Prayer and Power

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to seek strength in our struggle with powerful forces of evil in our communion with Christ in prayer. 

Prayer in Power

The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians identifies the Battle against Evil and our need for Constant Prayer.

* [6:10–20] A general exhortation to courage and prayer. Drawing upon the imagery and ideas of Is 11:5; 59:16–17; and Wis 5:17–23, Paul describes the Christian in terms of the dress and equipment of Roman soldiers. He observes, however, that the Christian’s readiness for combat is not directed against human beings but against the spiritual powers of evil (Eph 6:10–17; cf. Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10). Unique importance is placed upon prayer (Eph 6:18–20). (Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 144 proclaims a promise of future thanksgiving for prosperity and peace.

* [Psalm 144] The Psalm may reflect a ceremony in which the king, as leader of the army, asked God’s help (Ps 144:1–8). In Ps 144:9 the poem shifts abruptly from pleading to thanksgiving, and (except for Ps 144:11) shifts again to prayer for the people. The first section (Ps 144:1–2) is a prayer of thanks for victory; the second (Ps 144:3–7a), a humble acknowledgment of human nothingness and a supplication that God show forth saving power; the third (Ps 144:9–11), a promise of future thanksgiving; the fourth (Ps 144:12–15), a wish for prosperity and peace. A prayer for deliverance from treacherous foes serves as a refrain after the second and third sections (Ps 144:7b–8, 11). Except for its final section, the Psalm is made up almost entirely of verses from other Psalms.

* [144:1–2] Composed of phrases from Ps 18:3, 35, 47–48.

* [144:8b, 11b] Their right hands are raised in lying oaths: the psalmist’s enemies give false testimony. (Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke declares Herod’s Desire to Kill Jesus and Jesus Lament over Jerusalem.

* [13:32] Nothing, not even Herod’s desire to kill Jesus, stands in the way of Jesus’ role in fulfilling God’s will and in establishing the kingdom through his exorcisms and healings.

* [13:33] It is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem: Jerusalem is the city of destiny and the goal of the journey of the prophet Jesus. Only when he reaches the holy city will his work be accomplished. (Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments Fear is a great motivator, and in response to these fears about our personal safety or the security of our possessions, we act. From the limits we place on our online activity, to where we travel, or even when and where we travel within our hometowns.

While imprisoned in Rome, the Apostle Paul changed the focus of the epistle he was writing from our earthly fears about our personal safety or the loss of our possessions, to something much more important – our souls. The very essence of who we are…

As we reflect on Paul’s words, we need to remind ourselves that asking for AI to solve our problems is not the solution. It simply starves our souls of the prayer and reflection needed. We need to remind ourselves that the pride we have in our own moral compass needs to be bolstered by asking for God’s help. We need to remind ourselves that any bitterness and envy we harbor only darken our souls and thus, our relationship with God. We need to remind ourselves that compromise is a slippery slope, one destined to lead us away from following Christ. So, today during our Examen of Conscience, let’s pray for those who live in fear for their lives and for those who have fallen victim to evil scams. More importantly, let’s ask God to be our armor against the flaming arrows of The Evil One, to shield us from the constant assault that is upon us to step away from living faith-filled lives and loving our neighbors. Let’s take time to nurture our souls like our life depended on it …because our eternal life does. (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus foreshadows his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"'And I tell you,' he says, 'you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.' What does this mean? The Lord withdrew from Jerusalem and left as unworthy of his presence those who said, 'Get away from here.' And after he had walked about Judea and saved many and performed miracles which no words can adequately describe, he returned again to Jerusalem. It was then that he sat upon a colt of a donkey, while vast multitudes and young children, holding up branches of palm trees, went before him, praising him and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord' (Matthew 21:9). Having left them, therefore, as being unworthy, he says that when the time of his passion has arrived, he will then barely be seen by them. Then again he went up to Jerusalem and entered amidst praises, and at that very time endured his saving passion in our behalf, that by suffering he might save and renew to incorruption the inhabitants of the earth. God the Father has saved us by Christ."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 100) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. Ephesians will have to engage in the combat of good against evil. The author of Ephesians declares the Gentiles will have to be called away from the ways of Satan to a structure built on the foundation of Christ. They are fighting a spiritual battle. The battle is not easy as it is waged within our own heart. We protect our backs with prayer and supplication to the Holy Spirit. Herod wants to kill Jesus after the execution of John the Baptist. Jesus performs a taunt song over Jerusalem. Jesus declares an event that is going to happen. Jerusalem is going to suffer the destruction of the Temple. Friar Jude notes Luke writes his Gospel after 70 CE when the Temple was destroyed by the Romans.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20 comments that the temptations and struggles we face involve more than just “flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). We are in conflict with a real being, Satan, who is opposed to God and his plan. Today let’s reflect on these images to see how we can defend ourselves against “this present darkness” (6:12).

