(based on talk by Fr. Joseph Edattu VC)

Praise the Lord, Hallelujah.

Today I would like to share with you some very important aspects of our spiritual life. This is something that we all need to understand and believe. When you look around, you can see your family members around you. Maybe one, two, three or four that’s all we see, but this is what we need to believe that there is also another world in front of us. An unseen hidden world in front of you. That is what we are going to reflect on today. It’s not only the visible things that are created there are also invisible things created, invisible beings and the majority of those invisible beings are powerful, holy and good and there are a number of them are evil.

In the Word of God when God created the whole universe, we read Colossians 1:16. The word of God says about the creation, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” The heaven is also a creation. All things in heaven are also created. Things visible and invisible. Thrones, dominions, rulers or powers. All things have been created through Him and for Him.

There are so many agnostics and people who only believe in what is seen and that may be one of the reasons why there are so many conspiracy theories saying there is no virus. So why people are dying they don’t know, but they say that there is no virus because they can’t see the virus. Therefore, they are struggling to believe that there is virus. They believe in conspiracies rather than what they are experiencing in their body.

We can’t blame anyone. Those who believe and spread rumors, we can’t blame them because that is their human nature which is why they don’t believe in God because they don’t see God.

There is another world in front of you. There is another being in front of you. So when I say this don’t get frightened. We don’t need to be frightened. In today’s gospel we saw Jesus is appointing the 12 disciples to go and preach the Gospel and cast out evil. God gave specific power, we read in the Gospel of Mark 6:7, “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.”

Everything that Jesus did, there is a meaning and a reason. He did not send them one by one but he sent them two by two because there is already a word of God, “wherever two or three are gathered together I am there”, so wherever and whenever we pray, there should be at least one more person to be praying for you and praying with you.

When Jesus went to Gethsemane and told them pray it’s not that Jesus went alone and cried, prayed and shed blood but he took some of them and asked them to pray with Him. It is very important to support each other in every ministry. When somebody is doing ministry for e.g. preaching, there should be a supporting team praying for them, interceding for them for the success of the ministry. When your husband is going for an interview, it is your duty to kneel down and pray, otherwise your husband will go and come back as he went without any result. So, this is very much needed, when your child goes for studies or goes for work make sure you bless and pray for the child. Not only you somebody else in your family. It is good to have extra people so that may be a reason why Jesus sent everyone two by two to support each other because Jesus gave them the authority over the unclean spirit. There are unclean spirits in this world and we are going to have a fight against this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We read in the word of God, Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” We read for our struggle is not against enemies of flesh and blood. Our real struggle is against some other powers, powers behind this flesh and blood. Against the rulers, the authorities, cosmic powers of this present darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

There are some spiritual forces in this atmosphere. Our fight is against these evil spiritual forces and do you think are you alone in this fight? Not at all. We will read everything one by one now. Every family when you look around, you may see your husband, wife, children, father, mother but there are also some others in your family. How do you know which powers are in your family? whether good spirits or evil unclean spirits. How do you if there is a spirit of anger, revenge, envy, darkness or uncleanness that will be seen in your behavior, we read it today during the adoration James 3:16 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”.

I have seen many families in disunity and when we speak to them they say “Father, when I tell my husband something with a very good intention he misunderstands me” and then, when I spoke to the husband, the husband said “Father, when I speak something good she does not understand, there is a communication problem” and when I spoke to both of them they are very good people. She spoke with a very good intention, but he heard something wrong. He spoke with a good intention but she heard it with a wrong intention. Have you seen the same thing happening? sometimes in a community, in an argument when we say some comments with a very good intention people misunderstand it. What does it mean? somebody is filtering the language, somebody is dictating evil in your ears, someone is active in that community, in that family, some spiritual forces.

How do you know which spiritual force is in your family? Do you think for small things there are arguments in your family? Do you think you are you are obsessed with certain ideas and are not ready to change it? Remember there is a spiritual force that is controlling you, that is why we need to do something to come out of these spiritual powers of evil, powers of evil.

We read, in Acts 26:17, “delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you”. So St Paul is speaking about a person and said I will rescue you from your people and from the gentiles and send it to another person, another people to whom I am sending you. Next verse 18 we read, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me..” They may turn from darkness to light means now they are in darkness, let them come to the light from the power of satan to God. It means the one who is in darkness is in the power of satan. In any family, who is in darkness, who is in a wrong relationship, hatred, revenge, they are in the power of the satan. Power of satan means, only the satan’s will takes place in that family. Now St Paul says I will take you from this darkness to light. Now I am sending you to the same communities where those who are in darkness, so that you may save them from the power of satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

In any family you feel that you are in the power of satan and you are in darkness, these symptoms will be there. The symptoms of anger, hatred, no love of God, no prayer life, confusion, shouting, abusive words. Every day you are not able to complete even a single prayer, family prayer without any confusion and it is very difficult for you to love and accept and speak to each other peaceably. If such things are happening in your family, be very careful as it is in the power of the satan. Therefore, one by one everyone should go for confession, repent for all their sins and receive communion, reconcile with each other, love each other. You will see the presence of darkness removed and light will come and take control. God will take control of that family. You will be sanctified. Praise the Lord.

