Another Exorcist

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are related to the gift of wisdom and freedom from demonic forces which oppress and imprison the spirit. When we look at North Africa and the Middle East today we see people moving painfully to freedom from decades of oppression. Surely this movement is one supported by the Spirit of Wisdom described in the Book of Sirach. The hardship of this struggle includes massacre of thousands. The Spirit of Wisdom is walking with them in these terrible times of sacrifice and discipline. Is it strange that the journey of a largely Muslim population to freedom should be a sign, in particular to Christian and Jewish believers, of the continued Presence working to bring joy, peace and salvation to the downtrodden? As the believers bow for daily prayer in the public squares of North Africa and the Middle East we may hear voices calling out to stop them from acting to dispel demonic forces and bringing choice to life. These voice are addressed by the passage from the Gospel of Mark today when the disciples of Jesus called on Him to stop “other exorcists” from acting to bring people to freedom. ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.’ (Mark 9:39-40).