Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Jer 18:18-20
Mt 20:17-28
Should evil be returned for good? For they are digging a pit for me. Remember how I stood in your presence to plead on their behalf, to turn your wrath away from them.
Rendering evil in any situation portends the grave absence of good, an absolute degradation of moral sanctity. Evil impulse draws from wickedness and sinful manipulations; it is morally reprehensible.
Evil for good has occupied many minds today, and in our world of tragic relationships, many hearts are poisoned with the venoms of hate. Interestingly, those that harbour evil for good assume some form of packaged justifications for their actions that rely on giving to Caesar what is for Caesar, and giving to God what is for God and in many cases, they are hinged on crafted devilish thoughts and practices. The human heart exists in the domain of mischief; from here it manifests into evil and grows sin as the fruit.
It takes the grace of God to escape from the snare of evildoers because the ingenuity deplored in planning evil has overreaching projections that override human detective senses. This is the reason the potency of evil works can only be erased by the grace of God.
For many decades, a community in Southeast Nigeria had been prowled by evil men and women who erected shrines there to conduct divinations and witchcraft for money from the unsuspecting public. It was a thriving business that caused the death of many people. People went to the shrines to settle disputes that had cost many lives. In 2004, there was a bold determination to erect the pole of light of truth in that community. Rev Fr Eberechukwu, a priest from the community, did every possible thing to bring his community into the positive limelight. He was not happy with the reputation of his community because it fostered the growth of devilish promotions that cultivated a system of occultism that preyed on people to make money. Many families were involved in one devilish means of making money or the other, and people were swarming into the community from far and near for one occultic consultation or the other. People claimed they were getting relief in the hands of the devil. To confront this situation, Fr. Eberechukwu mobilised the youth in the community and all the Catholic priests in Nigeria that hail from that community. It was a battle to kick out the devil that lasted for one week, and every home was visited in order to pull down the shrine in it. With prayers and ministrations, the community was cleansed of evil dwellings. Today, the people are a thriving Catholic community with a cathedral and a sitting Catholic Bishop.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Julius Otusorochukwu Dike, KSJI, KSG, JP)
Prayer: In life, we are confronted with good and evil, and we must choose who to serve. Lord, we rely on you; guide us to serve you because you are in good. Help us to live in that expectation and in your good; we pray that you grant us this desire. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Our Lord and Almighty Father in Heaven, we thank you for guiding us through the path that leads to your goodness. Thank you, Lord, Amen.
OXYGEN 
I learn so much when I read your reflections. Thank you for the history and for showing all of us, each time, how the grace and mercy of God is but a prayer or two away. Thank you for reminding many of us how graced we are to practice our faith in our own countries and how prevelent the physical war of evil and good is being played out all over the world. I pray we are all calling on St. Michael daily to battle for us. God bless
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