GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 6TH JUNE 2017
TUESDAY OF THE NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FIRST READING: Tobit 2:9-14
PSALM: Psalm 112:1-2, 7-9
GOSPEL: Mark 12:13-17
THEME: WHEN EVIL HAPPENS TO GOOD PEOPLE
It sounds logical when good things come the way of good people and evil goes the way of chronic evildoers. However, when the inverse takes place and evil happens to a good person the very foundation of our understanding and existence is shaken to the core.
Tobit was a man of prayer and almsgiving. He was a sincere worshipper of the Lord. He continually risked his life in order to serve the needs of his people far away in the land of exile in Assyria. In our First Reading, we have an account of evil befalling him. The droppings of birds fell on his eyes. He did all he could to save his eyes – he applied the medicine given to him by doctors – and yet he went blind. Now come the questions: Could God not have prevented the birds from causing harm to him? Of course he could. Could God not have given wisdom to the doctors to prescribe the right medicine that would cure him? Of course he could? Could God not have healed him instantly without any human intervention. Sure he could. Why did God not do all that?
Just as the sun rises and the rain falls on both the just and unjust, the unpleasant effect of earthquakes and hurricanes are equally felt by all. That is the reality of life here on this earth. There are moments when prayer, as powerful as it is, would not stop a storm. At best it would strengthen a person to go through the storm.
When evil happens to an evildoer, it gives birth to more evil but when it happens to a good person, goodness is multiplied and spread abroad. Jesus rightly said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn. 12:24).
We should never desire that evil should come our way; however, like manure with all its unpleasant smell, if evil should fall on our soil, may we seize that opportunity to produce abundance of good fruits.
PRAYER: Eternal Father, when evil comes our way, may we never lose faith in you but trust that in Christ all things work for good with those who love you. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).