Do Not Enter!
Did you ever notice that it doesn't take long after you do a major cleaning that all the clutter seems to come back?
Do you wind up with more than you had before?
‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but it finds none. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.’ - Matthew 12:43-45
In today's Gospel, Jesus warns us about leaving the clean spaces empty. It is just too tempting to fill them up again when we do that.
What he is talking about, though, is not clutter around the house, but evil.
When we get rid of the evil in us, we create an inviting home for more evil. Would it have been better to leave things alone?
I think the message is a simple one. Replace the evil with something else, something that fills the space and keeps evil at bay.
If we are expelling a spirit, perhaps we should invite a different spirit in, the Holy Spirit.
This is what we do in Baptism, we make room for the Holy Spirit in our lives, and with its presence, none other will invade or even be tempted to enter.
We can rely on it to strengthen us against all evil and influences that lead us astray.
The way Jesus describes it, the evil that returns brings friends along, and all live together inside us. So, that means there is room for more than one spirit within us. We can invite evil, against the wishes of the Holy Spirit, and that is not good.
So, let us begin the act of cleaning with a prayer. We pray that we become in synch with God's Spirit within us, and learn not to fight against it. We pray for strength to keep our hearts, minds and souls full of God's presence, with our thoughts on Him.
We pray that the only spirit that finds comfort in dwelling within is God's, and let all evil be damned.
So, let us start each day with a clean sweep, and put out our sign. Do Not Enter!
More to come...