Love Conquers Evil

Tobit 6:10-11,7:1,9-14,8:4-9
Mark 12:28-34

There is so much trouble in the world. In today’s first reading, we see a major problem of evil in the world. It mentions one type of evil, a spiritual evil that took the lives of 7 bridegrooms and remained with the innocent Sarah.
On the wedding night of Tobias and Sarah, they were aware of the harm that the evil spirit could do, and so they turned to God and prayed for protection and for His blessings on their marriage. In a world where we see so much evil happening, there is the temptation to return evil with evil or not to speak against evil.

On the contrary, today’s gospel reminds us of the great commandment – to love God and to love neighbour. To carry out that commandment will entail facing resistance and opposition by the forces of evil and their agents. We need to continuously pray for God’s protection and help to live out that precept of love. In what way can we love another today that will reflect the unconditional love of God for that person? Are we truly loving God with our whole being? Are we actively expressing that love through our actions toward others?

As we embrace the greatest commandment, we find that love has the potential to change lives and bring healing to a broken world. It is through genuine love, both for God and our neighbors, that we can make a meaningful impact and leave a lasting legacy of compassion and grace.
Let us heed Jesus’ words today and allow love to be the guiding principle in our lives. As we walk in love, we embody the essence of true discipleship and fulfill the purpose for which we were created.

Fr Joseph Osho