2nd 3rd or 4th
Michaelmas
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-19
What it comes to in the end is this: grasp the power that
streams to you in the experience of Christ in the soul and in the powerful
regency of his pure spiritual strength.
Put on the power of God as one puts on full armor,
so that you may stand against the well-aimed attacks of the adversary. For our
struggle is not to fight against powers of flesh and blood, but against
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| Michael, Roland Tiller |
spirit beings mighty in the stream of time,
against spirit beings powerful in the molding of
earth substance,
against cosmic powers whose darkness rules the
present time,
against spirits who carry evil into the realms of
the spiritual world.
Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you
may be able to stand your ground on the day when evil unfolds its greatest
strength, and victoriously withstand it.
Stand firm, then, girded with the truth, like a
warrior firmly girded. Connect yourself with all in the world as is justified
in the spiritual world, and this connection with the spirit will protect you
like a strong breastplate.
And may Peace stream through you, down to your
feet, so that on your path you spread peace, as the message that comes from the
realm of the angels.
In all your deeds have trust in God. This trust
will be like a mighty shield; with it you can quench all the flaming arrows of
the evil one.
Take into your
thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like
a helmet.
And the spirit, which has become living in you, you
shall grasp as one grasps a sharp sword. The sword of the spirit is the working
of the Word of God.
May this armor clothe you in all your prayers and
supplications, so that in the right moment you raise yourself in prayer to the
spirit, and at the same time practice wakefulness in inner loyalty.
Feel yourself united in prayer with all other
bearers of the spirit—also with me, Paul, so that the power of the word will be
given to me when I am to courageously bring the knowledge of that holy mystery
which lives in the message of the gospel.
2nd Michaelmas Sunday
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 6:10 – 19
How timely the Gospel reading in this year! Our great
spiritual enemies, spiritual beings who would shoot our souls full of fear and
despair, are on the attack. Paul encourages us to fight a spiritual battle. It
is not a battle of aggression, for it is not our task (it is not even possible)
to destroy our eternal enemy. Rather we are to arm ourselves for our own souls’
self-defense, so that we can resist the fear and remain inwardly upright.
We shield ourselves from these attacks of fear by remaining
in trust and truth. This truth we acquire by remaining in the current moment,
the Now, which is ruled by the Christ. For the truth is that fear often causes
us to project a false picture into the future, which, in a vicious cycle, then
inspires more fear. The truth is that the future is constantly changing, moment
by moment, day by day, based on what human beings do in those moments and days.
We are all involved in the process of creating the future, day by day, moment
by moment. Any fixed picture of the future, hammered hard by constant
discussion and steeped in worry generated by fear, is premature.
“Do not worry about tomorrow,” says Christ, “for tomorrow
can worry about itself. Each day has enough challenge of its own.” Matthew 6:34
We act, we trust, we pray, one day, one
moment at a time.
We must not underestimate the power of the light-filled
energy that is generated by our prayers and sacraments, even when only an
apparent few participate on earth. Behind each one of us stand all those who
have died, who still take an active interest in their loved ones on earth.
Mingling with them are those about to be born into the world, with their ideals
and hopes. And above them all stands the angelic world. Deeds of prayer and
sacrament generate a healing light, a bright energy. Given into the hands of
the angels, this energy can work as a positive force in world karma, helping shape
the future. Michael and his host of
angels beckon us toward the courage and trust that arises in our awareness of
this truth.
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| Roland Tiller |
A second century mystic wrote:
If you would pray in truth, you
will
suspect a deeper sense of curious
confidence.
And a host of angels will walk
beside you
Showing you the purpose of created
things.
When the angel of the Lord arrives,
he scatters by his word alone
every force that acts against us,
and brings to our spirits that
light
that shines without deception.[1]
[1]
Evagrios of Pontos, (345 – 399) “Effusions on Prayer,” in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on
the Endless Light, Scott Cairns, p.
56
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