The Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus (293-305)
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Ephesians 6:18-24; Luke 4:22-30
Read Ephesians 6:18-24
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Prior to today’s reading, St. Paul wrote concerning spiritual warfare. He told the Ephesians to “put on the whole armor of God, that [they] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11) and to “take up the whole armor of God, that [they] be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13). Today’s reading makes the point that Christians must be prayerful and watchful, in submission to the Holy Spirit. Not only should we put on the whole armor of God and be prepared to face spiritual battles during our lifetime, but we should also be people who pray.
We often forget about the power of prayer. People today in our secular society want to “send good vibes” or “think positive thoughts” towards particular situations. However helpful positive thinking may be to our psychology, ultimately nothing matters without God. People shy away from using religious terms like “prayer” and don’t want to consider initiating conversation with the living God. God loves us and wants us to freely share our entire selves with Him. On our own we are weak and powerless, but with God all things are possible.
Those in ministry require the prayers of others for support. Twice in today’s reading, Paul specifically asks for prayers that he may speak “boldly.” Just as in the first century, today we need to pray for our spiritual leaders that they not be afraid to speak “boldly” as they ought to speak and follow Paul’s example of being an “ambassador in chains” (Eph. 6:20) for the gospel.