Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Monday of the fifteenth week in ordinary time, July 13, 2026

Delivered by Fiona from the Parish of Mary Queen of Rosary in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Isaiah 1: 11-17; Rs psalm 50: 8-9.16bc-17.21.23; Matthew 10: 34 - 11: 1.SPIRITUAL WARFARE The theme for our meditation today is: SpiritualWarfare. In one particular morning there was a girl who was quarreling with hermother. They shouted and blamed each other over something not substantial. Whenleaving home to work, she was still angry and during work she remained angryover that problem with her mother. But the mother at home was continuallypraying for her daughter. She just wanted that her daughter's anger couldimmediately go away. In the afternoon when the girl returned from work, there wasno more anger and the atmosphere in the house returned to normal as if therewas nothing just happened. Anger, like many other sins, originates from the evilone, which is the devil. When we allow ourselves to be dominated by this evilpower, any sinful act can happen as quickly as possible. Even a human personwho is good and intelligent, if he is controlled by the power of darkness, hewill be defeated and eventually perished. This evil power aims to afflict anddestroy him. This power always seizes the opportunity that is available, whichis those persons who are mentally and spiritually weak. The incident above between that girl and her mother isan example of the spiritual war. In a spiritual war, the physical violence thatinvolves tools or weapons does not occur, but people normally use words,thoughts, arguments, criticisms, advices, and the powerful force of prayer. Thespiritual warfare in its true sense is the fight between the power of good andthe power of evil. From His part, the Lord wants that truth and goodness are tobe safeguarded because the forces of evil have already inflicted chaos or haveambition to take power over the life of mankind. In this regard, the prophet Isaiah insisted theIsraelites during their exile period, that in the presence of the almighty Godthey must cleanse themselves by avoiding all the evil deeds. The sword thatJesus used in the spiritual war is the Word of God. This sword has two equallysharp sides used to defend our spirits and souls from the danger of evil, theconsideration and decision of our minds, and the purpose of  our hearts. The Word of God is actually thesword of the Holy Spirit that is used to destroy the spirit of darkness thatbrings us into sin and ultimately removes our dignity as sons and daughters ofGod. So it is Jesus Christ who leads the war that createsdivision among the relatives and friends, where the power of darkness anddestruction of human souls can be found existing there. Purification must bemade there, in order to give us sons and daughters of God an opportunity tolive righteous, peaceful, and joyful in the Holy Spirit. We should always usethe spiritual sword of Jesus Christ in our lives as Christians. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O beloved Father, we pray that may the fireof Your Spirit burn our zeal to be courageous and diligent to fight all formsof evil that at any moment can disturb and conquer us. Glory to the Father andto the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...