Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
The first reading of our liturgy today from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans continues his discussion of our struggle with the reality of sin in our lives: “Sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness…but present…the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness” (Rom 6:12)
As a former soldier, Paul uses military language to describe our battle with the forces of evil. We must use our bodies as weapons for good. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul develops this image in further detail using all of the equipment of a Roman soldier: “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens…So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:11-17)
But this battle is not one that we must face alone. Christ has trod the path before us and has shown us the way through temptation and slavery to sin by his surrender to the Father’s will. “Thanks be to God, that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. Freed from sin, you have become slaves for righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18). Jesus continues to support us in our struggle if we but place our lives in his care each day.
Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections