evanThursday of 30th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: Don’t let threats from principalities and powers suppress the voice of God in you.

Readings: Eph 6:10–20; Lk 13:31–35

Dear friends in Christ, in today’s gospel reading, some pharisees cautioned Christ to leave their town because Herod meant to harm Him. We do not know whether what those Pharisees did was motivated by true fraternal love to protect their brother from harm or a ploy to silence the evangelical voice that was condemning their evils. However, what is clear is that Jesus gave a firm response that he would not be intimidated by threats from anyone. He sent them back to tell Herod that nothing would stop him from doing the work God the Father sent Him to do.

Dear friends, God sent us into this world with a mission. Through our baptism and confirmation, He commissioned and strengthened us for the mission to preach the Good News with both words and actions, upholding the truth, denouncing evil wherever it is seen, and correcting errors. The devil, whose kingdom is threatened by our mission, has been fighting back. Sometimes he uses direct methods, such as confrontation, accusations, insults, threats, and persecutions. Some other times he uses subtle tactics, such as advice or discouragement from colleagues and friends. All are aimed towards ensuring that we stopped carrying out our mission of depopulating his kingdom.

In today’s gospel, Jesus demonstrated that we should never succumb to both threats and subtle voices that try to discourage us in our mission of saving the world from the hands of the evil one.

In today’s first reading, St. Paul reminded us that the mission given to us by God is not a simple one. It is rather a fight against the principalities, powers, and rulers of this world of darkness. If this battle is spiritual, we need spiritual weapons if we must win. Thus, St Paul urged us to equip ourselves with the whole armour of God, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace on our feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer of supplication with perseverance. These are the spiritual weapons we need to combat the kingdom of the evil one.

May God grant us His protection as we depopulate the kingdom of the evil one. Amen.

Fr. Isaac Chima