Prayer is so powerful and so important. We see this clearly in our Gospel reading today from Mark 9. Jesus’ disciples try to drive out a demon from someone but are unable. Jesus has to take care of the job himself. When the disciples ask Jesus why they could not cast out the demon, He tells them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
In the first reading today from James 3, St. James talks about wisdom, and juxtaposes earthly wisdom with wisdom from above. He says that wisdom that includes “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition…does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
We can often be fooled by people who are wise in the ways of the world. Perhaps they are rich, powerful, affluent. But that does not mean that they possess true wisdom. St. James describes the kind of wisdom we must seek after. “The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.” Let us spend our lives seeking out and living out wisdom from above.
Father, forgive us for the times when we exercise worldly wisdom. May our wisdom come only from you, and bear good fruit in the world. Amen.
A Minute in the Church is great for RCIA, Confirmation, study groups and anyone that seeks to know what the Catholic Church really teaches. Get your copies today at www.GusLloyd.com.
0 comments