FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
HOLY WARRIORS
(Part 58)
HOLY WARRIORS – 13
January 15, 2020
Today’s gospel: Mark 1:29-39
We are soldiers of Christ serving in the army of Mary. We are called to be holy warriors. This is about Jesus’ own work. Jesus was “preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.” (v.39). To preach and to drive out demons–this is the most important work of the Church.
This work is about evangelization and mission. Evangelization is the proclamation of the good news of salvation in Jesus. It is preaching the gospel. It is telling people about the love of God manifested in the salvific work of His Son. It is sharing Christ. It is the only way by which the salvation won by Jesus on the cross can be manifested in the lives of people.
The natural consequence of evangelization is mission. We are sent to proclaim the gospel to all creatures in all nations. When we do that, since the whole world is under the dominion of the evil one, then we automatically engage in spiritual warfare. We engage the enemy. We directly assault the kingdom of darkness. We drive out demons. We help liberate captives and restore them to the Kingdom of God.
So evangelization and mission, preaching and driving out demons, are the most important works of the Church. There are many good things that can be done in the world—work for social justice, fight against poverty and criminality, advocacy for good government, eradication of criminality, advocacy for a clean environment, and so on. We can do all these things, but we must never neglect the most fundamental things. In fact, if we do these things but neglect what is most important, then we might have a better physical world and more material well-being for man, but miss out on what is of utmost importance, that of growing in faith and redemption of our souls.
For those who serve in the Church, again there are many good things that can be done—work with youth, Bible apostolate, work with the poor, building basic ecclesial communities, and so on. But the most important work is evangelization and mission. It is sharing Christ and going into the grassroots at the peripheries. It is engaging the enemy and demolishing its strongholds. We are called to be priests, prophets and servant leaders, but the most basic calling, which encompasses all the others, is to become holy warriors.
Jesus said about his preaching: “For this purpose have I come.” (v.38b). We must realize our own calling: to be holy warriors. For this purpose we have been called.
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