Today, as we get closer to the end of the liturgical year on this Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, our readings become more urgent and reflective of end time prophecies in Scripture. We hear of Saint Michael the Archangel and we are reminded of the profound cosmic battle taking place between good and evil, a struggle in which we all find ourselves as participants. This battle is not just a distant historical event; it is ongoing, manifesting itself in our contemporary world in ways that challenge our faith, our values, and our very identities.
In the book of Daniel, Saint Michael is described as the great prince and guardian of God’s people. “At that time,” it says, “Michael shall arise.” These words evoke a powerful vision of hope and protection. Michael stands as a protector during times of unprecedented distress. Indeed, we live in an age that is fraught with challenges that echo the words of Daniel—attacks on the family unit, our identity as children of God, the sanctity of life, and religious freedom which had at one point in time been more subtle, but have now become blatant and ferocious. These are but a few of the battlegrounds where we see the forces of evil losing their patience with their gameplan and working now more openly to undermine God’s divine order. I have a heard an exorcist make a very illumined observation that, “Satan desires to be hidden, but his pride won’t allow him to be so for long, where eventually he can’t help but show his true colours.” – Fr Carlos Martins
The attack on the family unit has become relentless. The family was instituted by God as the foundational unit of society, a place of love and communion between a man and woman who join in holy matrimony and are blessed with the children He sends them as the fruit of their love. Yet today, we face a culture that seeks to redefine this sacred institution, undermining the roles and responsibilities that God designed within it. Saint Michael, as the warrior of God, calls us to defend this sacred bond, reminding us that the family is a reflection of the Holy Trinity—a mystery that should never be diminished or distorted.
We are also witnessing an assault on our identity as children of God. In a world that often promotes confusion instead of clarity regarding sexuality and identity, it is imperative that we affirm our dignity as beloved children of God the Creator. Each one of us is made in His image and likeness, in a unity of Persons, a community of love, yet the enemy sows discord and promotes a culture of division. Saint Michael calls us to stand firm in the truth of who we are and to share that truth boldly with those who suffer from confusion by merely being the loving image of our God.
Furthermore, the sanctity of life is under siege as we see the devaluation of human life, especially the most vulnerable among us—our unborn brothers and sisters, as I emphasised in yesterday’s homily. In the face of such moral decay, we are reminded that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers of this dark world. Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, stands with us in this struggle, having conquered sin and death. He is with us—actively empowering us in this ongoing battle.
As we look at current events, it is evident that the tribulation Jesus speaks of in the Gospel of Mark is upon us. There have been signs of the times—the sun darkened in many ways, not physically but morally and spiritually. The moon does not give light as we witness the eroding of values that once guided our lives. The stars falling from the sky can symbolize the collapse of principles that have been deemed eternal. Yet, amidst this turmoil, Jesus gives us hope. He assures us that “he will send out the angels and gather his elect.” Let us remember that we are never abandoned, and that Saint Michael actively fights alongside us as our defender in times of trouble—a chief commander in the loyal army of Jesus Christ.
We too are a part of that army, with the Rosary as our weapon in hand, the Mass to sustain us, and the scapular as our bullet-proof vest, with the Word of God as our two-edged sword, we continue the battle not against flesh and blood, but against the infernal spirits who roam about the world seeking the ruin of souls. But first, we need to pray to dominate our own concupiscence and evil desires, so that we can overcome the evil borne within our hearts, before attempting to cast out the devil from our lives and the world around us, as our Lord spoke of in the gospels, with the grace and goodness which he sends us.
Let us always remember that without Jesus, we can do nothing. Trusting in him always, let us move forward in the cosmic battle between good and evil asking him always to give us the grace to number among the elect.
Our Lady, Queen of the Heavenly Host, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
Amen.
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Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio;
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae caelestis,
Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute, in infernum detrude.
+ Amen.