My kids have recently become attached to the new graphic novels that have been coming out from Ancient Faith Publishing about the lives of the Saints. There is one in particular that my son Noah has been into called “The Sands of Salvation” about St. Moses the Ethiopian…a desert murderer and thief who was constantly shackled by a life of greed, lust, and power, before finding true freedom by becoming a prisoner of the Lord.
When I was reading the Epistle lesson from St. Paul this morning, my mind immediately went to an image from that book, where St. Moses is being taught about the spiritual life by a dessert monk. They are overlooking the desert horizon and depicted above them is a tremendous war being carried out. On one side, there is depicted dark legions of demons. On the other, there are rows of angels dressed in armor, preparing for battle. The monk, speaking to St. Moses says in the book:
“You are aware of the spiritual warfare around us. Look to the west beyond the stars and see a multitude of demons as they are armed for battle. But direct your gaze east and what do you see? An army of angels, even greater than that of the demons, also readied for battle.”
St. Paul, in his epistle, highlights the battles that we wage in our life, not against flesh and blood…”but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”. We find ourselves constantly engaged in “unseen warfare”…the battle with the demonic…the great battle with Satan Himself who runs around like a hungry lion, destroying the lives of those who either don’t prepare themselves for battle…or those who spend their life in denial that this spiritual warfare is truly happening.
St. Paul goes further in telling us how to prepare ourselves for victory. He tells us to gird our waists with the armor of truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness. We should bind our feet with the Good News of our Lord’s victory. But above all, we need the shield of faith to be able to “quench the fiery darts of the wicked one”.
We were given this morning, the tragic story of Bartimeaus…a man who was unable to see the beauty of the sunrise, or the glow of the moon and the stars. He sat on the corner of the street completely broken…begging for money so that he could simply survive the day.
We certainly have our own spiritual battles that we wage…but imagine the increased spiritual warfare that Bartimeaus had to endure. Anxiety over who would take care of him from day to day. No doubt there might have been days where he was angry at God for his situation. Depression, fear…perhaps even at times a lack of faith.
Bartimaeus woke up one morning and took his place on the street corner just like any other day. All of the sudden, he heard a murmur in the crowd and was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Immediately, at the top of his lungs, he shouted an incredibly powerful prayer towards the direction of our Lord: “Jesus, SON OF DAVID, have mercy on me!” Bartimaeus was a Jew…and he knew exactly what this phrase meant. He wasn’t saying “Hey Jesus, who is related to David, help me out!” To call someone the “Son of David” was to call him the Messiah…the rightful king of Israel! It was a tremendous profession of faith on Who Jesus was!
The people surrounding Bartimaeus urged him to be quiet. Remember, it considered a curse from God to have a major disability like blindness…and the crowd didn’t want this cursed blind man to bother the Rabbi. But Bartimaeus persisted: “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
This tremendous profession of faith, despite the massive amounts of crowds surrounding him, caused Jesus to pause and ask that Bartimaeus be brought to him. “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, that I may receive my sight.”
What another incredible phrase! He doubled down on what he had proclaimed before! If he didn’t really believe that Jesus was the Messiah, he might have asked for money or help in the streets…but instead he asked for something that only God could accomplish: “Lord…please give me my eyes back”
“Receive your sight, your faith has made you well.”
An incredible moment…that shows us just how powerful that shield of Faith is to those who carry it.
The Fathers of the Church give us a spiritual interpretation of this miracle, saying that Bartimaeus is like all of the future generations of Christians that came after the Ascension. Like him, we are unable to physically see Christ. There are daily moments in our lives, however, when we feel his presence…when we hear him speaking to us…when we receive him within us in the Holy Eucharist. When we try to share this faith and experience with others, the fallen world of today are like the men who told Bartimaeus to be quiet.
How many times in history, and even today, do we hear of the devil trying to silence the Church…to silence the body of Christ? Yet what were the responses of the faithful in Romania, Russia, and the people of the early Christian persecutions? They ignored them…and continued to shout out in faith: “Lord have mercy!”
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is our faith and trust in God that will deliver and protect us from the armies of darkness that seek to surround us. Don’t be afraid to show your faith…to become a disciple and share your experiences of Christ with those who are outside of this shield of faith.
Especially as we enter the time where we are preparing for Great Lent, protect yourselves dear ones. We are in a constant battle…whether we realize it consciously or not. Put on the helmet of salvation by protecting your thoughts. Wear the shield of faith to overcome the temptations of the evil one…and wield the sword of the spirit in the midst of the world that so desperately in need of salvation.