The appointed Gospel for the Daily Prayer of the Church comes from the Gospel according to Luke;
Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.
Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. (Lk. 8:26-39).
Jesus heals the man possessed by many demons and he asks him to go and tell others. Even today, there are many possessed by demons; the evil of addictions and abusive relationships, just to name a few. Jesus offers that same healing today. He can free us from the evil which gets a foothold in our lives. If you are possessed, ask Jesus to drive away all of the evil which has a hold on your life and keeps you from being the beautiful creation that God intends you to be.
As a side note, there is an interplay between “Legion” which in the Greek is λεγεών meaning a division of the Roman army, numbering about 6,000 infantry with additional cavalry; hence: a very large number. The demon in fact responds that they are many. The demons then beg Jesus to send them into a herd of swine feeding by the hillside. Now the swine did not belong to the Jewish people since eating pork was prohibited by Jewish law; therefore, the swine probably belonged to the Romans who were occupying the land.
Let us pray: O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
Seaside Seniors will meet this Thursday from 11 AM to 1 PM in Sutton Hall. The theme is Halloween, All Hallows Eve.
Trick-or-treat at St. Augustine. Please bring candy for our annual trick-or-treat for the neighborhood on All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on 31 October 2014 from 6 PM to 9 PM.
We will continue with our Adult Christian Education series, Islam in Focus, on Sunday, 18 October at 11 AM.
Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Matt, the Putmans’ nephew and Godson.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
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