“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
The Lord's story of the wandering unclean spirit reminds me of a cartoon of a fellow talking to the barkeeper, "I quit drinking bourbon, and turned to pain killers, and then to gambling, sex, and working out at the gym; and then to religion, meditation, and daily Mass. But I've finally come home to bourbon."
"Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee!" Saint Augustine said. But even there we may grow restless. Religion, as Karl Marx noticed, can be an opiate.
Counselors have found that some people, whenever they're hungry they eat. But they also eat whenever they're thirsty, tired, lonely, or bored. Mad, sad, or glad! Hearing that, I noticed that some people go to confession whenever they're lonely, anxious, or troubled. The one thought food would satisfy his spiritual thirst; the other thought the Sacrament of Reconciliation would do the same.
We are called to turn away from the insatiable demands of desire and find companionship, wisdom, challenge, and courage in God's presence. Just as the conductor begins the symphony when the orchestral chamber is silent, so do we hear the Word of God in the silence beneath our anxieties, worries, and concerns.
It takes time, practice, and persistence. I sometimes have to wait a long time before the mind quits thrashing through present worries and old arguments. And sometimes it doesn't stop at all. And that's okay too. God is in no hurry; why should I be?
No one does anything right the first time. Or if they do, the second time will not be right. God has no patience with perfection, but he blesses persistence.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.