Seek good and not evil, that you may live

Seek good and not evil,that you may live;

Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts,

be with you as you claim!

Hate evil and love good,

and let justice prevail at the gate;

We were challenged at Mass today as the priest suggested that we are kind of lackadaisical about evil.

Everybody seemed calm at hearing him and I thought, "wow all these women who are regular prayers, have done so much good for others; are doing so much for others all in the name of God, Father, Son and Spirit. Could it be we are accepting of evil?"

 It's true there is so much going on in our world that is touched by evil for example:

abortions

child abuse

trafficking of human beings

corruption in business and government

greed

drugs and all that goes with them

gang activity with all that goes with that

greed

lack of food, shelter, health care for so many, while some are super rich.

I'm not going to belabor this list although there's lots more.

It can seem so overwhelming that it's hard to know where to start.

I can only think that I start right in my own daily life and with my own daily choices.

Evil is not a huge foreign thing out there taking over people's wills and forcing them to do wrong.

"They" are not evil but their actions are.

Hating evil and loving good means being conscious of all the many choices 

to do good, to speak what is good, to hold up the idea of the good.

The temptation to choose the evil action, to say the evil words, to not do the good can be so very strong. We cannot choose the good without God's grace.

Any triumph of good over evil is possible because of Jesus Christ., who gave His life for us on the cross. Jesus by His death on the  cross and His resurrection overcame sin. 

The Cross is our constant reminder. In the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ there is victory over sin and evil, but at great sacrifice. The Cross is our constant reminder that it costs us to make the choice for good. 

The Cross is a sign that provokes us to love, to worship, to gratitude, to thanksgiving, to service. But for the mysteries of that Cross our destiny would be too hideous to think about. The Cross is our hope, our joy, our peace and consolation. It is a blessed pledge of a happy future, a happy eternity. We cannot look upon that Cross without knowing that thereupon was paid the price of our soul's salvation.  Fr. Thomas A. Judge, CM