In this section you can find a daily commentary on the Gospel of the Day.

Friday 3 February 2023

Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Word for today
The Gospel of Mark 6:14-29

The right day

Satan is always waiting for the propitious day; he is waiting for it it because he himself works tirelessly and with dedication to make it come about. He instigates people to judge others and to condemn, he tempts with jealousy and envy, he  incites separation, he creates tension through vanity and competition, he instigates conflicts until the right day comes along to destroy, to kill, and to send the children of God to death. He does not kill, he does not destroy, he does not cause death, but he instigates others. Satan knows the workings of the human mind, he knows how to use people's weaknesses to lead them to the abyss of his mortal embrace. Unlike what we read elsewhere about what happened, the book of Genesis tells us that in the Garden of Eden Satan, disguised as a snake, lost no time in engaging Adam's attention. But Adam was to slow to put his mental processes into motion. It is certain that he would have refused Satan's proposal immediately and not out of love for God, but rather because of his mind structure and his comfortably secure thoughts and emotions. It was hard to get Adam enthusiastic about anything and to get him off the couch of his certainties with the things he knew worked well and not needing to be changed. Eve was different, she was sensitive to the perfumes of new desires, she was always active, even when she seemed to rest. The first assault, of course, would have been planned against her since she was much more attentive and curious, and also because no one on earth had as much influence on Adam as she did. Satan conversed with Eve, not with Adam; he tempted the woman, not the man. Eve let herself be seduced: she picked the apple, she was the the first to eat it and then she gave it to Adam,  who, because of his mind structure, without any hesitation, ate the apple, like a sandwich for lunch - an apple which would change the course of human history.
Satan was unable to bend Samson, nor could he deceive him. None of the Philistine enemies were able to. Samson, alone with his weapon, the jawbone of a donkey, was stronger that their armies. Yet a single woman, Delilah, made him fall in love and lured him into a trap. On the right day, she  caused him to lose his invincible strength and alienated him from God in order to annihilate and destroy him.
Herod was a King, he was used to ruling over everything and everyone. He protected and watched over John the Baptist since he admired him and was fascinated by his spiritual stature. But Herod's power was powerless against the plan of Herodias. It took just a seductive dance to put John's head on a plate.
In carrying out evil actions women are not more guilty than men nor viceversa. But Satan is very clever in using the characteristics of each to achieve his goal: to consign men and women to endless death.
Unfortunately men and women have yet to understand that there is no temptation,  deception, vanity,  jealousy, separation, or slander that does not aim to consign them to death with no possibility of appeal.