BE PREPARED FOR SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
"Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke and the crowds were amazed.
"Some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.”
"Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
"But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.
"And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?
"Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
"When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.
"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Luke 11: 14 - 23).
Today's Scripture points us to reflect on the reality of Spiritual Warfare.
Are you one of those sophisticated "scientific" Christians who despise the reality of demons and spiritual combat?
If you are, think again because you may be in the minority. This is because the Church defines a Catholic as: He who believes in all that is contained in Sacred Scripture and believes everything taught by the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. This includes: The Sacraments, Sacramentals, the Hierarchy, etc.
The Church tesches:
“The whole of man’s history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day.” (Cf CCC 409).
From the Christian Tradition, we sample two great spiritual warriors:
St. Padre Pio: "The devil fears hearts on fire with love of God."
St. Teresa of Ávila:
"Great courage is required in spiritual warfare."
The Season of Lent has been known as a Season of Desert Experience by Christians. This is the period when most Christians are severely tested in their walk with Jesus.
From the RCIA, we learn that Catechumens and Candidates are most tempted to leave the Process at this time.
The Church applies the Rite of Exorcism to help all those preparing to enter the Church at Easter Vigil.
How do we protect ourselves from demonic assaults?
The Church emphasizes sacraments, prayer, and virtue to guard against demonic influence.
The Church has also the battle tested weaponry of the Sacramentals.
CCC 1667: "Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy."
CCC 1670 adds that sacramentals prepare us for grace (unlike sacraments, which confer it ex opere operato) through Church prayer, sanctifying nearly every life event via Christ's Paschal Mystery.
Examples of Sacramentals:
Holy water, crucifix, Bible, Holy Rosary, Chaplet, Sign of the Cross, holy Medals and holy pictures.
All the above are sacramentals.
They all belong to the treasury of graces that Jesus bequeathed His Church.
Use them. Put on the full armor of God always.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
Joseph is a man of high purity and chastity. God chose him to be the husband of Mary because God had fitted him with the appropriate graces to protect the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Church considers St Joseph the greatest Saint after the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph is so fittingly named the Patron of the Universal Church. Remember that he was the Guardian of Jesus and in his intercessory role, you can believe that Jesus will deny nothing to Joseph.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
I AM CAME TO COMPLETE THE LAW.
THE GOODNEWS:
"Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 17 - 19).
On Wednesday 11th March 2026 in the 3rd Week in Lent, we hear this injunction from the Master:
Study the Law. Observe the Law. Teach the Law.
One dominant theme from today's Mass Readings is:
Teach the Law [the word]. The message comes strongly from the first Reading from Deuteronomy 4 and Matthew 5. Below are the excerpts of the Scriptures:
#1 "Israel, hear the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to observe." (Deuteronomy 4: 1).
#2 "See, I am teaching you the statutes and ordinances as the Lord, my God, has commanded me." (Deuteronomy 4: 5).
#3 "However, be on your guard and be very careful not to forget the things your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart as long as you live, but teach them to your children and to your children’s children." (Deuteronomy 4: 9).
From the Gospel:
#4 "But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 19).
#5 "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 19).
The Church is in dire need of teachers of the word of God: catechists and evangelists.
Without teaching and knowledge, a people perishes. (Cf Hosea 4: 6).
Therefore,
+ Believe what you read in the word of God.
+ Practice what you believe.
+ Teach what you practice.
Every Christian who obeys the commandments of God is able to share the same by word and example.
"Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. (Cf. John 6: 63, 68).
"As for you, dear son of mine, persevere in praying to me. Hold fast to my Rosary and beware of every ploy of the Evil One to separate you from it. My Rosary is your safeguard and your weapon in the fight against the forces of evil. At the same time, for you it is a remedy and a comfort. Do you not see how the Rosary has stabilized you? Do you not experience its healing and all its benefits? Pray my Rosary and teach others to do the same." (IN SINU JESU, Tuesday, December 11, 2007).
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
THE SUPREME PONTIFFS SPEAK ABOUT ST JOSEPH:
1. Pope Leo XIII
(Quamquam Pluries, 1889)
“It is of high importance that the devotion to St Joseph should engraft itself upon the daily pious practices of Catholics; for he is, after the Blessed Virgin, the most powerful intercessor and protector of the Church.”
