Today’s first reading describes what is sometimes called spiritual warfare. Our weapons or armor are spiritual not physical. Paul calls it the “armor of God.” This armor is “truth,” “righteousness,” and the “Gospel of peace.” Paul is a prisoner but also calls himself an “ambassador.”
“With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit…for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.”
As an ambassador Paul preaches not his own message but the message of the God who sent him on mission. His message is what Paul calls the “mystery of the gospel.” This “mystery” is God’s desire to save all people as Paul has explained earlier in this letter.
“…the mystery was made known to me by revelation…the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:3-6).
All, Gentiles and Jews, are co-heir, “co-body” and “copartners” in Christ Jesus. All are saved through faith or trust in Jesus and in the Gospel.
We show that we are co-heirs with Christ by following the way of Christ. Like Paul we are called to be ambassadors or minsters of reconciliation.
“And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Like St. Francis of Assisi, we are called to be instruments of God’s peace never instruments of war:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love.”
Pope Leo recently addressed these words to the International Meeting for Peace in Assisi:
“War can never be waged in the name of God. For us believers, ‘to fight in the name of religion means attacking religion itself.’ There is no such thing as a holy war: only peace is holy.”
Image: “Saint Francis of Assisi painting with Autumn Colors” generated by Google AI on 10/28/26.