One of my favorite scenes from The Lord of the Rings is when Gandalf heals King Theoden from Saruman’s possession. This is such an awesome scene of healing. At one point, the possessed King Theoden says to Gandalf, “If I go, Theoden dies.”
And that’s precisely what we see in the gospel today. The demon spirit tells Jesus, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” We say that to Jesus. Jesus, if you get too close to me, if I get holy, are you going to take away who I am? Jesus, if you get close, am I just going to become a Jesus freak? The closer Jesus gets to us, the more we are healed and the more we become fully alive. If there’s any fear that I will be less of myself with Jesus, reject it. Stay close to the Lord, and you will become a saint, fully alive.
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The Transfiguration
In “Thor: Ragnarok,” Bruce Banner and the Hulk, they are fighting against each other. They’re the same person, but they need to be integrated better. But then you see in the movie, “Endgame,” Bruce Banner and the Hulk are truly one. They are no longer fighting against each other. They are integrated well. Bruce Banner is the Hulk, and the Hulk is…
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Jesus Wants To Be With You
Sometimes the most healing thing someone can do isn’t fix our problems, it’s simply stay with us.
After one student’s life seemed to fall apart in a single day, a friend showed up in the middle of the night just to be there with her. That quiet presence changed everything.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the same promise: “I am with you always.” He doesn’t abandon us in suffering, failure, or loneliness. His desire is simply to remain with us, and for us to remain with Him. Because in the end, isolation is the absence of love, but being with Him is where healing begins
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Divine Mercy
The Vatican said we must Google Image the Divine Mercy on our phones and put it as our background. And when I say the “Vatican,” I mean “me.” The Divine Mercy Sunday is an incredible Sunday where we witness Jesus pursuing us. We look at the image of Divine Mercy and see that Jesus is not standing still. He has one foot forward, walking towards us, running after us, pursuing us. This is the Divine Mercy…
