A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”
Today’s Gospel follows immediately after the Transfiguration and takes place as Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John. A man brings his possessed son to Jesus’ disciples, but they are unable to heal him. Jesus arrives and asks the father how long the boy has been possessed. The father responds that the possession has been ongoing since childhood and pleads with Jesus to help if he can. Jesus replies, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith” to which the father responds with a request for help in his own faith, crying out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus then commands the unclean spirit to leave the boy, and after throwing the boy into convulsions, he is healed. The disciples ask Jesus why they were unable to heal the boy, and he tells them that this kind of demon can only be driven out by prayer.
God, help me understand today’s Gospel in light of my own experiences. Although I have not been a witness to such a dramatic possession or healing as Mark describes, I can think of areas of my life that only prayer to the Father can heal. There are moments in life when, like the boy’s father, I cry out, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” God, when I feel hopeless and dead to your Spirit and goodness, help me with my unbelief and take me by the hand to raise me up.
Lord, thank you for the gift of your presence. Stay with me today and keep me from all that might separate me from you.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.