Luke 11:15-26

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. Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from Heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. 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. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 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.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. 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.”

Opening Prayer: Mary, powerful Mother, come to my aid. There are evil powers in this world, but I believe that you are watching over me and protecting me with your motherly care. Pray for me now to hear God’s word and respond to his will. 

Encountering Christ:

1. Jesus, the Strongest Man: One of God’s attributes is power and strength. Jesus is the “stronger man” who plunders Satan’s house (Mark 3:27). He is the one who attacks Satan, not the other way around. He overcomes and takes away Satan’s armor and gathers what the evil forces of this world have possessed. He is the King of the Universe, infinitely more powerful than all the strongest forces in the world. The Church is built on a rock “and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The Church is on the offensive against sin and death, and the evil powers will fall. Because we are baptized into his death, we are also baptized into his power and life (Romans 6:3-5). We have the privilege of joining the battle against evil. We are empowered mightily in his love, and nothing can come between his love and us. St. Paul boldly writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). Let’s take a moment to consider and stand in the power we have been given through Jesus.

2. Remember That We Are Victorious: Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In the Old Testament, the kings often ruled with their mothers as queens by their sides. They are named gebirah in Hebrew, which means “great lady.” Jesus is our King, so his mother is now the perpetual Queen Mother. Mary is our great Lady, and she carries a powerful weapon for good: the most holy rosary. We can carry it too! The rosary is powerful because it is based on Scripture. Many of the mysteries focus on how Jesus has overcome sin and death. When we ponder these mysteries daily, we carry with us this powerful reminder of our victory in Christ. Jesus became man out of love for us; through this love, he suffered and died to set us free. His death was the greatest victory the world has ever seen; through it, he won the battle for our salvation. He defied death and rose again, finally victoriously taking our human nature into Heaven. When we pray the rosary, we remember Christ’s victory and ours, which empowers us to confront and conquer the evil we encounter in our lives. The rosary is also powerful because, through our prayers, we ask Mary to pray for us. She who sits at the right hand of God’s throne (Psalm 45:9) is our powerful Mother, and she presents our prayers to him.

3. Plant Virtues: Jesus warned about the dangers of a house that is swept clean. You could think of this house as your soul. After sacramental Confession, the house of your soul is “swept clean” from vices. However, it is empty and therefore at risk of the same vices and sins settling back where they were before. The key is to strive to build virtues to counter those vices. Consider how weeds in a garden will come back quickly unless you plant flowers in their place. The cleared ground is an open target for new weeds to germinate, spring up, take root, and flourish. Instead of leaving our souls open and undefended, we can pray for and practice virtues. Praying the rosary is an excellent way to pray for virtues. Here is an article about The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary for more information. 

Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I believe you have won the final victory over sin and death. Some battles are left to be won, but the war has been decided. Through your obedience to God’s will, you conquered sin and death. Help me recall that I am victorious through you. Most of all, on this feast day, I thank you for the gift of your Blessed Mother and the holy rosary.

Resolution: Lord, today, by your grace, I will pray a rosary in honor of and thanksgiving for your Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary. I will especially consider how the sorrowful mysteries are truly meditations on your victory. 

For Further Reflection: Read “She Pondered These Things in Her Heart” which connects internal peace with praying a daily rosary. Additionally, here is a link to learn about The Pilgrim Queen of the Family, a network of Catholic families united by the desire to live and share the Gospel and to promote the devotion of praying the rosary together as a family.