THE LURE OF EVIL. (Homily for Monday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year B.)

Bible Study:  1 Maccabees 1, 10 to 63. And Luke 18, 35 to 43.


Do you notice that evil always seems more attractive than good? From our first reading this morning, we see how evil readily spreads often beginning a person or a group of persons and gradually seducing more and more people until the very culture of the society itself becomes soaked in sin.

Just pick out any evil in society today and trace its history. First you find some persons doing it and they receive public condemnation for it. But no one is bold enough to stop them or punish them, soon they start enticing others to try their evil deed and they start attracting fans, then they reach out for the king or the leader. They get into the shores of power and use their political might to push for legislation on such evil deeds.

Just as we see happening in our own day and time, so it was in the days of the Maccabees, the king Antiochus Epiphanes actually passed into law the fact that the devoted Israelites should abandon their traditional religious customs and embrace the ways of evil. Many in obedience forgot the ways of God the Most High, they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath.

As if that was not enough, the king erected the horrible abomination of pagan idols right inside the holy places of worship in Jerusalem and the surrounding cities of Judah. Then the people started burning the scrolls of the law. It is so terrible how just a few persons can actually set entire cities ablaze with the fire of evil and corruption such that what used to be considered the standard of good behaviour all of a sudden is looked upon with contempt.

In the midst of all these, there were some who refused to partake of such corruption. There were many who could still stand their ground against evil and what became of these persons? They suffered the pain of martyrdom. They preferred to die than to go against their religious conviction. They alone had eyes to see that when evil reigns in society, it is better to die for what is good and be rewarded with eternal life than to swim in the river of evil for a while only to end up later in eternal damnation.

It takes great faith on our part to be prepared to die for the sake of righteousness than to share in the cup of evil in the name of conformity.

In our Gospel passage, Jesus heals a man who though was physically blind was able to see with the eyes of faith. The moment he inquired and was told that it was Jesus, he knew he had to shout to get Jesus’ attention, he knew only Jesus had a solution to his physical condition. Eventually, when Jesus cured him, he said: “Your faith has made you well.”

In the face of the many evils which have become rampart in our society today, do I have faith enough to stand my feet on remain in the path of goodness not minding what anyone can do to me? Have I allowed myself to become blind to the extent that I find it difficult to notice these abominable evils in the modern day culture of my people some of which have even become enshrined in the law? Do I hold a position of influence in society and prefer to listen to suggestions from people who are immoral, corrupt and indecent simply because of the money I stand to gain from them? What efforts am I making to revive the traditional morality of old?

Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see evil for what it truly is and deepen my courage to stand up to good even if such may cost my very life. I will rather die than share from the banquet of evil and corruption. Amen.

Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.

Note: The book of Maccabees where our first reading is taken belongs to the collection of Biblical books that are only found in the complete Bible. You may want to get yourself the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.  

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