2. Pope Pius IX (Decree proclaiming St Joseph Patron of the Universal Church, 1870)
“Next to the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph is the greatest saint and the most powerful protector of the Church of Christ.”
3. Pope John Paul II
(Redemptoris Custos, 1989)
“The Church implores his protection because Joseph belonged to the order of the hypostatic union; through him and under him Christ was fittingly introduced into the world and into his Church.”
4. Pope Francis
(Patris Corde, 2020)
“Each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.”
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
FORGIVE 7 MILLION TIMES.
"Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?”
"Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
"That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
"When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
"Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.
"At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
"Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
"When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’
"Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
"But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt.
"Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
"His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’
"Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18: 21 - 35).
Tuesday March 10th 2026 in the 3rd Week of Lent.
God said to Moses : I am a God of mercy and compassion. Be holy as I am holy.
If we receive mercy from God, we must show mercy to others. It is not okay to say that it is difficult to forgive.
Sirach portrays a divine quid pro quo when it comes to forgiving our neighbor. "Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven." (Sirach 28: 2).
"Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself, yet seek pardon for one’s own sins?" (Sirach 28: 4).
Notice the punchline in Sirach: "A sinner like yourself."
Jesus says the same in today's Gospel:
"I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?" (Matthew 18: 32 - 33).
I have struggled with the question of forgiveness. Below is what I learned:
#1 Forgive the offense immediately. Everywhere, always, for everything, for everyone without discrimination.
#2 Pray blessings on the offender morning and evening. Continue to pray for the offender until you are healed of the hurt.
#3 Ask God to grant the grace to everyone you have offended to forgive you and set you free. I practiced #1 and #2 for years before it occurred to me that there are people out there that I have offended.
#4 If you do not read the word of God regularly, you will never understand anything about God's mercy and will find it difficult to forgive.
Psalm 103 is my favorite on the mercy of God.
"The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion."
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEALING OF NAAMAN
THE WORD OF GOD:
"Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the Lord had brought victory to Aram.
But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.
Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife.
“If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.
“Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.
To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read:
“With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed:
“Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?
Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!”
When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king:
“Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”
Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.”
But Naaman went away angry, saying,
“I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the Lord his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy.
Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”
With this, he turned about in anger and left.
But his servants came up and reasoned with him.
“My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it?
All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.”
So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” (2 Kings 5: 1 - 15).
Monday 9th March 2026 in the 3rd Week of Lent.
The healing of Naaman is one of the most dramatic miracles in the Bible.
Naaman had his own ideas about how he would be healed.
His preconception and programming nearly deprived him of his cure.
Our battles often are in our minds. Naaman did not know that:
± For God everything is possible. Everything is easy. “All things serve you.” (Psalm 119: 91)
± God’s ways are not our ways.
± God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.
± God is master of means.
± God is the Lord of times and seasons.
When we compare Naaman’s behavior with that of the Centurion in Matthew 8: 5 – 13, we understand that faith is a simple and childlike trust in God’s word.
The centurion knew that the power of God can work through words and through space.
Naaman wanted something more tangible as in pagan practices, for example: incantations, rituals, sacred dances etc.
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick are the 7 Sacraments of the Church instituted by the Lord Jesus.
These 7 Sacraments are outward signs of inner grace (power).
The Healing of Naaman the Leper foreshadows the Sacraments.
Naaman's bath at the River Jordan at first appeared to him as a ridiculous sign.
But it accomplished a mighty healing. It foreshadows the Sacrament of Baptism.
Our faith contains our obedience.
God’s word is always effective and sufficient.
The Church teaches in
CCC 694 (symbolism of water and the Spirit) in the cleansing of Naaman in the Jordan.
The symbolism of water signifies the Holy Spirit’s action in Baptism… the water of Baptism truly signifies that our birth into the divine life is given to us in the Holy Spirit.
"Only water joined to Christ’s blessing and the Trinitarian invocation truly heals and saves." Ambrose emphasizes.
St Joseph is the man chosen by God to be the foster father and guardian of Jesus.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link:
