DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
Faith – Evil Spirits: In today’s Gospel, Jesus expelled a legion of evil spirits from two demoniacs into a herd of pigs that drowned themselves. Ponder on, “Evil spirits are powerful compared to human powers; never temper with them. However, they are powerless in the face of God; whom we are to trust totally.”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Matthew 8:28-34
When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that nobody could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’
Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then,’ and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water.
The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.