In Lent, we imitate Jesus when He fasted forty days and overcame the temptations of Satan (Mt 4:2ff). Some demons cannot be driven out except through prayer and fasting (Mt 17:21). "Prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil" (The Gospel of Life, Pope St. John Paul II, 100).
In today's Gospel reading, we hear about Jesus "casting out a devil" (Lk 11:14) and showing that He is stronger than the strong man, Satan (Lk 11:22). Just as in the Gospel, Jesus is driving out demons right now, but this is only the beginning. At the end of our forty-day fast, Jesus has planned a worldwide rout of demons when hundreds of millions of Catholics proclaim their faith and reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. This Easter time, God the Father plans to manifest that He has disarmed "the principalities and powers. He made a public show of them and, leading them off captive, triumphed in the person of Christ" (Col 2:15).
Be faithful in your Lenten prayer and fasting. Satan and his demons are shaking and convulsing, as the Church exercises the authority given her by Jesus. The rout is on. Fast in faith.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I see Lent the way You see it. |
| PROMISE: | "Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper." —Jer 7:23 |
| PRAISE: | St. John of God left the military to minister to the sick and needy. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College