1 Samuel 1 : 9-20
Mark 1 : 21-28
An angry and frustrated person has the tendency to look for someone or something to blame as a cause of for the problems or difficulties he is having.
In other words, there is this tendency to blame others for our faults and failings, and even our wrong-doing and sins.
For example, the incompetent boss will blame his workers, the wayward teenager will blame his parents, the unfaithful husband will blame his wife for not being loving and understanding towards him, and vice versa, the list just goes on and on.
And it is just so easy to react and enter into a head-on collision with such an angry and hostile person.
In today's gospel, Jesus met with a hostile, aggressive and challenging situation in the form of a man possessed with an unclean spirit.
But Jesus did not react with anger, argument or retaliation.
Instead, He saw beyond the hostility, the aggression and the anger, to a person who needed help, healing and deliverance.
In a way, Hannah in the 1st reading, also did not react defensively to the accusations of Eli even though she was dejected and distressed.
Today we might meet with with an aggressive and hostile situation or an unwarranted accusation.
Let us turn to Jesus and pray as we ask Him to help us see beyond such situations to the person who needs our help and understanding.
As the Scriptures teaches us, never return evil with evil, but rather return evil with good so that we would inherit a blessing.