Look beyond the darkness of evil

Look beyond the darkness of evil

As St. Paul said; “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”  (Eph 6: 12).

We are just people who are moving towards the mandates Christ has placed ahead through the many entities of suffering and hope of a new tomorrow.  While each of us looks with wonderment at what Easter is about after the crucifixion of Jesus, and his disciples hiding from fear of their own lives, the glory Christ now is, has become the hope we’ve awaited. 

Expounding on the finality of Good Friday and the possibility of all the Master promised, his followers were in a quandary as what they do now.  Besides the different resurrection appearances Jesus had with various people and groups the reality that put all the fears to rest was that morning on the sea after a night of little success fishing.  “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”  They answered him, “No.”  So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”  (Jn 21: 5 - 6).

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Somon Peter, “Simon, son of John , do you love me more than these?”  He said to him, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”  (Jn 21: 15).  Herein are the words you and I must also utter in spite of the disappointments, suffering that life presents to us, and the weaknesses we profess by our sin.  

Jesus, waiting for our time to be taken to heaven, are now in a period of catching nothing via our attempts to complete a lifetime of struggles.  It will be the answer to the question; “Do you love me?”  

Every day,  as each of us gets up, dons the clothes representing our mission, and out into the world that has little to offer for our soul.  Yet, every struggle that wants us to fight back at the evil we may encounter, those words “do you love me more than these?” should be the mantra we remember and fight against the powers and principalities Paul spoke to the people at Ephesus.

This must be the answer to the past 40 days, the Easter Triduum, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ that we suffered with him and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!”   (Jn 20: 28).  

Ralph B. Hathaway