The devil is always “prowling around”, but you don’t have to fear him (1 Peter 5:8). God has equipped you with everything you need to repel his tactics. In Christ you can be victorious!

“Lord, strengthen my faith and protect me from every evil!” (Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on how Public theologian Rachel Held Evans (1981–2019) considers how Jesus understood love as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s law.

The truth is, you can bend Scripture to say just about anything you want it to say…. We all go to the text looking for something, and we all have a tendency to find it. So the question we have to ask ourselves is this: are we reading with the prejudice of love, with Christ as our model, or are we reading with the prejudices of judgment and power, self-interest and greed? Are we seeking to enslave or liberate, burden or set free?…

This is why there are times when the most instructive question to bring to the text is not, What does this say? but, What am I looking for? I suspect Jesus knew this when he said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

If you want to do violence in this world, you will always find the weapons. If you want to heal, you will always find the balm. With Scripture, we’ve been entrusted with some of the most powerful stories ever told. How we harness that power, whether for good or evil, oppression or liberation, changes everything. (Rohr, n.d.)

We pray for the inspiration of the Spirit as we act upon our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader serving the needs of all the people with whom we interact.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/6? 

Luke, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/13? 

Meditation on Ephesians 6:10-20. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/10/29/1703785/ 

Psalms, PSALM 144 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Love Is the Law. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/love-is-the-law/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-29-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 29, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Capstone of Community

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles, challenge us to join the mission initiated by Christ and tasked to the Apostles.

Christ the Capstone

The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians declares us One in Christ.

* [2:11–22] The Gentiles lacked Israel’s messianic expectation, lacked the various covenants God made with Israel, lacked hope of salvation and knowledge of the true God (Eph 2:11–12); but through Christ all these religious barriers between Jew and Gentile have been transcended (Eph 2:13–14) by the abolition of the Mosaic covenant-law (Eph 2:15) for the sake of uniting Jew and Gentile into a single religious community (Eph 2:15–16), imbued with the same holy Spirit and worshiping the same Father (Eph 2:18). The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22).

* [2:12] The community of Israel: or “commonwealth”; cf. Eph 4:18. The covenants: cf. Rom 9:4: with Abraham, with Moses, with David.

* [2:14–16] The elaborate imagery here combines pictures of Christ as our peace (Is 9:5), his crucifixion, the ending of the Mosaic law (cf. Col 2:14), reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18–21), and the destruction of the dividing wall such as kept people from God in the temple or a barrier in the heavens.

* [2:15] One new person: a corporate body, the Christian community, made up of Jews and Gentiles, replacing ancient divisions; cf. Rom 1:16.

* [2:20] Capstone: the Greek can also mean cornerstone or keystone. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 proclaims heavenly elements that bespeak the power and wisdom of their Creator.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.

* [19:4] No speech, no words: the regular functioning of the heavens and the alternation of day and night inform human beings without words of the creator’s power and wisdom.

* [19:5] The sun: in other religious literature the sun is a judge and lawgiver since it sees all in its daily course; Ps 19:5b–7 form a transition to the law in Ps 19:8–11. The six synonyms for God’s revelation (Ps 19:8–11) are applied to the sun in comparable literature. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus initiates The Mission of the Twelve, Ministering to a Great Multitude.

* [6:12–16] See notes on Mt 10:1–11:1 and Mk 3:14–15.

* [6:12] Spent the night in prayer: see note on Lk 3:21.

* [6:13] He chose Twelve: the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28). After the fall of Judas from his position among the Twelve, the need is felt on the part of the early community to reconstitute this group before the Christian mission begins at Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26). From Luke’s perspective, they are an important group who because of their association with Jesus from the time of his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21–22) provide the continuity between the historical Jesus and the church of Luke’s day and who as the original eyewitnesses guarantee the fidelity of the church’s beliefs and practices to the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4). Whom he also named apostles: only Luke among the gospel writers attributes to Jesus the bestowal of the name apostles upon the Twelve. See note on Mt 10:2–4. “Apostle” becomes a technical term in early Christianity for a missionary sent out to preach the word of God. Although Luke seems to want to restrict the title to the Twelve (only in Acts 4:4, 14 are Paul and Barnabas termed apostles), other places in the New Testament show an awareness that the term was more widely applied (1 Cor 15:5–7; Gal 1:19; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; Rom 16:7).

