
[23] Take away from me the noise of your songs:
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
[24] But let justice roll down like waters.
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
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Commentary:
5:10-17. Here again the prophet inveighs against Israel -- particularly those who sin against justice (“the gates” of the city were where courts sat: vv. 10, 12, 15), those who exploit the poor and the righteous (vv. 11, 12: in Amos the two words are often synonymous) and seek a life of ease for themselves (v. 11).
Hence the prophet’s call to conversion (vv. 14-15). He speaks very movingly. A little earlier he urged his listeners to “seek God and live” (cf. 5:4, 6); now he tells them that that search means seeking what is good (v. 14). But the way to do that involves doing one very specific thing -- establishing “justice in the gate” (v. 15). If they in fact do that, the awesome, almighty Lord (“the God of hosts”: vv. 14-15) will be their merciful God: “Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defence of justice and right (Amos 5:24; Is 1:17), by the admission of faults to one’s brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one’s cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance (cf. Lk 9:23)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1435). The verses at the end (vv. 16—17) act as an introduction to the theme of “the day of the Lord” which follows.
5:21-25. This passage contains more criticism (cf. 4:4-5) of formalism in religion. The prophet contrasts the contemporary position with the way things were during the forty years in the wilderness -- a time when there were no sacrifices (v. 25) but justice reigned (v. 24). Amos’ words are very clear, and what he says here will be echoed elsewhere in the Old and New Testaments. This passage and Hosea 6:6; 8:13 are classic texts on the need for religious rites to be backed by upright living. As St Thomas teaches, “everything that he sacrifices should partake in some way of himself […], because external sacrifice is a sign of the internal disposition by which the person offers himself to God. By making sacrifice, man also offers up himself” (Summa theologiae, 3, 82, 4). From this it follows that “the only perfect sacrifice is the one that Christ offered on the cross as a total offering to the Father’s love and for our salvation (cf. Heb 9:13-14). By uniting ourselves with his sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2100).
From: Matthew 8:28-34
The Demoniacs of Gadara
-----------------------
[28] And when He (Jesus) came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met Him coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. [29] And behold, they cried out, "What have You to do with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" [30] Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. [31] And the demons begged Him, "If You cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." [32] And He said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. [33] The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. [34] And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighborhood.
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Commentary:
28. Most Gospel codexes and the New Vulgate say "Gadarenes"; but the Vulgate and parallel texts in Mark and Luke have "Gerasenes". Both names are possible; the two main towns in the area were Gerasa and Gadara. The event reported here could have happened close to both towns (limits were not very well-defined), though the swine running down into the lake or sea of Galilee makes Gadara somewhat more likely. "Gergesenes" was a suggestion put forward by Origen.
28-34. In this episode Jesus once more shows His power over the devil. That it occurred in Gentile territory (Gerasa and Gadara were in the Decapolis, east of Jordan) is borne out by the fact that Jews were forbidden to raise swine, which the Law of Moses declared to be unclean. This and other instances of expulsion of demons narrated in the Gospel are referred to in the Acts of the Apostles, when St. Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: "He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38). It was a sign that the Kingdom of God had begun (cf. Matthew 12:28).
The attitude of local people towards this miracle reminds us that meeting God and living a Christian life require us to subordinate personal plans to God's designs. If we have a selfish or materialistic outlook we fail to appreciate the value of divine things and push God out of our lives, begging Him to go away, as these people did.
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