How can we know the “mind of the Lord”? This question occurs to many Christians, not only to Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians. In Old Testament times, God’s plan was a deep mystery: inscrutable, unknowable. Through our deep faith, God has sent us the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds: we know God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, whose Body and Blood are given to us in the Holy Eucharist, our Bread of Life.

“But we have the mind of Christ” is Paul’s joyous proclamation that ends this passage. With this salvation message (‘the Good News’) comes the gift of the Holy Spirit: understanding. (Paul does get his point across: some form of ‘spirit’ appears eleven times in these seven verses!)

Jesus encounters a different kind of spirit (lowercase ‘s’) in Matthew’s story from Capernaum. This “unclean demon” is torturing a man, elsewhere called a “demoniac”. With a few powerful words of rebuke, Jesus casts out the demon. To our Lord’s titles of priest, prophet, savior, and king, we add exorcist! Rejoice that the Holy Spirit comes to us and gives our own words power, too. Don’t be shy! Use the Word of the Lord in your own voice to inform, to explain, to invite and to welcome everyone you meet to join God’s people at the Lord’s table! There we may all share the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation!

Let us pray:

O Lord, send down your Spirit and renew your people here on earth. Help us use our words to spread your message of love and salvation and our own message of hunger and thirst for your Holy Eucharist present here for all. Amen.