22nd Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Tuesday 3rd September 2024

There are two sources of knowledge concerning humans, the world, and God. The first consists of books, academies, and culture – and they are often contradictory or just plain wrong. The second is the Spirit, which teaches us about ourselves, life, the world, and most of all, about God. It seems obvious that we should listen to the Spirit but often, we do not. Doing so will put us at odds with the world and maybe even invite criticism. But the rewards for listening to the Spirit are tremendous and transforming. Rather than listening to the babble of voices around us, let us quiet our minds and hearts and listen to the Spirit within.

St. Gregory the Great, whom we celebrate today, is often depicted in art with a dove on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. This symbolizes Gregory’s close relationship with the Spirit.  The demons always knew who Jesus was and what He was going to do. They possessed the cold, hard, intelligence that underpins many forms of evil – all based on worldly principles.

They begged Jesus to leave them alone, but He would not hear of it. He commanded them to silence and then expelled them, much to the stunned amazement of the crowd. As we are filled more and more with the Spirit of God, we will become ever stronger in the face of evil or temptations – let us command our darker inner voices to ‘be silent!’

  Lord, help me to be attentive to the voice of the Spirit.