Today's first reading at Mass brought the words of Jeremiah front and center into our minds as we heard of his struggle with the evil plans others' were making to hurt or even kill him. The Church places this before us for prayer as we continue to walk the Lenten Journey in response to the evil thrust upon Christ for love of us. The Evil Spirit is alive and well, often influencing us and others to live contrary to the Gospel.
I could not help but share the headline above which emphasizes just part of the extent evil has been unleashed in our world. One can almost feel powerless when contemplating the ways those with evil intent are trying to hurt us and others. Must good be repaid with evil?
Immersed in the season of Lent where we remember how Jesus allowed himself to be powerless in the presence of evil, it seems to me that there is a lesson here. The end of the story for Jesus was "Evil does not prevail". God alone holds us and our world in the best of hands.
I wonder if in our powerlessness, we should entrust the ISIS into God's hands? I wonder if faced with our inability to control this virus of evil, we should call upon God to dispel the darkness?
What would Jeremiah do? What would Jesus do? What is God asking me to do in light of the fact that today, there are people who seek to repay goodness with evil?
I have no answers to the above, except to try to be a person of faith, pondering these things in my heart, as Mary did and living the best I can, even when surrounded with evil news and the fears that come from the real evil present in our world. I will remember that the Good Spirit, the Holy Spirit is with me to strengthen me when it seems my strength is spent. I will remember that God is always with me. I think Jeremiah knew that too, even though he did not always feel God's comfy presence.
I could not help but share the headline above which emphasizes just part of the extent evil has been unleashed in our world. One can almost feel powerless when contemplating the ways those with evil intent are trying to hurt us and others. Must good be repaid with evil?
Immersed in the season of Lent where we remember how Jesus allowed himself to be powerless in the presence of evil, it seems to me that there is a lesson here. The end of the story for Jesus was "Evil does not prevail". God alone holds us and our world in the best of hands.
I wonder if in our powerlessness, we should entrust the ISIS into God's hands? I wonder if faced with our inability to control this virus of evil, we should call upon God to dispel the darkness?
What would Jeremiah do? What would Jesus do? What is God asking me to do in light of the fact that today, there are people who seek to repay goodness with evil?
I have no answers to the above, except to try to be a person of faith, pondering these things in my heart, as Mary did and living the best I can, even when surrounded with evil news and the fears that come from the real evil present in our world. I will remember that the Good Spirit, the Holy Spirit is with me to strengthen me when it seems my strength is spent. I will remember that God is always with me. I think Jeremiah knew that too, even though he did not always feel God's comfy presence.
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