BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others...” (Romans 12:4-5, the Holy Bible).

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HOW TO FIGHT “DEMON POSSESSION”: Demon possession, as reported to have seized 10 high school students of the University of the Visayas over the weekend, is a curse which can be overpowered by complete faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, as indicated in a story cited by the Bible, in its Matthew 17:14-20.

Here is that story: “…When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. `Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. `He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’

“ `You unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, `how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, `Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, `Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you…’ ”

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PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: “Proclamation of the Kingdom of God” is the third mystery in the Mysteries of Light, or Luminous Mysteries, of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians, and an account of it is found in Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14 and Luke 4:15 of the Bible.

In Matthew 4:17, the story is told that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He returned to Galilee, and then lived in Capernaum, by the lake in Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill what the prophet Isaiah said.

“From that on, Jesus began to preach,” the same Biblical verse says, and what Jesus started to preach was this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

In Mark 1:14, an almost identical account is found, thus: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. `The time has come’, he said. `The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.’”

In Luke 4:15, on the other hand, this is what is written: “He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.” Luke however says that Jesus began to preach after he was tempted for forty days in the desert. 

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UV students at “pagpasok ng demonyo”

INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “Gaya ng ang bawat isa sa atin ay may iisang katawan at maraming bahagi, at ang mga bahaging ito ay hindi pare-pareho ang gamit, ganundin kay Kristo---bagamat marami tayong bumubuo ng iisang katawan, ang bawat bahagi ay kasama ng lahat ng iba pa…” (Roma 12:4-5, Bibliya).

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PAANO LALABANAN ANG “DEMON POSSESSION”: Ang demon possession o pagpasok ng demonyo sa isang tao, gaya ng naiulat na tumama sa 10 high school students ng University of the Visayas noong nakaraang linggo, ay isang sumpa na maaaring mapagtagumpayan ng tapat na pananampalataya sa Panginoong Jesus, gaya ng ipinapakita ng Bibliya sa kanyang Mateo 17:14-20.

Naririto ang kuwentong ito: “… Noong naratnan nila ang maraming tao, may lumapit kay Jesus at lumuhod sa kanya. `Panginoon, maawa ka sa aking anak,’ sabi niya. `May sakit siya at lubhang nagdurusa. Lagi siyang bumabagsak sa apoy o sa tubig. Dinala ko na siya sa iyong mga alagad subalit hindi nila ito mapagaling.

 “ `Kayong mga lahi ng walang pananampalataya,’ sagot ni Jesus, `hanggang kailan ba ako nararapat kasama ninyo? Dalhin ninyo  ang bata sa akin.’ Pagkatapos, kinastigo ni Jesus ang demonyo at lumabas ito sa bata, at noon din ay gumaling ito.

“Lumapit ang mga alagad kay Jesus at nagtanong sila sa kanya, `Bakit hindi naming mapalayas ang demonyo?’ Sumagot si Jesus, `Dahil sa inyong kawalan ng pananampalataya. Sinasabi ko sa inyo, kung may pananampalataya kayong tulad lamang sa isang buto ng mustasa, masasabi ninyo sa anumang bundok, umalis ka riyan, at ito ay susunod. Walang imposible sa inyo…”

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PAGPAPAHAYAG NG KAHARIAN NG DIYOS: “Ang Pagpapahayag ng Kaharian ng Diyos” ang siyang pangatlong misterio sa Misterio sa Ilaw ng Banal na Rosaryo ng mga Kristiyanong Romano Katoliko, at ang kuwento nito ay matatagpuan sa Mateo 4:17, Marcos 1:14 at Lucas 4:15 ng Bibliya.

Sa Mateo 4:17, makikita natin ang kuwento ni Jesus, matapos niyang madinig na ikinulong si Juan Bautista, na nagtungo sa Galilea, tumira sa Capernaum sa tabi ng lawa sa Zebulun at Naphtali, upang maganap ang sinabi ng Propeta Isaias.

“Mula noon, nag-umpisang magpahayag at magturo si Jesus,” dagdag pa ng bahaging ito ng Bibliya, at ang inumpisahang ipahayag at ituro ni Jesus ay ito: “Magsisi, sapagkat ang kaharian ng Diyos ay malapit na.”

Sa Marcos 1:14 naman, ganito ang nakasulat: “Matapos na makulong si Juan, si Jesus ay nagtungo sa Galilea, at nagpapahayag ng mabuting balita ng Diyos. `Dumating na ang oras’, sabi Niya. `Ang kaharian ng Diyos ay malapit na. Magsisi at maniwala sa mabuting balita.’”

Sa Lucas 4:15, ito naman ang nakasaad doon: “Nagturo Siya sa kanilang mga sinagoga, at ang lahat ang nagbigay papuri sa Kanya.” Kaya lamang, sinabi naman ni Lucas na nag-umpisang magpahayag si Jesus matapos na siya ay sinubukang tuksuhin sa ilang.