The All Powerful Name

Today’s Gospel Text:  The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" 18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 22 All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Luke 10:17-24

Reflection: The all powerful name of Jesus vanquishes every evil and even brings them to submission to us who have that name and value it:

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8

Yet this truth could hold very little value to the many who do not understand the full significance of such an action of God by sending his Son Jesus into the world.

In the sin of our first parents we were subjected to the power of evil, sin and decay. Death was an inevitable consequence of that first sin and hence we all are under the power of death.

These evil to which are subjected to are further taken advantage of by the devil by either tempting us or oppressing us by various means into various kinds of bondages of life; of lethargy and sin pleasures.

Thus we are made slaves to the evil one in long as we are slaves to these sinful tendencies at work: ‘”… but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Rom 7:14b-15

  

The extreme form such evil takes makes us slaves to him in such a way that we are unable to relate with others in peace and joy and or even if we do relate then it is only in constant conflict.  The worst is when we led on by such oppresses forces to drastic measures of either seeking the destruction of the other or self either through immediate suicide or over indulgence.

We are often bewildered by these destructive tendencies, especially manifested in the prime of youth and wonder where as parents they have faltered.

They have faltered in not keeping the flame of faith alive in their own hearts and subsequently in the hearts of these children entrusted to them as stewards by God.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to depart from thy holy presence and ever to lose hope in your all powerful name to set us free from every evil.

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