The Gerasene Demoniac (Daily Mass)

I had a favorite hide-away lunch spot where I would go when I lived in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan when I needed to be recharged. The restaurant was Italian-Arabic and I would enjoy sautéed zucchini with grilled Halloumi cheese, fresh baked breads, various salads and goat cheeses, a large bowl of perfectly spiced pasta Bolognese, with a side order of lamb kebobs with a glass or two of chardonnay. I would take my seat at the edge of the restaurant that sat on the bluffs in the northwest corner of the kingdom and I would revel in delight.

I would sit back and be amazed. The warm sun was tempered by the slightest breeze and I would just become fixed in a contemplation of joy. My view was of the Roman ruins steps away from me, one of the ten cities of the Decapolis. To the north across the ravine was the Golan Heights of Syria that are strategic in war and defense. To the south was the plains of northern Israel that bordered the fertile Jezreel Valley at the beginning of the Jordan River. To the west was the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked, preached, sailed, and healed many people who sought God’s notice and power.

And right in front of me was the place where the Gerasene demoniac roamed and wreaked terror on the townspeople. He was a renowned strongman that bullied and frightened anyone who came close to him. This was a desolate, forbidden area, a place filled with dread, rule by a man possessed by demons, that is, until he met Jesus. I saw the cave where Jesus reportedly slept, and it was easy to contemplate the herd of swine that leapt to their death at the command of the demons. The spot, tucked far away from tourists, is a place of wonder. A man without words is healed by the man whose articulate words give life and meaning, and I became speechless.

My prayer for you is that Creighton be your place of encounter with the Lord Jesus this summer. May it be whatever you need – a place where you are dumbstruck, or are given life-sustaining words of articulation, long sought-after healing, to discover a sense of amazement with companions, or to hear the new mission to which you are called. I want you to have the same sense of amazement the villagers had when they saw the marvels Jesus could do, and I want you to be able to say of your experience, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in my world before.”

Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God is among us. He did not preach the Temple-centered or a Cathedral-centered kingdom. God is found active among us, in our story-telling, our shared walks, our meals and laughter, in our private confidential conversations and self-revelations, and in every aspect of our time here today. God is near. God is interested in our smallest worry and our biggest joy. God’s heart, the heart of Jesus, is moved with compassion upon us the same way it was for the crowds who assembled to hear him speak about God’s world. Let us be open to every way that God is working to remove impediments to our relationships, so we know God to be our most cherished friend.

The Gospel concludes with Jesus saying the laborers are few. Look around this chapel. He is right. We are few. And I am consoled by that. Ignatius of Loyola called his new religious order ‘the least Society’ because we were once so few. Numbers are not as important as the presence of Christ in each of us. The power of his presence working through us is all we need to live in joy. All we need to do is to show Christ within us, Christ among us, and our happiness in knowing other companions along the way. He will take care of the rest. It is his Kingdom after all. We simply need to be attentive and be amazed, to show the compassion of God to those who need mercy, to bring healing articulate words that give life and meaning to those who can’t speak, but reveal their need to us, and to sit in silence with a person in need.

Oh, and let’s not forget to simply sit and enjoy a meal, rich tasty foods and choice wines, to feel the gentle breeze around us, and to marvel at the beauty of life right before our eyes. The kingdom is right here. This is all we’ve got. Let the Lord proclaim through us that this is a day to be glad and to rejoice.