Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(Colossians 1:9-14; Luke 5:1-11)
A successful businessman almost went bankrupt because of
gambling debts. He was a family man,
respected in the community where he had his business, and active in his church. But in Las Vegas he could not stop placing
bets until he almost lost everything.
St. Paul has such madness in mind when he writes of the “power of
darkness” in today’s first reading.
Darkness or evil takes different shapes. One can become addicted to drugs, lie
maliciously, or look for illicit sexual fulfilment. Darkness engulfs the soul so that it dies before
the light of the next day. Paul
recognizes how Christ through his teaching and by his death has dissipated its
power. By staying close to him, one can
enjoy a peaceful and hopeful life.
Coming to such a state is not all our doing. God provides the grace so that everyone come
to know and rely on Christ. Like Paul we
need to pray continually that we accept the grace that dispels darkness.
