Dear Parish Family,

   The Gospel for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary time is from Mark 1:21-28. Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

 Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

  The demon recognized and acknowledged our Blessed Lord for who He truly is. Still, there were many and are many people who do not recognize the Lord Jesus for who He truly is. The Church has been given the mission to make Christ known and loved in our world. Christ has conquered the power of sin and death, but He desires that none be lost to the devil. The primary work of the Church is the salvation of souls. Sadly, too many do not believe in the reality of the demonic. We are in a spiritual war that is real and the consequences are eternal.

  The Good News is that the power of God is infinitely greater than the power of the enemy. May we never cease to joyfully proclaim Jesus Christ, our Lord! Amen.

  God bless you!
  Fr. Dan Redmond