Everything is possible to one who has faith

20 MAY (Mk 9,14-29)

With Pentecost, celebrated yesterday, the Easter season ends, during which we read the Gospel according to John; the ordinary time is resumed and with it the Gospel according to Mark, whose reading was interrupted the day before Ash Wednesday.

Jesus has just come down from the mount of transfiguration, and he sees that some of the scribes are discussing with his disciples. The argument is certainly the inability of the latter to free a young from a dumb spirit. This truth is attested by his father’s words: “Teacher, I brought my son to you, that has a dumb spirit. Wherever he grabs him, he throws him to the ground and he foams, grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they did not succeed.” Yet the disciples of Jesus had received the power to cast out unclean spirits. First they drove them out, why now are they not able to drive them out? What is it that makes their work inefficacious?

Jesus wishes he can devote himself entirely to the announcement of the Kingdom. He wishes he were not involved in things that take away precious time to his mission. He expresses this truth very clearly: “O faithless generation? Until when shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? “. Faithless generations are yet the disciples and the whole world that is around him. It is a generation that lacks true faith. What is the faith that Jesus wishes they had? That the disciples were already capable of working with him and that every other person were of strong, true faith to be able to solve the problems of his everyday life, even if he had to deal with a demonic possession. This true faith is the one that Jesus reveals at the end of the Gospel according to Mark.

(But) later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.) (Mk 16,14-20).

Jesus is pitying, full of mercy and compassion. He frees from the spirit dumb.

When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, ” ‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

The disciples are amazed. Jesus had succeeded where they had failed. Why? Jesus is a man of prayer, of great prayer. Nothing is impossible to him who prays. All instead becomes impossible to him who does not pray.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us people of prayer.