Daily Gospel Reflection for February 21, 2022

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Mark 9:14-29

In today’s Gospel, a young man’s parents felt helpless as for years they watched their son be terrorized by an unclean spirit. After meeting Jesus, they learned something amazingly simple: All along these parents held the key to ridding their son of this unruly spirit that plagued him his entire life. This whole time, they could have been praying, fasting, and putting their trust in God to take this spirit away from him. Sounds a lot like Dorothy’s situation in The Wizard of Oz - “Just click your heels three times and repeat after me, 'There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.'” Easy, right?

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible, where we see the human side of our Lord. In complete exasperation, He says:

“Oh faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”

How frustrating for our Lord, teaching every day, giving His disciples encouragement and instruction only to find out they still do not get it. That faith moves mountains and is as great as the mighty, small mustard seed. So, if the disciples had a hard time with the strength of their faith, how do you think we do with our faith?

So many times in my motherhood I get exasperated for the umpteenth time over a small detail that we taught our children and which must be repeated time and time again. Jesus calms down, takes a breath, and has the parents bring the child to him, gently explaining, “This kind of spirit can only come out through prayer.”

Ponder:

When have you had to stop in your tracks, take a deep breath, and gently, like Our Lord, explain what needed to be done for the fifth time? How many times have you not taken that calming breath?

Pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for your example throughout the Bible. Help me to remember heavenly wisdom and gentleness is most needed.

Sounds a lot like Dorothy’s situation in The Wizard of Oz: “Just click your heels three times." #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Ebeth Weidner