Gospel MT 9:32-38
A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Reflection:
“A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.”
Webster defines a “demoniac” as someone “possessed or influenced by a demon.”
Like the man in today’s gospel, I too was “possessed” by alcohol, the insidious demon of deception who tells its victims that they “don’t have a problem.”
And, like the demoniac who was set free by Jesus, I too am called to speak.
Jesus says, “…..ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
So today, I speak of the power of God to work through people, to be his answer to the prayers of those who cry out to him for help.
“At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for
them because they were troubled and abandoned.”
Jesus’ heart is always moved with “pity” for us when we feel lost. He sends his followers, his “laborers” to comfort us and lead us back to him.
For me, the surest way to hold back the demon of alcohol, and/or anything else that “possesses me” is to be both a voice and a “laborer” for Christ.
As disciples of Christ, we are called to go into the “marketplace” to spread the love and hope of Christ to those who fight the demons that separate them from the love of God.
When I hand the crucifix to a weary fellow traveler and utter the words, “This is the man who sent you the furniture,” I see their head lift and their eyes light up.
At the sight of the cross, hope reigns eternal.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13