“Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”

Many years ago when I was in Form 5 at secondary school, Fr John Mendes (RIP) was invited to talk to my class and share his experiences about evil spirits and exorcisms.

At the back of our minds and in our hearts, we all knew that were preparing to leave the place that had become our home and we were soon to face the world as it is.

We listened attentively as he spoke in detail about his battles, struggles, trials, confrontations and victories with evil. During the course of his stories and explanations to us, he produced evidence of his encounters with evil.

He passed around a bible for the entire class to see and touch, which bore claw-like marks from an evil spirit on a specific bible passage that he used when performing the exorcism. 

We were scared, afraid and stunned as he continued to reveal to us his personal encounters with the power of darkness.

Even though we were terrified by the power and presence of evil -- and some of us visibly shaken --- through it all, Fr Mendes’ commanding presence and calm authority conveyed to us a total trust and confidence in God.

At the end of his sharing, my classmates and I were confident that evil and darkness did not have the last say. There was no need to be afraid or to panic.

During our feedback session with him, and after all our questioning and his responses to us, towards the end, we proclaimed with one voice to Fr Mendes like the 72 in today’s gospel, “Lord, even the devils submit to us when we use your name.”

We felt we were ready to take on the world. We rejoiced and were overwhelmed that this aged and wise man reaffirmed and nurtured our faith in God and life. He taught us an important lesson  – ultimately it is God who is in charge and power came from Him.

As I look back now on that experience, I understand more clearly another lesson that Fr John Mendes taught us. Jesus today in the gospel passage, cautions his disciples. “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”

The 72 came back rejoicing — they were successful, their achievements were astounding, they were in the top bracket, they were the cream of the crop.

Jesus tells them that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven, he has given them power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy, but he warns them “do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”

We live in a society that has become very goal-oriented and success-oriented. We talk about the greatest batsman, the top student, the tallest building, the best athlete - superlatives abound.

There is a danger that while we do indeed have successes and achievements that we equate who we are to success and achievement.

We are being cautioned like the 72 not to place our value or worth as human beings on what we have achieved or accomplished, so that when failure, disappointments and setbacks occur in our lives we will not be destroyed.

Our world will not come to an end but rather we will carry on picking up the pieces living and working in the conviction that our “names are written in heaven.”

Rejoice rather that we are children of God, loved, understood and accepted for who we are and not for what we have accomplished or achieved. Rejoice that all that we are and all that we have been given is a gift from God.
 
Let us pray:
Lord, we thank you for our parents, spouses, our families, friends, spiritual directors and teachers who love and accept us for who we are. Lord, as the prophet Isaiah reminds us in the first reading, our experience is one that is likened to a son being comforted by his mother.

We know Lord what it is like to be nurslings at her breast and fondled in her lap. We are secure and confident in knowing that we are loved and accepted and so we rejoice that our names are written in heaven, we are free to fail.

Lord, forgive us for the times when we rejoiced in our power, our successes, our achievements, not realizing that life is indeed a gift and all that we are and all that we have, we received from you. We failed, Lord, to understand what it means to rejoice rather that our names are written in heaven.

Lord, we ask you to raise up amongst us in our homes, our schools, our offices, our parishes, our government agencies and NGOs, people who understand how important it is to rejoice rather that our names are written in heaven. May they provide experiences for others whereby they know with conviction that they are loved and accepted for who they are and not for what they have achieved. Amen

Annie Gomes-Philip is a wife and mother of two. The vice principal of Fatima College she is a parishioner of St Theresa’s, Woodbrook.