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You notice that I didn’t ask IF there are demons today. The Gospel speaks of Jesus driving out demons and we are still in need of this! True, we can think of personal demons such as drug abuse and alcohol addiction, but what of more systemic demons such as violence and discrimination, poverty, hunger and greed. We have been commissioned as disciples of Jesus in order that we may carry on his mission. I can already hear the wheels turning: How can I make a difference? The answer is one day at a time. Every journey begins with one step at a time. For those who may be affected by a personal demon, there is help available once we recognize that we can’t do it alone. For systemic demons, it’s a little harder, but we can choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. Doing nothing is being part of the problem. Let’s take violence. Think about your language. Are your words hurtful or helpful? Do you put people down or raise them up? The tongue is the first line of defense when it comes to violence. We may not be able to stop the violence in the world, but we can limit it in our homes, our neighborhoods and in our city. Once kindness replaces violence, it will be easier to replace discrimination with respect, poverty and hunger with sufficiency and greed with temperance. We each have a role to play in driving out today’s demons, are you up to it?Prayer: Lord, help us to be part of the solution to casting out the demons in our lives. Help us rid ourselves of prejudice and discrimination. Give us the courage to ask for help to end our addictions. Give us the strength to face the demons in the world and work for change. Amen.