“Pray always, but not in order to convince the Lord by dint of words! He knows our needs better than we do! Indeed, persevering prayer is the expression of faith in a God who calls us to fight with him every day and at every moment in order to conquer evil with good.”
-Angelus address, October 29, 2013, Pope Francis
Conquering Evil
The Holy Father’s quote above is a reminder to all of us that in order to ‘conquer evil’ we must pray to God. When we look at our world at hand and at the evil around us, it seems almost impossible to believe evil can be conquered through prayer and submission to the Lord. Pope Francis states that ‘he knows our needs better than we do’. God knows our needs. God knows what we are facing and the evil we have been subjected to. When we take the time to get to know the Lord through prayer each day, we can assist in the task of defeating evil in our world and all around us.
Persevering in Prayer
The key to ‘conquering of evil’ is to persevere in our prayer to God. This takes time, but mostly it takes dedication and persistence. I would say it is like a fight, but a good fight. A fight against our laziness, unbelief, and a fight against our sadness, pain, and pride. If we stick with the fight, we will help God immensely in the conquering of evil in our world. We must believe in God’s goodness and in His love for all.
Small steps of faith will lead us on this path. When we awake in the morning, make it a practice to stop and think of Him and to offer a small prayer, God will give us the grace to pray and accomplish this important task. The task of loving Him and praying for everyone around us. This includes prayers for ourselves on the journey.
Every day and at Every Moment
There is not a period of time that goes by in our lives that God is not with us. It can be difficult to remember this fact on challenging days. When we rest and when we sleep He is still there. When we awaken and when we are alert to His presence, we continue to fight the ‘good fight’ with Him. In the small prayer to the Holy Spirit or in the pause before speaking, He is there. By remembering Him at all times and at ‘every moment’, we are walking on the path with Jesus.
Making it Real Every Day
As we pray and reflect, we walk next to God. Then, He reflects His own goodness into our interactions, conversations and hard times. ‘Conquering evil with good’ is no easy task. It is only possible with Jesus Christ and in the Paschal Mystery, the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Let us continue on this path daily for evil can be conquered through the goodness of God.
2 thoughts on “A Devotional: Conquering Evil with Good Through Prayer”
As usual, you weave your message with concise and powerful words, getting to the point and driving it home with gentle love and cutting truth. I hate small steps, though I know they are necessary. I guess that’s pride or even fear. You are spot on about persistence and prayer. Excellent work!
We are reminded again of the need for prayer or even of the merits of same, in the fact that God alone would know how many hearts that are angry and could be in despair are set free because enough persons do call on The Spirit , that there are not more evil events around us .
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/london-bridge-is-standing-strong – an article of hope and trust , from a parish that is close to the bridge where the attack took place .
Interestingly , it is an Anglican Ordinariate parish that came back into communion with The Church – thus walking the ‘ bridge ‘ of unity , of being of One Heart with The Spirit of The Lord .
Now, there is also mention of how the people gather at the pub after church – true, may be an innocent enough place of sharing and joy …Yet , could it not be even better , by making stronger bridges , such as through Adoration after church ..to make up for the air of scorn , esp. through the media .
Having listened to the British sitcoms in the past , used to feel that they carry an extra dose of the scorn and mockery towards Godly values and family ..the beast like a leopard that the Book Of Rev,warns about .( Not watching nay such anymore , unsure if things are same here anymore .)
We can also recall how Noah too is mocked by his son , while he was in a drunken state ;
would it be that an aspect of penance and love for the suffering in our times could be abstinence , thus to recover from the drunken stupor of the destructive spirit of the world , through media .
Christian lives having an ascetical , side and holiness could be a witness of hope for our Muslim brethren too , let alone through the power of prayer from such lives , that call on The Spirit , as The Blood and Water , to help bring forth deliverance from hardened hearts and hope and trust in our Good Father .
Many of these immigrants persons might have come into the West , from their warm and sunny lands , sort of hoping for a sort of ‘ heaven ‘ on earth .
Instead , they come to face the decadence around , afraid of falling into the spirit of the world , from the culture , thus into deeper despair , may be grief and anger , in a cold and grey land .
Interestingly, it is mentioned how after The Crucifixion , St.Mary Magdalene was ‘ out of her mind ‘ , from grief .
The Presence of The Lord set her free .
The Church has a basic premise that ideally families and persons should be able to stay
in own lands .
For whatever reasons and God alone knows who all are responsible for all the arms deals and wars that led to the current situation that make many leaving own lands .
When such immigrants have to be accepted into cultures that might seem very alien to their beliefs , the merciful remedy might be for countries also having long range goals of reparation of such persons to their own home lands , not punitively but as an act of mercy .
May be the E.U could take upon same as their primary goal , meanwhile also using the occasion of their stay here , to expose them as well as the rest of those who need to be reminded of what The Kingdom of God is about and how Christianity has done the most ever ,for peace and welfare even for here .
Using media , to drive out the leopard of mockery against families and children,
( may be a spirit that came in with the tragic saga of Henry V111 and his scornful rebellion against The Father figure ) ) The Church and the families can be made to ask , how are they being a blessing , do they see each other as blessings ..do they intend to bring forth more blessings ,
accepting children as blessings and thus be receptive to the Father ‘s promise through Abraham .
The Church and even the Govt and esp.families reminding the young that the earth is not running out of resources when used wisely is also needed to stem the tide of despair and fear .
‘ Have mercy on us and the whole world ‘ – thank God that there are many who do call on same , so that families would have enough trust to be whole and welcoming of children whose lives and hearts are too to be pleasing places of praise and prayer .
Sts Jacintha and Francisco , pray for us all .