They begged him to leave their district

“Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.” (MT 8: 34)

Quite strange, how can anybody wants Jesus “to leave their district”? We ask and ask Him to stay with us, to protect us, to lead us, and just to love us. When material needs are a priority, when career or fun is more important than our beloved one, Jesus is “persona non grata.” In many countries, we experienced a tendency to eliminate Our Lord’s presence from public areas: from schools, official buildings, and daily life. The more the world rejects Him, the more we want to invite Him to our homes and relationships.

“The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (Gospel Acclamation)