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| “St. James the Great in the by Juan Carreño De Miranda, 1660 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Ephesians 6:10-20
Commentary on Eph 6:10-20
This passage, continuing St. Paul’s exhortation on building up faith, is “a general exhortation to courage and prayer. Drawing upon the imagery and ideas of Isaiah 11:5; 59:16-17; and Wisdom 5:17-23, Paul describes the Christian in terms of the dress (armor) and equipment of Roman soldiers. He observes, however, that the Christian's readiness for combat is not directed against human beings but against the spiritual powers of evil (see also Ephesians 1:21; 2:2; 3:10). Unique importance is placed upon prayer.”[4]
In the final verses, the Apostle says “perseverance” in prayer by the Christian must match that of the devil. There will be no truce until the final victory.
CCC: Eph 6:18-20 2636; Eph 6:18 1073, 1174, 2742
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10
R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Commentary on Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10
Psalm 144, taken in its entirety, is difficult to classify as it opens with a lament. However, seen in the strophes given in this passage, it concludes in thanksgiving (v. 9-10). In these strophes, we find that David’s faith provides the courage needed to be victorious in battle. The Lord’s support is celebrated with song, as God provides the victory over his foes. It also carries with it the martial theme of heavenly conflict, seen in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 6:10ff, and in Jesus' vision of the impending passion in Jerusalem from St. Luke’s Gospel (Luke 13:31ff).
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Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
Commentary on Lk 13:31-35
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, we hear Jesus responding to Pharisees, who are warning of a plot by Herod. Their motives are not made clear, but we see Jesus using the opportunity to reinforce his role as fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. He declares, in essence, that he is the Messiah. There is a subtle message carried in St. Luke’s use of the number three and one half as well. This number (half of the perfect number “7”) symbolizes a time of dark persecution that will end with God’s glorification (see Daniel 7:25, 8:14, 12:12, and Luke 4:25).
The poem at the end, ending in a quote from Psalm 118:26, is found in St. Matthew’s Gospel linked with the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 23: 37-39). Placed here (and actually paraphrased again after Palm Sunday), it takes on a prophetic tone, an image of the passion to come.
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Reflection:
We are at war! This is not a reference to the worldly strife of which there is much in this day and age, but rather we are at war with the legions of the evil one who sound fair but fell foul. St. Paul
While the psalm, sung in its day, referred to physical battle, it fits in today between St. Paul’s great analogy of Christian preparation for battle against the evil one and Jesus on preparations, as he first avoids a trap planed by Herod and embraces his own battle in the passion to come in Jerusalem.
Sacred Scripture, placed before us by Mother Church
Now there are those who may feel that this attitude of battling evil is too drastic – overly melodramatic. Yet if we do not prepare to combat the evil of the world, if we try to placate it thinking that there can be peaceful co-existence, they are as mistaken as Neville Chamberlain[5] who nobly tried to negotiate a peace with Adolph Hitler. Thinking this is not really a battle allows those so persuaded to walk into the cunning traps laid by the enemy.
The traps are enumerated by St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians heard earlier this season: “immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies” (see Galatians 5:20-21). These things are held up by societal values and the media as perfectly fine. They are exalted as marks of success in many cases. They cannot coexist with Christian virtues.
So, today we leave our place of prayer and meditation fully aware of the tumult we face. We wrap ourselves in the armor of faith, and go out to challenge the status quo and strike a blow to change the world for Christ’s sake.
Pax
[1] The picture used today is “St. James the Great in the Battle at Clavijo” by Juan Carreño De Miranda, 1660
[4] See NAB footnote on Eph 6:10-20
[5] See Wikipedia article
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