20221027 FIGHTING THE BATTLE AGAINST SATAN IN THE FACE OF SECULARISM
27 October, 2022, Thursday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ephesians 6:10-20 © |
Put on God's armour and resist the devil
Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.
So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peaceand always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmetand receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.
Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 143(144):1-2,9-10 © |
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
He is my love, my fortress;
he is my stronghold, my saviour
my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings peoples under my rule.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
To you, O God, will I sing a new song;
I will play on the ten-stringed lute
to you who give kings their victory,
who set David your servant free.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps147:12,15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.Lk19:38,2:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:31-35 © |
It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem
Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:
FIGHTING THE BATTLE AGAINST SATAN IN THE FACE OF SECULARISM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 6:10-20; LUKE 13:31-35]
In the work of the New Evangelization, we must recognize right from the outset the reminder from St Paul that “it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness of this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens.” Our battle is against the Evil One who tempts, misleads and confuses the world with selfish, self-centred values that divide humanity and destroy true peace, joy and unity in the world. Indeed, scripture tells us that he is the Father of lies. He used deceptive and seductive methods to lead us away from the truth and from love.
Like Jesus and St Paul, we must fight this battle with courage and without fear. Jesus refused to back down when He was told that Herod wanted to kill Him. He refused to leave Jerusalem, the place of His final showdown with Satan and his angels. Instead, Jesus replied, “You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.” Similarly, St Paul even when writing from prison did not give up proclaiming the gospel and the truth, Instead, he asked his fellow Christians to pray for him. He wrote, “Pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.”
How can we fight like them, undaunted by the challenges ahead of us, especially the slander and persecution of our enemies?
Firstly, we must remember it is not our battle or a human battle. It is God’s battle. He is our chief commander. The psalmist reminds us, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my arms for battle, who prepares my hands for war. To you, O God, will I sing a new song; I will play on the ten-stringed lute to you who give kings their victory, who set David your servant free.” Indeed, any victory that is to be won, will not be our efforts and strength alone but it is God who gives us victory over our enemies.
Secondly, to fight the battle of God, we must put on the armour of God. St Paul advised us, “Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics.” He tells us that we must rely on God’s armour, otherwise we “will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources” to hold our ground. In other words, for such a battle, we need first to strengthen ourselves, put our own house in order first before we take the offensive in the fight. To put on the armour of God requires that we employ both defensive and offensive means.
Most importantly we need, above all, as St Paul says, to grow strong in the Lord. How? We need the belt of truth. “He has everything under his belt” is the axiom. This is to say, we need to know where we stand, what we believe in and why we believe. Unless, we know the truth, we cannot be confident to detect the lies of the devil that are confusing the world. We must know our doctrines well and our moral values. Seeking the truth about God, about what is sin and true love, and the meaning and purpose of life is the first requirement. Jesus of course is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Only in Christ, do we know the truth about God and about man.
Next, we need to put on the Breastplate for justice. What is this breastplate? It is that part of us that is most vulnerable because it has to do with the heart. Truth is concerned with the head but breastplate is a matter of the heart where our emotions and will lie. It has to do with living a life of integrity and honesty. Justice means having a right relationship with God, others and self. That is why, justice is synonymous with righteousness. Are we at right with ourselves in living a life of truth? Are we just and fair to our neighbours, rendering them the justice that is due in words and deeds? Finally, are we in good conscience before God in walking by His commandments?
The next part of the armour is zeal and passion. St Paul advised us to have shoes on our feet as an expression of “the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace.” Having shoes means that we can travel easily and move quickly in the proclamation of the Good News, otherwise, we are impeded by complacency. When zeal and passion is lost, one cannot fight the battle for the Lord.
Besides zeal, we need a shield to defend us especially in times of trials and sufferings. How often have we given up hope and the fight in the face of discouragement and failure. How can we continue to fight on when everything seems hopeless and in vain? Even for St Paul who was in prison and awaiting execution, how did he keep his hopes high? Jesus too was facing His death in Jerusalem and the opponents were getting more and more hostile. Yet, He remained firm and refused to surrender to the power of Satan and the evil forces in the world. The key is to have a firm faith in the Lord, to trust in God’s wisdom and providence; and most of all, to believe that love and truth will have the last word. It is God who will see us through the battle.
With the shield of faith, we need the sword as well. This sword is nothing else but the Word of God. Truth is given in the Word of God. Conscience is pricked when the Word of God confronts us and our sinfulness. Zeal is aroused through the inspiration of the Spirit as we read the Word of God. Faith is strengthened through the Word of God. So the sword of the Lord is the Word of God. It is, as St Paul says, a double- edged sword that cuts finely.
Finally, at the end of the day, we must be clear of our objective, which is our salvation and that of humanity. St Paul tells us that we “must accept salvation from God” to be our helmet.” Once we are clear that salvation is our goal and is a gift already given to us in Christ, then we must live out this gift already received and share this gift with others. Unless we ourselves already are saved, we cannot offer this gift to others.
However, even if we put on the armour of the Lord, it is still not sufficient. Besides defensive weapons, we need offensive weapons to deter the enemies. What are the best weapons to fight against Satan?
The most powerful and irreplaceable weapon is prayer and fasting. That is why St Paul ended by appealing to his fellow Christians, “Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.” Only in prayer, can the Holy Spirit work in and through us; and open the hearts and minds of our enemies. Conversion is not our work because only the Holy Spirit can convict us of our sins. Only He can give us wisdom, understanding and love. With the Holy Spirit, we find the gifts of piety, fortitude and counsel.
Secondly, we must put on the heart of Christ, which is compassion. Even whilst being rejected by His countrymen and opposed by His enemies, He was not revengeful or vindictive. He continued to stretch out His hand to save them until His very last breath. We can feel the sorrow, not the anger of Jesus in His prayer when He grieved over Jerusalem. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it!” He left them the freedom to choose without imposing His kindness on them. Nevertheless, He felt sorry to know that they would destroy themselves as He said, “Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say, ‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!'”
With the armour of God for self-defence and the offensive weapons of prayer and compassion, like Christ, we will be able to change the hearts of our enemies and protect ourselves in the process when they hurt us or when the battle gets tough. So in the work of the New Evangelization, let us begin by renewing our faith and live a life of integrity and holiness so that we will be ready to confront the world and give an answer to our Hope both by our deeds and our words.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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