Evil Possesions (a sharing based on Mk 5:1-20)

In our gospel today, we are told that the man was driven mad by an evil force which prides itself with the name of Legion. Indeed an appropriate name for such a terribly strong force—a legion—an atrocious army 6,000 strong!

I’m certain that we’ve had our own experiences of evil possessions. True, we may not entirely look like the contorted and distorted figure of Emily Rose (maybe not yet), but I’m sure we’ve had our own terrible experience of painful internal spiritual contortion and distortion. We’ve felt at some point in our lives how it is to be driven by unstoppable great evil forces beyond our strength? We feel (or at least we make ourselves believe that we are) compelled to do things we do not wish to do, and we do not do the things that we ought to do!

Such destructive spiritual legions lurking in our minds and hearts are what we often call "issues". We have experienced how it is that we have been at the mercy of our great issues. We have experienced how it to be chained to them. This is our evil possession.

God's word reminds us today that no destructive force can keep anyone from the wellness and wholeness which God offers to those who seek his help, to those who desire His mercy and love. Jesus, with his great compassion took pity on the man who was overtaken by a legion of evil spirits. He healed him and brought dignity to his being once again.

The Lord can do this, and He will do this for those who seek and accept His mercy and love. We know this profound truth from our sane and more prudent moments of our lives. What is disturbing, however is how we seemingly refuse to seek the liberating help of the Lord, or worse, just as the townspeople in the Gospel have asked Him to leave their neighborhood after seeing how powerful the Lord truly is, we seem to back track, get eaten up in the vicious cycle and say to our Lord to let us be, to just leave us alone.

Why would the townspeople not want Jesus to stay? Why do we find it so difficult to cooperate with His grace? Is it not disturbing that we know where to seek help and yet we run away from it? Perhaps the price for such real liberation from the power of evil and sin is more than what we want to pay, more than what we want to give up. We unknowingly echo the words of the unconverted Agustin, “Give me chastity, but not yet”. We rationalize and say, “Issue ko na talaga ‘yan! Sorry na lang.” (Sorry, I can't do anything with my issues.) We make ourselves believe that we really want to be free, and yet deep inside we have already made the fatalistic decision to remain imprisoned for life.

Our Lord is ready and willing to free us from anything that binds us and that keeps us from His love. That is certain. What is uncertain, my dear friends, is our willingness to part with anything and everything that might keep us from His love and saving grace?

“Lord, unbind us that we may love you wholly and walk in the freedom of Your way of life and holiness. May there be nothing which keeps us from the joy of living in Your presence. Amen.”