20260929 FIGHTING THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE
29 September 2026, Tuesday, Ss Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Archangels
First reading |
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 |
His robe was white as snow
As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 137(138):1-5 |
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
I will adore before your holy temple.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
you increased the strength of my soul.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
All earth’s kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the Lord’s ways:
‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’
In the presence of the angels I will bless you, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps102:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,
his servants who do his will.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 1:47-51 |
You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’
FIGHTING THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [DANIEL 7:9-10,13-14 (OR REV 12:7-12A); JOHN 1:47-51]
The reading from the Book of Revelation describes the ongoing battle between Michael and his angels on one hand, and the Dragon and the fallen angels on the other. This battle between good and evil existed before the world began, but it continues throughout the history of creation, beginning with the temptation of our first parents. Although Jesus, born for our salvation, came into the world through Mary, the Mother of the Church, the spiritual battle continues even in our time.
In spite of the fierce battle between good and evil, the Book of Revelation assures us that “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down.” Christ’s saving death on the cross and the testimony of the faithful martyrs have shown that victory is the final word over evil: “They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the witness of their martyrdom, because even in the face of death they would not cling to life. Let the heavens rejoice and all who live there.”
For us who are still engaged in this spiritual warfare against the evil forces that continue to inflict their menaces upon the world, we must all the more renew our trust and faith in the power of the Lamb. We cannot rely on ourselves in this spiritual battle; we can rely only on Christ and the power of God. St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, saying: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph 6:10-13)
Truly, no one can avoid spiritual struggles, especially temptations from the Evil One. Even our Lord was tempted in the desert and during His final days on earth. Today, on the Feast of the Archangels, we must take heed of our Lord’s counsel: “Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mk 14:38) St. Peter offered similar advice when he wrote: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pt 5:5-8)
God has sent the angels to render us assistance in our fight against the Evil One. When Jesus “was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” (Mk 1:13) Again, when He was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.” (Lk 22:43-44) Indeed, the angels are sent by God to protect and guide us. When Peter was in prison, an angel came to his rescue: “During the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.'” (Acts 5:19-20) Later, when Peter was arrested by King Herod Agrippa, an angel once again miraculously rescued him: “Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.'” (Acts 12:11) An angel also struck down Herod for failing to give glory to God while delivering an address: “The people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!’ And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:22-23)
This is why we must be humble enough to place our trust not in our own strength, but in God who sends His angels to help us. As Pope Benedict XVI noted, “the names of the three Archangels all end with the word ‘El,’ meaning ‘God.’ God is written into their names and into their nature.” Being so close to God and to humanity, the angels serve as His messengers to us. Pope Benedict also observed that the early Church called bishops the “angels” of their churches simply because they are called to “be men of God and must live with their faces turned towards God.”
Bishops and priests–though not exclusively–are called to bring Christ to the people and to proclaim His truth, love, and mercy. Bishops, in particular, are called to protect the Church of Christ from errors and heresies, and to teach the Word of God clearly without ambiguity or confusion. Celebrating the Feast of the Archangels reminds us of the task assigned to St. Michael in Scripture: to defend the oneness of God against the presumption of the dragon (that ancient serpent) and to be the protector of the People of God. To be true “guardian angels” of the Church, not only bishops but all Christians must find wisdom in the Word of God, strength in our faith, and guidance from the Holy Spirit to grant us the discernment of spirits.
Indeed, the work of the devil is to confuse and divide. Jesus warns us: “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44) In the Book of Genesis, the devil twisted and distorted God’s command regarding the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, “‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'” (Gn 3:3-5)
If we feel we can look after ourselves and rely solely on our own strength, angels will find no place in our proud and self-righteous hearts. This was the sin of our first parents: seeking to be like God without God. They did not want to depend on Him, desiring instead absolute autonomy to determine their own lives. Rather than relying on ourselves, we must depend on God alone, just as the angels do. Empowered by God to act in His name, they are assigned specific roles in the work of salvation. Thus, Michael means “Who is like God?”; Gabriel means “The Strength of God”; and Raphael means “God’s Remedy.” Those who are called to deliver messages or perform works of supreme importance are designated as archangels.
Gabriel, whose name means “Strength of God,” was sent to Mary to announce God’s choice of her to be the mother of the Saviour. As the messenger of the Incarnation, Gabriel strengthened Mary to do God’s will by assuring her of God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. Gabriel helps us find the strength to remain open to God’s call in our own lives.
St. Michael, who is “like God”, performed the work of thwarting the devil’s attempts to destroy us and the mission of the Church. For this reason, we constantly pray to him for protection against the Evil One. Only he can withstand the snares and power of the Evil One; as one who is like God, Michael acts by God’s authority, and God uses him to bring down the proud from their thrones (Isa 14:13-15).
Finally, Raphael is the archangel who brings healing to soul, mind, and body, as shown when he cured Tobit’s blindness by touching his eyes. Sent to heal, he is truly worthy of the name “God’s Remedy,” as he provides the solution to our sicknesses. He comes to open our eyes and grant us truth and love so that we may walk in the path of wisdom and charity. He also restores relationships, especially assisting those facing marital difficulties, as in the case of Tobias and Sarah.
Let us therefore turn to St. Michael for protection from the Evil One, St. Gabriel for strength to do God’s will, and St. Raphael for healthy relationships with our loved ones and the grace to see the good in everyone. Following their example, let us also extend protection to those under our care, proclaim the Good News of encouragement and hope to the discouraged, and bring healing to those broken by illness or fractured relationships.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
