Silence within us

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. (Mk 1, 21-28)

The action of the evil one is boisterous, spectacular, and ends in itself, seeking prodigies that do not have deeper meaning. He may indeed reveal the identity of Jesus, but only as a fraud and a slave, not as a faithful herald. It is intended to distract, not to convince, to draw us away from meeting Jesus in the ordinariness of the present moment. It is a disturbance that seeks to tempt us to run from our responsibilities in order to respond to the call of God. This is why the Lord requires the evil spirit to be quiet before he casts him out. Jesus, silence the evil voices of distraction within us when we are called to pray with you.