Word of the day

A reading from the Book of Jeremiah
Jer 7:23-28

Thus says the LORD:
This is what I commanded my people:
Listen to my voice;
then I will be your God and you shall be my people.
Walk in all the ways that I command you,
so that you may prosper.

But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed.
They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts
and turned their backs, not their faces, to me.
From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day,
I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.
Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed;
they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers.
When you speak all these words to them,
they will not listen to you either;
when you call to them, they will not answer you.
Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech.

From the Gospel according to Luke
Lk 11:14-23

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute,
and when the demon had gone out,
the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
Some of them 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."

And we can ask ourselves this question: ‘Do I watch over myself, over my heart, over my feelings, over my thoughts? Do I guard the treasure of grace? Do I guard the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within me? Or do I leave it as it is, safe, do I think it‘s all right?’ But if you don’t guard it, someone stronger will come along. But if one stronger than he comes along and overcomes him, he snatches away the weapons in which he trusted and divides the spoils. Vigilance! But, three criteria, eh! Do not confuse the truth. Jesus fights against the devil: this is the first criterion. The second criterion: He who is not with Jesus is against Jesus. There are no half-hearted attitudes. The third criterion: Vigilance in our heart, because the devil is cunning. He is never cast out forever! He will be definitively cast out only on the last day. [...] Let us ask the Lord for the grace to take these things seriously. He came to fight for our salvation. He has overcome the devil! Please, let us not do business with the devil! He seeks to come home, to take possession of us... Do not relativise, be vigilant! And always with Jesus! (Santa Marta, 11 October 2013)