REFLECTION
FOR FRIDAY OF THE 4TH WEEK OF LENT YEAR A
(Wis 2:1,
12-22; Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30)
Like the virus that tries to destroy human
body, so does evil feed on the good. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom
explains this. “Let us lie in wait for the righteous man because he is
inconvenient to us and opposes our actions...” light and darkness cannot go
together. Evil intent manifests itself on the good, i.e. it is when confronted
by the good that evil exhibits its characteristics. In today’s reading, we see
the unique way in which righteousness confronts evil: Silence! ‘Silence’ is the
vital power with which the good moves and evil is shaken! While evil gangs up
and attacks, the righteous silently focuses on his good ways. The mere
existence of the good is the death of evil. “He became to us a reproof of our
thoughts; the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life
is unlike that of others.
“And light shines in darkness, and darkness
could not overpower it” (Jn 1:5). Evil intoxicates and blindfolds. With its
noisy uproar, it cannot hear the sound of silence in which the good speaks. Evil
intent is always short-sighted. It cannot perceive the eternal hope for the
wages of holiness, nor discern the prize of blameless life.
Thus, Jesus continued to move about freely
though the Jewish authorities had ganged up against him and concluded He must
die. “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly,
and they say nothing to him!” The strength of the Good is in the freedom it
enjoys. Its mere presence is the absence of evil. So Jesus continues to teach
in the synagogues... Such freedom exposes the futility and self-defeat of evil
intent. Thus the evil planners must increase their efforts in order to avoid
self-destruction and shame. “The wicked man sees and is angry, grinds his teeth
and fades away. The desires of the wicked will lead to doom” (Ps 112:10-11).
“So they sought to arrest Him; but no one laid
hands on him, because His hour had not yet come.” Till then, the freedom of the
good will continue to aggravate the plot of the evil of ones, just as the
presence of Jesus angered the Jewish authorities. They tried to take Him at
their own time, thereby subjecting Him to their evil intent. But Jesus’ triumph—and
the victory of the good—is already evident since all will happen at His hour. Then, what is done with malice
will be received with freedom; love will triumph over hatred, good will
overcome evil.
At this trying moment, and in this season of
lent, let us stand at the Hour of Jesus,
where we increase our capacity for good and the freedom that dispels evil.
Fr Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Friday, March 27, 2020.
