Daily Readings: Psalm 125; 1 Kings 18:1-18; Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor 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 armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

Have the wiles of the devil convinced some who identify themselves as followers of Christ to target certain people or groups of people? The gospel message is clear, for Christ made it so –  share His love with the world.  Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive those who hurt you, do not judge others, welcome the stranger  and love your enemies.

In his book, Radical Grace, the Catholic priest Richard Rohr claims “there is no other goal on earth for the Christian but to grow in love. Spirituality is always about love.”   He also states that “in our egocentric western culture, God, for many, becomes a projected image of the self:  what we need, like or want God to be.”  We may see this in others.  Can it be true of ourselves?  Examining our spiritual beliefs with honesty and objectivity can be difficult.  After all, much of all of what we believe to be true has been present most of our adult lives.  Paul tells us to fasten the belt of truth around our waist and take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Let us pray that we possess or come to possess these “pieces of armor” and that they will lead us to a better understanding of what God truly desires of us.

May both shadow and light guide you to God-With-Us.

Offered by Phil Ciulla