Coming To Meet Him

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, June 30th, 2021
Texts: Gen. 21:5.8-20; Ps.34:7-8.10-13; Mtt. 8:28-34
The existence of evil spirit is affirmed in today's gospel reading. Evil spirits do exist, no doubt. Those who deny the existence of evil spirits do so at their own peril. Evil spirits do not just exist, they possess humans and make them perpetrate evil. Some people that are perpetrating evil are possessed. We either allow ourselves to be controlled by the Spirit of God or give ourselves to the devil to possesss us (Mtt. 12:43-45). Some people have sold themselves to the devil already. The more man disconnects himself from God, the more room is created for evil spirits to reign over man.
The remedy to the problem is Jesus Christ. We are to go out to meet Him,  that He might deliver us. The two demoniacs in today's gospel reading came out to meet Jesus Christ. It is said, _"two demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs"_ We are to come out of our sins to meet Him as the demoniacs came out of the tomb to meet Him.
Today's first reading brings to mind another phenomenon that controls man; it is his passion. It is said, "Feelings or passions are emotions or movements of the sensitive appetite that incline us to act or not to act in regard to something felt or imagined to be good or evil" (CCC no. 1763). We have sinful passions such as envy, jealousy, greed. Such passions as love and hatred can either be sinful or holy, depending on the object. If we love things that are evil, such love is sinful. If we have hatred for evil things, it is holy. In today's first reading, Sarah allowed jealousy and greed to take better part of her. In the reading, it is said of her thus: "So she said to Abraham, 'Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.'” She forgot that she was the one who asked her husband to bear child through the slave. We need to learn how to control  our passions. We should not let jealousy and greed turn us against our neighbours. Jealousy and greed severe the relationship between Sarah and her slave. Jealousy and greed destroy harmony and take away peace.
It is also clear in the reading that when God allows us to fall victim of jealousy and greed, it does not meant that God has abandoned us. God allowed the jealousy and greed of Sarah to prevail over Hagar but He did not abandon her. God watched over her and her son; he cared for them. God hears us whenever we cry to Him in our distress. Today's psalm affirms it thus: _"This lowly one called; the Lord heard, and rescued him from all his distress. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who fear him, to rescue them."_ Let us always call on God for help, let us call on him to heal us of evil passions. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for always been there for us, we pray You to deliver us from evil passions and evil spirits, moving around to destroy souls. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke