[stephenkhoo]

EVANGELIZE THE WORLD BY PROCLAIMING CHRIST 

SCRIPTURE READINGS:  2 SM 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; MK 5:1-20 http://www.universalis.com/20140203/mass.htmWe are living in a very difficult period of our history.  It is a period of light and darkness.  On one hand, there are great opportunities and advancement for us all.  On the other hand, the moral and spiritual growth of the human person and that of the family and society do not keep pace with developments in technology and economics.   Society is disintegrating.  Of course, disorder in society is rooted in disorder in the family.  Indeed, if technological and material progress results in a society where there are no morals and faith in God, then society will ultimately destroy itself.The gospel reminds us that evil is real.  We must not in this technological world imagine that the devil is only a myth for he truly exists as a personal being and as a force in this world.  The presence of evil is rampant in society today.  We see this concretely in the moral decadence in our society.  Traditional values such as fidelity, honesty, diligence, chastity and selflessness are discarded for practicality, individualism and egotism.  Many are substituting the true faith for a compromised and diminished religion in the form of New Age movements.  Others are even involved in occult practices.  All these have the thirst for power in common and in the process, proclaiming themselves as gods.Indeed, as the gospel tells us, the work of the devil seems uncontrollable.  After all, his name is called “Legion.”  A legion is about the size of a 6,000 strong army.  So powerful is the world of the devil that we are witnessing untold misery caused by atrocities, wars and terrorism.  The possessed man symbolizes the state of society.  The work of evil is creating havoc, confusion and fear in the lives of our people.  We all know the dangerous trends in society, be it relativism, individualism, materialism or atheism, yet we are helpless.  In the world of globalization, we can no longer shield ourselves from the influence of the world.The most evident presence of the work of the devil is in the destruction of family life.  Infidelity and divorces are increasing because fidelity in marriage is not taken seriously.  Marriage has lost its sacredness.  Parents today are financiers rather than educators.  This work is unfortunately either entrusted to the domestic helpers or to the grandparents.  As a result, the family is breaking apart.This was the same situation of David.  Because of his sins, he had to suffer the consequences.  His son, Absalom revolted against him.  Well, children no longer treat their parents with respect today too.  We have children suing their parents and driving them out of the house.  Of course, evil begins in the individual as in the case of Saul and David.  Because of the influence of society, we begin to imbibe such values unknowingly.  There are still many people like the country folk of the possessed man who are still in bondage to the devil.  Indeed, if the people from that city pleaded with Jesus to leave them in peace, it was because they were not ready to pay the price of conversion.  Many today are not yet ready to let go of their sins that prevent them from coming close to Jesus.If we do not stop evil and if we allow evil to possess us, we will ultimately destroy ourselves.  This was the case of the devils.  When Jesus allowed them to enter the swine, we are told that the swine fell off the cliff and evil died with them.  This is also another way to illustrate graphically the destructive force of the demons.  Evil cannot exist but will lead to nihilism.  This explains why those who fall into the snares of materialism and atheism end up committing suicide because life cannot be understood or explained without belief in God.  Nihilism is the extreme outcome for when we have all that we want in life, we will find that life has no meaning even if we seem to be successful in life.The truth is that many people are experiencing the meaninglessness of life and the power of evil.  They desire to find true happiness.  But many do not know Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  They have not yet experienced His healing, liberating grace and mercy.  Indeed, like the possessed man, many are imploring for mercy and release from the slavery of the evil one and his works.It is for such people that Jesus took pity on.  He wants to show His mercy to all of humanity.  However, He needs us.  We are called to be His messengers.  Jesus is saying to us, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”   Indeed, Christ is telling us, “If you are grateful to me, then do not run away from your obligations.  He wants us to free others from sin and evil as well.   We must never forget that if we have experienced the mercy and love of God, it is not only meant for ourselves but for others too.We must, as Jesus tells us, announce the Good News to our families.  Begin with our family members.  Then reach out to our friends, colleagues and the migrants in Singapore.  Together as a community, we belong to the bigger family.  We must not be myopic as well as exclusive.  But proclamation must begin from the individual and the family.  We need to strengthen the faith of our families first, then the larger family of God.Yes, we must proclaim the power of God in our lives.  We must proclaim His mercy and love in our lives.  We must manifest ourselves as those who do not compromise with evil.  We must be careful that we do not rationalize what we do and compromise with evil and sin in our lives.  If not, it will eventually destroy not only ourselves, but also our families and society.  The only way to conquer evil is to spread the Good News.  Only the proclamation of Christ and His message can help the world to know the truth and be liberated from the grip of the evil one.  All that Jesus requires of us is that we are willing to receive Him so that we can walk in freedom in His presence.It is for this reason that there is urgency for us to proclaim Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life wherever we may be.  We need to fear the power of evil only when Christ is absent.  Whenever Christ is not present, evil will reign.  When confronted with the power of Christ, sin and evil have no future.   Indeed, it is because they knew that they were powerless that the demons pleaded with Jesus to be driven out.  And if our culture and modern life today are controlled by evil, it is because we have rejected Christ and the gospel.  The only cure to the ills of society is to make Christ reign in the hearts of the individuals and then that of society.We must work together as the Body of Christ and draw close to each other in fellowship, in prayer and in worship so that as Church, we can be a power to counter the evil forces of division, injustice and those who promote the culture of individualism, egotism and death.   We must not compromise with our sin and by rationalizing our actions.  We cannot coexist with evil.  This can be done when we work with Jesus and with one another.- See more at: http://www.csctr.net/reflections/#sthash.IF6JPkNi.dpuf