Gospel Reading :Matthew 8:28-34
And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters.
The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighbourhood.
What do the Fathers say?
St JEROME. Both the Devil and the dæmons may be said to have rather suspected, than known, Jesus to be the Son of God.
Because as St Remigius points out:
St REMIGIUS. As often as they were tortured by His excellent power, and saw Him working signs and miracles, they supposed Him to be the Son of God; when they saw Him hungry and thirsty, and suffering such things, they doubted, and thought Him mere man.
And he said to them, “Go.”
St John CHRYSOSTOM. Jesus did not say this, as though persuaded by the dæmons, but with many designs therein. One, that He might show the mighty power to hurt of these dæmons who were in possession of the two men; another, that all might see that they had no power against the swine unless by His sufferance; thirdly, to show that they would have done more grievous hurt to the men, had they not even in their calamities been aided by Divine Providence, for they hate men more than irrational animals.
By this it is manifest that there is no man who is not supported by Divine Providence; and if all are not equally supported by it, neither after one manner, this is the highest characteristic of Providence, that it is extended to each man according to his need. Besides the above-mentioned things, we learn also that He cares not only for the whole together, but for each one in particular; which one may see clearly in these dæmoniacs, who would have been long before choked in the deep, had not Divine care preserved them.
He also permitted them to go into the herd of swine, that they that dwelt in those parts might know His power. For where He was known to none, there He makes His miracles to shine forth, that He may bring them to a confession of His divinity.
The dæmons destroyed the swine because they are ever striving to bring men into distress, and they rejoice in destruction.
The greatness of the loss also added to the fame of that which was done; for it was published by many persons; namely, by the men that were healed, by the owners of the swine, and by those that fed them;
as it follows, The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs.; And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus;
But when they should have adored Him, and wondered at His excellent power, they cast Him from them, as it follows, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighbourhood.
Observe the clemency of Christ next to His excellent power; when those who had received favours from Him would drive Him away, He resisted not, but departed, and left those who thus pronounced themselves unworthy of His teaching, giving them as teachers those who had been delivered from the dæmons, and the feeders of the swine.
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
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