Protective Apparel

Homily for Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

We put on seatbelts to protect ourselves as we ride in a car. We put on sunscreen to protect us from harmful rays of the sun. We wear coats to stay warm, choose to traverse the rocky ground in appropriate footwear, and reflective jackets when riding a bicycle at night or working on a construction site. It should not strike us as odd, then, that St. Paul exhorts us to put on the armor of God in order to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.

While we usually think of armor as being made of metal, spiritual armor is made of very different fabrics: truth, righteousness, faith, and of the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, sewn together with threads of prayer and supplication. The armor is light, helping rather than impeding our movement through the world. It gives us strength and enables fortitude.

Most importantly, however, this armor is free. It has already been bought for us; we need only take hold of it, put it on, and look to Jesus for its fit and its use. In today’s Gospel text, Jesus exemplifies obedience and steadfastness, refusing to abandon his mission even in the face of threats and danger. His unwavering love and compassion will lead him to the cross where he offers his life for our salvation.

The armor of God – a life of prayer and virtue – protects us against spiritual darkness and the forces of evil. We are not alone in this journey, the Lord is always with us – ahead of us, leading us, beside us, guiding us, behind us, protecting us.

With the psalmist, we pray: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. My mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliver, my shield in whom I trust.”