10 October, Friday — Choices and Consequences

Friday of Week 27 in Ordinary Time

Jl 1:13-15,2:1-2
Lk 11:15-26

“…he who does not gather with me scatters.”

By casting out the demon from the mute, Jesus showed very clearly that He is the greater power and had authority over the former. In rebuttal to the charge from the Jewish leaders that his power was drawn from Satan, Jesus cleverly countered their argument as flawed since it is illogical that Satan would be fighting against his own kind. “Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses” – declared Jesus. Instead, Jesus showed that it was “through the finger of God” that he had exorcised the demon, and that “the kingdom of God” was being established.

In our contemporary times, such displays of exorcism are much less common, and likely to be highly dramatic if witnessed. Yet this battle against the evil one is even more real than ever, because of the many guises it comes in. He doesn’t appear in outrightly evil form, but tricks us with new ideologies through false teachings, or offers us false consolations when a difficult decision calls for careful discernment. We are presented alternatives as good, attractive and God’s will for us when, in effect, they might be subtly causing division and confusion amongst the faithful. The prince of darkness is especially deft in packaging sin as pleasing and desirable — unsuspecting minds who are not alert and sensitive to the voice of truth can easily fall prey to Satan’s wiles — when he comes as an ‘angel of light’ (2 Cor 11:14) or a ‘false prophet in sheep’s clothing.’ (Mt 7:15)

The battle we are fighting today is thus even more a spiritual battle than ever before. Each of us experiences our own private battles against sin. The devil never tires of pursuing us, to lure us away from God and tempt us with choices that will cost us the prize of eternal life. I am reminded of the prayer to St Michael, which Pope Leo XIII had composed and instructed the Church to recite at the end of every mass, after his terrifying vision of the devil destroying the church within a century. This practice stopped after Vatican II, but was picked up again in 1994 when St John Paul II, during his Regina Caeli, spoke about the spiritual battle in Revelation, bringing before our eyes the image of St. Michael the Archangel (Revelation 12:1-4,7). He and exhorted the faithful to “recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world.” (Cf https://www.ncregister.com/news/the-power-of-the-st-michael-prayer)

Jesus was categorically clear to his listeners (and us) that we have a choice to make when he declared ‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.” To follow Christ demands a clear and sure commitment for him and against evil. There is no room for lukewarmness or neutral fence-sitting for the Christian disciple. To help us stay single-minded in our allegiance to Christ, we need to be faithful in prayer, lead an active sacramental life and intentionally cultivate virtues to counter the easy grip of vices. Only then can we receive the graces from God that are needed to ensure our house is not just ‘swept and tidied’, but fortified with God’s protection against the persistent threats of Satan who never tires of pursuing our souls to the end.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Corinne Cheok)

Prayer: Holy Spirit, we ask humbly that you strengthen our commitment to pray the rosary daily, and to grow in our devotion to St Michael, for both their protection against all harm and evil. Amen.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for the protection of St Michael over your Church and for the gift of our own guardian angel too. May they enlighten and guide us on our way towards salvation. Amen.