Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

An unclean spirit leaves a house only to return and find it swept clean and empty, and brings back seven worse spirits to fill it. Jesus's warning is not only about evil returning, but about what fills a life left empty rather than given over to something good.

Paul asks the Galatians a pointed question: did they receive the great blessing given to Abraham through the law, or through faith - and answers that it was through faith, since Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and foretold the gospel to Abraham in advance, that all nations would be blessed in him. Psalm 111 praises the Lord's works, gracious and merciful, who sent redemption to his people. In the Gospel, Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, and answers that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand; he then tells of an unclean spirit that leaves a person, finds no rest, and returns to find its former house swept clean and put in order, so it brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, leaving the person's last condition worse than the first.

Lord Jesus, you drive out what enslaves us by the finger of God: Lord, have mercy. Christ Jesus, you fill the house you cleanse rather than leaving it empty: Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you are the blessing promised to Abraham for every nation: Lord, have mercy.

Introduction: Father, you do not leave the house you cleanse empty, but fill it with your own Spirit. Hear the prayers of your people:

1. For the Church, that she would be filled with the Holy Spirit and never left as an empty house; Lord, hear our prayer.
2. For those in authority, that a kingdom divided against itself would find unity rather than ruin; Lord, hear our prayer.
3. For anyone who has left behind an old sin only to find the emptiness filled with something worse, that they would find lasting freedom in Christ; Lord, hear our prayer.
4. For those in recovery from addiction, that the house of their lives would be filled with grace, not left vacant; Lord, hear our prayer.
5. For all the nations of the earth, that the blessing promised to Abraham would reach every people; Lord, hear our prayer.
6. For all who have died, especially [name], that they would be filled with the light of God's presence forever; Lord, hear our prayer.

Concluding prayer: Father, you sent redemption to your people and fulfilled the blessing promised to Abraham. Receive the prayers of your people, fill what you have cleansed in us, and keep us from returning to what enslaved us before. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.