* [6:14] Simon, whom he named Peter: see note on Mk 3:16.

* [6:15] Simon who was called a Zealot: the Zealots were the instigators of the First Revolt of Palestinian Jews against Rome in A.D. 66–70. Because the existence of the Zealots as a distinct group during the lifetime of Jesus is the subject of debate, the meaning of the identification of Simon as a Zealot is unclear.

* [6:16] Judas Iscariot: the name Iscariot may mean “man from Kerioth.”

* [6:17] The coastal region of Tyre and Sidon: not only Jews from Judea and Jerusalem, but even Gentiles from outside Palestine come to hear Jesus (see Lk 2:31–32; 3:6; 4:24–27).

(CCCB) (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock comments that the fact that Jesus chose people like you and me to become his “most favored” lends a great consolation. These were human beings and definitely not saints, at least not yet. Their characters, flaws and foibles are well described elsewhere. We know we share their weaknesses and pray we can  share their strengths. 

What really stood out to me - the beginning words of the reading:

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.

Even though Jesus’ task was to choose the men who would lead his Way, he left them and went alone, in the dark (physically and, in a way, spiritually), and communed with his Father while discerning this very important path. I take from this a guide for myself. When trying to find my way through life, especially in those dark times when I am anxious or confused, the remedy lies in seeking “the mountain,” a place alone, silent, still. Just me and my Father. 

I wait in silence for the Father’s word, and I trust what is given to light my way. (Braddock, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors to be apostles,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"It says, 'He called his disciples, and he chose twelve of them,' whom he appointed sowers of the faith, to spread the help of human salvation throughout the world. At the same time, observe the heavenly counsel. He chose not wise men, nor rich men, nor nobles, but fishermen and tax collectors, whom he would direct, lest they seem to have seduced some by wisdom, or bought them with riches, or attracted them to their own grace with the authority of power and nobility. He did this so that the reasoning of truth, not the grace of disputation, should prevail."(excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.44) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today.  The passage from Ephesians is chosen today to present how Gentiles and Jews are formed into a new structure with the apostles as the foundation and Jesus as the capstone to create the building of the Church. In Luke, the calling of the Apostles occurs after Jesus is going to the mountain. Jesus prays often in Luke a sign that He seeks to discern the will of the Father and fulfill it. Judas Iscariot is at the end of the list of the Apostles. Friar Jude suggests that Jesus is not making a mistake, but to fulfill the Father’s will that one of those called would betray Him.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22 comments that we can also trust that the Lord is at work, building us into “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Because Christ is working in you, nothing that you do is small—not your voice raised in worship or your hands raised in service, not a single intercession or your years of quiet fidelity, not your welcoming hospitality or your care for the vulnerable. God receives everything you offer and uses it to craft something that belongs to eternity. The cathedral is being built, and you are part of it!

“Lord Jesus, use my gifts to build a place where you can dwell!” (Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, in summarizing the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37), Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King reflects on how we define our neighbor:

More than ever before, my friends, [people] of all races and nations are today challenged to be neighborly. The call for a worldwide good-neighbor policy is more than an ephemeral shibboleth…. No longer can we afford the luxury of passing by on the other side. Such folly was once called moral failure; today it will lead to universal suicide. We cannot long survive spiritually separated in a world that is geographically together. In the final analysis, I must not ignore the wounded man on life’s Jericho Road, because he is a part of me and I am a part of him. His agony diminishes me and his salvation enlarges me.

In our quest to make neighborly love a reality, we have, in addition to the inspiring example of the good Samaritan, the magnanimous life of our Christ to guide us. His altruism was universal, for he thought of all [people], even publicans and sinners, as brothers. His altruism was dangerous, for he willingly traveled hazardous roads in a cause he knew was right. His altruism was excessive, for he chose to die on Calvary, history’s most magnificent expression of obedience to the unenforceable. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the course of our journey as we continue with gratitude and affirmation of our desire to attend to the Prompting of the Spirit in our decisions for Christian Action.

References

Braddock, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-28-2026 

Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2?19 

Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6? 

Meditation on Ephesians 2:19-22. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/10/28/1703179/ 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). An Obedience to Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-obedience-to-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Chose Twelve Apostles. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=oct28a