Wis 2:1a, 12-22 Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer Praying Lent The Daily Reflections

If there were to be a class taught on how to defeat Satan and be victorious in spiritual warfare, I believe that today’s first reading would be the course outline. So often, we try to contemplate God’s love and his goodness, and we forget that evil exists in the world, too, and that it is very prominent. I can almost imagine two demons talking to one another using the words of this first reading…

The just man or woman is one who not only confronts evil, but does so in a way that demons perceive as obnoxious. He or she does not only triumph over temptation, but leads others to the light as well. We often add a negative connotation to the word obnoxious, but if two demons are conversing about us, we should hope that we are being obnoxious to them, foiling their plots, and hurting their capacity to do evil, for no demon, not even Satan himself, has any power over us that we do not give them. The only power they have is the power we give them when we fall to temptation and turn away from God. We should call ourselves children of the Lord. If we live this in our lives, the first reading says the demons will not even be able to look upon us without being hurt because if we have the light within us, darkness cannot come near, but I think the next line is perhaps the most profound. Why is it such a hardship for a demon to behold a person standing in the light?

“Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways.” We are called to be holy, or, literally, “to be set apart.” God calls each one of us to be different. Can people look at us and see a difference in us? We are not called to just a life of mediocrity. God does not want us to settle for the good when we can have the better. I often think about this in my own discernment, as I ask God to reveal my vocation. I could be happy in any vocation, but I cannot just choose any vocation. I must respond to that which Christ is calling me.

We each have a deep, inner desire to do something remarkable and to be someone remarkable. We each dream of one day being a hero, and the world needs more heroes today than ever before. As St. Catherine of Sienna said, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Be that hero God is calling you to be. We are all called to be heroes for those around us: our families, friends, coworkers, classmates, and even complete strangers. As Pope John Paul II taught us so well, we are all called to respond generously when Christ calls us to “Come, follow me,” and when we do it, we must not be afraid.