Gospel
From the Gospel according to Mark
Mk 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”
He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

The word of the Lord.

Choose a husband over a mobile device.

Evil diminishes human dignity, but the Lord offers liberation, requiring us to let go of worldly attachments such as pleasures, luxuries, and prideful successes. Some struggle to part with their “treasures,” resisting the Lord’s call. Those who respond positively may be directed to exclusive devotion to Him or to prioritize family and marital responsibilities before spreading the Gospel. Such obedience ensures God’s protection against the grip of evil.

Applied to married life:
Sofía expresses frustration to Ángel about her inability to manage the time she spends on mobile chats. Despite her desire to change, she feels helpless in the situation. Ángel acknowledges Sofía’s ambitious nature, noting her significant improvement in prioritizing the Lord and their relationship. Sofía appreciates Ángel’s comforting presence during moments of despair.

Later, Ángel discovers Sofía with her wrists tied to the bed, explaining it’s a deliberate choice to resist reaching for her phone, aiming for greater fidelity to the Lord. Ángel playfully suggests tying herself to him for more frequent hugs, to which Sofía jokingly accuses him of being a bit self-interested but agrees to the amusing exchange of the phone for a husband.

In a prayer, the writer emphasizes the crucial role of the Lord in keeping negativity away and hopes for His continuous presence in their marriage. Praise be to the Lord.