10/9/2026 (Friday) Today’s Gospel reading: Luke 11:15-26
15 When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said: “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”
16 Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.
18 And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
19 If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
20 But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.
22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
25 But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
26 Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
10/9/2026 (Friday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 11:15-26
Theme: Stay Anchored in God
Jesus responds to people who question the source of His power after He drives out a demon. He explains that evil cannot ultimately defeat itself. He teaches that when a person is freed from evil, the empty space must not remain empty. The heart must be filled with what is good, because returning to an unguarded life can make a person even more vulnerable than before.
S — Stay Close to God
Freedom is not simply about escaping what is bad; it is about staying close to what is good. Many people want freedom from their problems, addictions, anger, bitterness, fear, and unhealthy relationships. But after leaving these things behind, we sometimes fail to fill our lives with God’s presence.
An empty heart is easily occupied again. That is why we need prayer, Scripture, worship, forgiveness, and meaningful service. Staying close to God gives our hearts direction and our lives purpose. When God occupies the center of our lives, there is less room for the things that once controlled us.
A — Avoid Returning to What Hurt You
One of life’s greatest dangers is going back to the very things we prayed to escape.
Sometimes we return because the familiar feels comfortable. We know the pain, but we also know the routine. We leave an unhealthy relationship but return because we feel lonely. We overcome bitterness but allow one painful memory to reopen the wound. We make a fresh start but keep looking backward.
Healing requires courage to move forward. Not everything we miss is good for us. Not every open door deserves to be entered. Not every familiar road should be traveled again. Sometimes protecting your peace means having the courage to say, “I have already been there, and I don’t want to go back.”
F — Fill Your Life with Good Things
Removing darkness is only half of the journey. We must also fill our lives with light.
Fill your mind with hope. Fill your heart with gratitude. Fill your home with love. Fill your time with meaningful work. Fill your relationships with kindness. Most importantly, fill your life with God’s presence.
When something good grows inside us, there is less space for negativity to take control.
Don’t simply ask God to remove what is hurting you. Ask Him to help you become someone stronger, wiser, kinder, and more faithful because of what you have experienced.
E — Entrust Everything to God
There will be battles we cannot win through our own strength. There will be temptations we cannot overcome by willpower alone. There will be moments when fear becomes louder than faith.
Those are the moments when we must surrender everything to God.
Being SAFE does not mean that life will never become difficult. It means knowing where to run when difficulties come. God becomes our refuge when we are weak, our wisdom when we are confused, our strength when we are tired, and our hope when we cannot see the way forward.
So today, stay close to God. Avoid returning to what destroyed your peace. Fill your life with what is good. Entrust everything to Him.
SAFE is not merely a place where we hide from life’s storms. SAFE is a life anchored in God, where faith is stronger than fear and hope is stronger than temptation.
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