Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 26th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I, and the, emorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7th, 2023                                                          Texts: Baruch 4:5-12,27-29; Psalm 68:33-37; Luke 10:17-24

Today we celebrate our Lady of the Rosary. “The feast of the Holy Rosary was instituted by Pope Pius V to celebrate the anniversary of the defeat of the Turkish fleet at the battle of Lepanto on the first Sunday in October 1571, which ended the threat of Muslim domination of the Mediterranean” (Universalis).  This reminds us that we can conquer the battle of our lives with Rosary. Demons submit to us when we pray Rosary.  

God is merciful

Today’s first reading shows that God is merciful. Whenever we submit to the authority of the demons God always open the door for our return. Baruch says, “For just as you plan to go astray, from God, return with tenfold zeal to seek Him. For he who brought these calamities upon you we bring you everlasting joy with your salvation.” Our experience when we go astray is meant to bring us repentance, not to destroy. 

It is clear in today’s first reading that God does not give us up for destruction. God says, “Take courage, my people, O memorial of Israel! It was not for destruction that I sold you to the nations”. God does not give us up for destruction, He does not will our damnation. He only will that we give up our evil. Hence, He adds, “But you were handed over to your enemies because you angered God.” In these words Baruch exhorts us to stop angering God that we may have His favour and end the calamities. 

You provoked him who made you

How do we anger God? It is by we submitting to the yoke of demons. Baruch says, “For you provoked him who made you, by sacrificing to demons and not to God.” Our submission to the yoke of demons provokes Him because He loves us. It is a provocation that arises out of love. What befalls us when we turn away from God is not God’s doing but the reality of our choice.  

Baruch reminds us, today, that life is good when we are with God. Hence, God should always be our choice. When we choice God, the devil submit to us. This is clear in today’s gospel reading, when the disciples say, “Lord, even the demons subject to us in your name!”  

In God we have authority over demons

Submission to the demons is a human corruption of self, the lowering of human dignity. It is the reversal of God’s plan for us. Submission to demons is a subversion of human destiny.  When we submit to demons we are like sons who chose to serve slaves. In God we have authority over demons. We cause our dear ones sorrow when we turn away from God. Our dear ones are depicted in the image of Jerusalem. We read, “you grieved Jerusalem who reared you.” 

Prayer 

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke