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Is the demonic around today?

In Today's Gospel, Jesus is busy driving out demons. What about today? Tuesday, we got uo at 8am and were planning on driving down Chapparal Street,  just around the corner, at 9 am,  to Randy's for breakfast Then at 8:30: Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! echoed in our patio, and soon News Helocopters hovered overhead.

A block from us, an abusive husband was struggling with his wife for contol of a hand gun. A child was screaming. A passing construction worker ran into the house and wrested the gun away, grabbed the terrified woman and child and took them across the street. A few seconds later:

The deranged husband came out of the house with another gun. He ordered the worker to remove the child. Then in the middle of the street we were scheuled to go down, he shot her twice and then comitted suicide.

And all of this happened across the line in a community named Paradise Valley.

So danger lurks even in "Paradise!"

Such acts have the flavor of the demonic. ..

Not to mention the demonic acts  of ISIS.

Yet in the shadows of the demonic, courage and heroism often appear.

The worker who risked his life and saved the child is an exemplar.

His name was not released which makes me wonder if he was undocumented. If such a heroic person were to be deported, that too has th flavor of the demonic..

And so Mark tells us today:

"...he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak, for they knew him."

And so we pray:

O God help us to recognize today's demons:

addiction, spousal abuse, cruelty,

and deliver us from evil.

Amen