Hebrews 2:5-12 / Mark 1:21-28
In a highly urbanized country like ours, we live in a very noisy world. And in a small country-state like ours, there are not many places we can go to for a quiet moment.
Although we may say that peace is to be found within oneself, yet it cannot be denied that the noise of the world can affect our peace within.
More so if the noise is aggressive and hostile and confrontational; we will be tempted to react and then created a more disturbing noise all around us.
In the gospel, the unclean spirit that possessed the man shouted at Jesus, " What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God."
It was not just a noise, but a voice that is aggressive, hostile and confrontational; it was a voice of fear, a voice that was defensive because it felt threatened.
Yet Jesus, in a calm and authoritative voice, had only this to say: Be quiet! Come out of him!
So whenever we are faced with aggressive and hostile and confrontational situations, let us remember that Jesus is within us.
The 1st reading says that Jesus is our brother; He sanctifies us and grants us peace, so that we can be still and be quiet in the noisy world.
And with the peace of Jesus in our hearts, may we also help to quieten down the aggressive and hostile people we see around us.