Mr. Hammond’s Chapel Reflection Podcast – September 23, 2009
Welcome to the Saint Patrick Catholic School chapel reflections podcast. Brought to you by principal Steve Hammond, this week’s reflection meditates on Jesus’ message, “Seek the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
A transcript of this reflection is provided below.
Wednesday Chapel Reflection
23 September 2009
Gospel
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
Well, first I’m sure that driving out a demon is not the easiest thing in the world. I’ve never driven out a demon that I know of, so I can’t say for sure, just how difficult it is, but I’m pretty sure, it takes a lot of work.
I know that I try to do everything in the name of Jesus. But I don’t think that I have done any big things like driving out demons.
I often say this little prayer when faced with a difficult matter: “Christ be with me. Fill me with your Spirit. Show me the Way. And I will follow.” This helps a lot. Prayer always does.
At any rate, Jesus’ friends were trying to stop this fellow from driving out this demon. And Jesus said, “Slow down, boys, you think that what he is doing is in opposition to what we are doing just because he doesn’t run with us. But I’m telling you, if he is doing this great work in my name then he is not against us. Let him alone. He is for us. I can picture Jesus looking at John, and saying “Hey, John, how many demons have you driven out lately?”
In other words, Jesus was saying that you don’t need to criticize, complain or blame this fellow. You don’t have to distrust this fellow. He is doing my work.
O.K. stay with for a moment, on a deeper level, Jesus is telling us, that you can hold two apparently contradictory concepts in your mind at the same time. In the Church, within the Eucharistic Prayer, said every minute of the day in masses held all over the world, “For it is in giving that we receive.” Giving and Receiving. Two apparent opposites.
But there is more such opposites:
We could not feel happy if we didn’t know sad. They work together for our own good in the same world of emotion. Neither one is bad or good in the world of emotion.
We could not know hot, if we didn’t know cold. They work together for our own good in the same world of temperature. Neither one is bad or good in the world of temperature.
We could not know Spring if we didn’t know Fall. They work together for our own good in the same world of seasons. Neither one is bad or good in the world of seasons.
We could not know calm if we didn’t know stormy.
These apparent opposites work together. They are more partners than opponents. They are friends than enemies. Knowing this, do not try to prevent the cold, or the hot, the Spring or the Fall, the calm or the storm, the happy or the sad from presenting their selves. Let life be life. Life will unfold as it will. Step back and watch it. And learn from it. And pass your wisdom on to others.
Lots of time, folks will deny their feelings or their actions because it is uncomfortable to claim a perceived weakness, or admit to a mistake. Folks spend a lot of time in justifying wrong action and attempting to save face. But Jesus said, “Seek the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
As follower of Jesus, we simply tell the truth, seek the truth, follow the truth. And we are totally transparent in all of our actions. And when we do this……we experience an exhilarating feeling of freedom! There is nothing to hide. There is no complication of “shuck and jive; slip and slide.” This is what Jesus meant in seeking the Truth. Claim it, follow it and life becomes freer, becomes simpler, more joyful.
But then, I got to thinking. Maybe I have driven out some demons.
Maybe when I choose the seek the Truth in my own heart, I drive out the demons of dishonesty.
Maybe when I choose to claim Love as my savior, I drive out the demons of hate.
Maybe when I choose to claim the Power of Forgiveness, I drive out the demons of hardheartedness and Pride.
My friends, whether you are five or 105, this is the path to salvation. And it comes only through the way of conversion.
Drive out the demons which keep us from the freedom that God wants us to have and that Jesus shows us is possible. Seek the Truth and the Truth WILL set you FREE!
