By Vimal Kumar csc –
Readings: 2 Sam 15: 13 -14, 30; 16: 5-13a; Mk: 5: 1-20
Our life always brings a tug of war between goodness and evil. ‘Good never perishes from this world and evil never ceases to exist.’ This famous saying is apt for today’s gospel scene where Jesus drives out a demon from a man. Like darkness has no existence of its own, the evil too has no existence of its own but it is we who force the evil to act on our actions.
Our dreadful qualities and evil possession like arrogance, selfishness, ego, addictions, hatred, and violence, enable the existence of evil in this world. In order to overcome evil, we need to be empowered by goodness. Jesus is the embodiment of complete goodness infused with principles and virtues. Through him we can gain the strength and courage to restrain our evil impulses and possessions. Only he can liberate us from the clutches of evil and illumine our life with radiance of goodness.
Today’s saint Don Bosco said, “Every moment we can increase our knowledge, do a good deed, or make an act of love of God.” Don Bosco lived his life in complete goodness focusing on Jesus. Let us all invite Jesus into our lives with true faith and love for our fellow human beings to overcome the evil possessions in us and empower the goodness in and around us.