Signs

by Lester C. Yee

According to this passage, true believers would be accompanied by certain signs. “In Christ’s name, they will drive out demons and they will speak new languages.” What do these signs all mean? As trying very hard to be true believers, will we easily learn new languages like Spanish, Chinese or Latin? Will we have the power to exorcise demons like those we see in the movies? How can we see these signs that Scripture promises to accompany true believers?

In the silence of our Creator amidst all the injustice and evil occurring in the world as a result of man’s misuse and abuse of freedom, spectacular miracles and signs like these may happen but these signs and wonders accompanying true believers happen much closer to home, in ways we may have seen but not noticed, in things most overlooked.

What does it mean to drive out demons? More than the extraordinary demons seen in movies, the demons of hunger, poverty, oppression, social sin and death continue to hound our many brothers and sisters. But true believers, in living out their faith everyday of their lives, sacrifice much of their time, talent and treasure anonymously, empowering poor communities, building houses for Gawad Kalinga, working in Non-Governmental Organizations for the marginalized sectors, teaching in public schools in far flung areas, among others. These believers not only go to Church regularly, but they profess their faith in action, sacrificing the comforts they can attain to make the world a better place. Thus, they drive out demons.

Moreover, they also speak a different language, language of love, a language of liberation, a language of hope. Amidst the monotonous voice convincing people to live for themselves, to earn much money and enjoy their rightfully-earned wealth, to donate only during Christmas or special occasions or calamities and to allow the massive inequality to go on because it is not their fault, these true believers risk all that they have, to fight for what they believe in, to proclaim to the poor not a message of neglect, marginalization, oppression and exploitation, but the message of love that Christ Himself gave to those oppressed in His time.

This is what it means to truly believe in Christ.

***
25 January 2009
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Gospel
Mk 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”