“Apathy and evil. The two work hand in hand. They are the same, really.... Evil wills it. Apathy allows it. Evil hates the innocent and the defenseless most of all. Apathy doesn't care as long as it's not personally inconvenienced.”

“The evil in the world must not make me doubt the existence of God. There could be no evil if there were no God. Before there can be a hole in a uniform, there must be a uniform; before there is death, there must be life; before there is error, there must be truth; before there is a crime, there must be liberty and law; before there is a war, there must be peace; before there is a devil, there must be a God, rebellion against whom made the devil.” ― Fulton J. Sheen, Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book

Gospel Text: (LK 4:31-37)

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!"
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
"What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out."
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Reflect, today, upon the reality of evil and the reality of demonic temptations in our world.  We’ve all experienced them.  They are nothing to be overly frightened about.  And they should not be seen in an overly dramatic light.  Demons are powerful, but the power of God easily triumphs if we let Him take control.  So as you reflect upon the reality of evil and demonic temptations, reflect also on God’s desire to enter in and render them powerless.  Allow God to take command and trust that God will conquer.