O faithless generation

Sir 1,1-10; Ps 92; Mk 9,14-29
25 FEBRUARY

The cry of Jesus: “O generation in disbelief! How long will I be with you? How long do I have to bear you”, it is a manifestation of his spiritual solitude. The crowd is not with Him. It comes to Him for the miracles of the body. Once obtained, it returns on its way. But Jesus did not come to work miracles. His mission is to bring every man to his Father through faith in his Word. Not even the disciples walk with him, in his Word. They go after him, but they still do not believe according to truth in him. The miracle that is not accomplished proves that they do not believe in him. The boy with the impure spirit is brought to the disciples, but they do not heal him, they do not free him. The reason is only one: they still do not believe in the powers that Jesus gave them. They exercise them superficially, as if it were a spell. They do not know that every miracle is not only the fruit of their faith in the Word of Jesus, but also the fruit of their prayer of invocation to the Holy Spirit, the only one who gives every strength to carry out according to truth every power conferred on them by Jesus. Yet Samson had understood this truth at his expense. In the temple of Dagon he prays to the Lord, he asks for strength and strength comes to him.

Samson said to the attendant who was holding his hand, “Put me where I may touch the columns that support the temple and may rest against them.” The temple was full of men and women: all the lords of the Philistines were there, and from the roof about three thousand men and women looked on as Samson provided amusement. Samson cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, remember me! Strengthen me, O God, this last time that for my two eyes I may avenge myself once and for all on the Philistines.” Samson grasped the two middle columns on which the temple rested and braced himself against them, one at his right hand, the other at his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard, and the temple fell upon the lords and all the people who were in it. Those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his lifetime (Jdg 16,25-31).

Jesus tells it to the disciples. This sort of demon cannot be driven out in any way, except by prayer. The disciples always saw that Jesus did everything with his eyes turned towards the Father. Can we do anything by ourselves? Never. We always need to draw every strength and every wisdom in the Holy Spirit.

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.”

Prayer and faith are the perfect weapons of the disciple of Jesus, if he wants to defeat evil. Neither prayer without faith, nor faith without prayer. With faith one believes in the truth of every Word of Christ Jesus. With the prayer the strength is asked to obey every Word of Christ Jesus. If faith and prayer are separated, both prayer and faith will be ineffective. The disciples are currently both without prayer and without faith. They are still missing in the true soul of the Gospel.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, help Christians so that they are of true faith and prayer.