Sometimes in front of others we are very good people however the moment we come out of their presence we speak against them, gossip against them, criticize unnecessarily. We are inviting the dark powers to come and take control of our families. We should never ever speak behind peoples back and gossip. If we know there is something wrong, if you are courageous enough go and tell them on their face with love and compassion. Only with love and compassion you can change a person, not by gossiping and attacking. We read in Isaiah, 47:10 “You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”

The moment you commit secret sins thinking that nobody knows the Bible says evil shall come upon you which you cannot charm away. You cannot get rid of these. Evil shall come upon, disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to ward off and ruin shall come on you suddenly of which you know nothing. You will be so busy gossiping, all of a sudden something will happen unexpectedly which you will never come to know because you are so busy in gossip. We need to be very careful about this, not only about gossip but also about being in wrong relationships, addiction to evil things, addiction to drugs, drinks and all these things.

You know there are some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to use the name of Jesus on the evil spirit, because these itinerant Jewish exorcists had no connection with Jesus and never knew Jesus. They only heard about Jesus. They only saw Paul and Peter casting out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Therefore, this Jewish exorcist tried to use the name of Jesus against the evil spirit. An evil spirit is in one person, a person is possessed by evil spirit and these Jewish exorcists came and told this man who was possessed ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims’

The Acts of Apostles, Chapter 19:14, “Seven sons of Jewish high priest names keva were doing this”.

Then seven sons of Jewish high priest names keva were doing this.

The Acts of Apostles” 19:15, “but the evil spirit said to them in reply, Jesus I know, Paul I know; but who are you?”

Jesus I know, Paul I know; but who are you? My dear brothers and sisters these evil spirits are spirits, not human beings. They are spirits. How do they know Jesus? How do they know Paul? that means when Paul is working for kingdom of God, they are watching. They know Paul. They know what Paul speaks, what Paul does, and where he goes, what he is working on etc. They know every detail of Paul and they also know these people. These spirits know all those divine people those who work for the kingdom of God. These spirits are watching them. My brothers and sisters that’s why I said, there is a hidden world in front of us. We don’t know them, we don’t see them but they know us. They see us. They are watching us. That is why they said, who are you, I know Paul, I know Jesus.

Let’s read another passage, 2 Kings 6:14, “So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night and surrounded the city”. You know the army of a king came the prophet. It was Prophet Elisha. He sent horses and chariots there and a great army by night and surrounded the city. The king wanted to catch Prophet Elisha and take Him back to the king so he sent a huge army of chariots and a great army surrounded that place where the prophet was staying. Then we read in 2 Kings 6:15, “when an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. “Alas, master! what shall we do?” When an attendant of the man of God, a servant of the prophet Elisha an attendant of the man of God, rose early in the morning and went out when he went out, he saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. Then his servant said “Alas, master! what shall we do, let us run. Elisha is only a prophet he has no army, friends, family, nothing. He is alone, only one servant to take care of Him. He is only a prophet. 2 Kings 6:15 “He replied Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them”. The Prophet said, we have more than them and the servant was shocked, he looked around and there was nobody only the prophet and himself. The servant did not understand then verse 17. “Then Elisha prayed: “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD, opened the eyes of the servant and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Elisha did not pray ‘God please send some army’ he didn’t pray that because he knew that the army is already there but he only wanted to give confidence to the servant. So, Elisha prayed, then the Lord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Nobody could see it, not even his servant could see. A prophet of God is encamped around and surrounded by the protection of God. The horses of chariots of fire are surrounding a prophet of God which many people may not see unless God reveals it.

Wherever you are there is a hidden world surrounding you. You are protected. The moment you stand for the living God of Israel; you are surrounded by the chariots of fire, this is the confidence that we should have. Those who fear God, those who obey the commandment of God, those who forgive their enemies, love God and love their neighbor, those are holy in their body mind and soul for them, God says the angel of the lord comes around those who fear Him and delivers them. God will deliver them.

We read in the word of God John chapter 14:18, Jesus told us this, John 14:18, “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” Jesus already told us I will not leave you orphaned. I am coming to you. He is coming to us. He will never leave us orphaned. We are not orphaned. If you are with God you have an army behind you, surrounding you.

Just before he was going to heaven Jesus told this to the people teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. It is a promise of Jesus; I am with you always to the end of the age.

Read: Psalm 139: 5 and 6, Psalm 139: 2, Psalm 139: 3,  Psalm 139:4, Psalm 139:5-10, John 8:29

The Bible says he has not left me alone, who? Father did not leave me alone because I always do what is pleasing to Him. Why did God the father not leave Jesus because Jesus always did what is pleasing to God. If I do what is pleasing to God, God will never leave me. When King Saul committed sin something that was not pleasing to God, then the spirit departed from Him even if the spirit departs from Him, God will not abandon you. He will wait outside knocking at the door so that you may open and welcome Him back.

Therefore, make sure every day you do something which is pleasing to the Lord. Do everything that is pleasing to the Lord, do nothing that displeases Him, then you will never be left alone. You will be surrounded by the army; you will be surrounded by the chariots of fire; you will be protected. Let the whole army of this world come against you, you will be standing firm because the whole mountain is full of chariots of fire surrounding, just like those chariots of fire surrounded Elisha will be surrounding you my dear brothers and sisters, Praise the Lord.

My dear brothers and sisters, wherever you are, army of chariots of fire surrounds you. Only make sure that you are with God, only make sure you are holy, make sure that there is unity and peace, make sure that you have forgiven your enemies. Then you are surrounded by the chariots of fire, army of God!