Introduction
The Dominica XXI post Pentecosten (21st Sunday after Pentecost) presents us with a profound union of two scriptural passages—Ephesians 6:10-17 and Matthew 18:23-35—that together illuminate the nature of Christian combat and the absolute necessity of mercy. As we approach the final weeks of the liturgical year, the Church, in her ancient wisdom, turns our eyes to the realities of spiritual warfare and divine judgment.
This Sunday, classified as II classis in the traditional Roman calendar, reminds us that the battle for salvation is real, and the mercy we show to others bears directly upon the mercy we shall receive. In this reflection, drawing upon the writings of the Church Fathers, we will meditate on the meaning of the “armor of God” and the parable of the unmerciful servant, seeking guidance for our interior life as the spiritual year nears its close.
1. “Put you on the armour of God” (Ephesians 6:10–17)
St. Paul exhorts the faithful to “be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power”, recognizing that our enemy is not merely of flesh and blood, but the powers of darkness. To withstand these, he commands us to don the armour of God, comprising truth, justice, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
“The Apostle teaches us to be armed soldiers,” says St. Jerome, “not with shield and sword, but with virtues.” (Epistle to Fabiola)
Each piece of this armor is symbolic of a virtue or grace needed for spiritual combat:
- The Girdle of Truth: St. Gregory the Great explains that just as a belt secures the garments of a soldier, so does truth hold together the life of the Christian, guarding against hypocrisy. (Moralium, Book 17)
- The Breastplate of Justice: According to St. Ambrose, righteousness guards the heart—our center of affection and will—making us firm against temptations. (De Officiis, Book 1)
- The Shield of Faith: Faith is not only the assent of the mind but a protective shield against the fiery darts of the enemy, which St. John Chrysostom interprets as “desperate thoughts, evil desires, and spiritual deception.” (Homily XXII on Ephesians)
- The Helmet of Salvation: This guards the mind, reminding us constantly of our hope and final end in Christ. St. Augustine writes, “The helmet protects the head, as hope protects the mind from despair.” (Enarrationes in Psalmos, Ps. 60)
- The Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God): The only offensive weapon, wielded in truth and charity. “Christ Himself used this sword in the desert against the devil,” notes St. Leo the Great. (Sermon 39)
The Collect of this Sunday prays for God’s grace to both will and act rightly: “Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thy faithful may both deserve to undertake devout actions and to accomplish them with effectual intention.” These “devout actions” are nothing less than spiritual warfare undertaken with the weapons St. Paul enumerates.
2. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:23–35)
This Gospel warns us that having received mercy, we must be merciful in turn. The servant, forgiven a massive debt (ten thousand talents), refuses to forgive a fellow servant a trifling one (a hundred pence). Our Lord ends with the solemn warning: “So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.”
“The sins we have committed are our debt,” teaches St. Augustine. “By the mercy of God, we are released from them when we forgive others.” (Sermo 83)
The Fathers consistently interpret this parable not only as moral instruction but as a stark eschatological warning:
- St. John Chrysostom marvels at the disproportion: “Ten thousand talents is an immense debt, one no man can pay. This is what we owe to God. But a hundred pence? That is the offense we receive from one another. And yet we choke our brother!” (Homily LXII on Matthew)
- St. Gregory the Great, in his Moralia, warns that the judgment of God will weigh our charity: “Let no man presume upon his own forgiveness if he withholds forgiveness from another.”
- Origen, writing in the Commentary on Matthew, sees in the king a type of God the Father, who forgives the penitent but also revokes forgiveness when that same mercy is not extended.
The Postcommunion prayer on this Sunday further reinforces this spirit: “We beseech Thee, O Lord, that Thou wouldst make us, who have been filled with Thy gifts, ever to remain in thanksgiving for them.” What is thanksgiving but gratitude expressed in acts of love and mercy?
3. Mercy and Combat: Two Pillars of the Christian Life
These two readings are not juxtaposed randomly. Together they paint a full picture of the Christian life: a soldier in the field of spiritual battle, and a servant in the household of the merciful King.
The connection is clear:
- The soldier who neglects the armor is vanquished by the devil.
- The servant who neglects mercy is condemned by the King.
As St. Bernard of Clairvaux says, “Let him who would fight bravely put on virtue, and let him who would be forgiven be quick to forgive.” (Sermon on the Canticles, 34)
This is why the Church places this Gospel and Epistle before us near the end of the liturgical year. We are reminded that judgment is coming—both in the temporal order (as the liturgical year draws to its close) and eternally (as Christ shall come again in glory).
Conclusion
In this 21st Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church calls us to vigilance and humility. Let us put on the full armor of God—not only for our own protection but that we may defend and aid others in charity. And let us recall that we are debtors who have been forgiven an infinite sum. The Lord’s mercy toward us demands our mercy toward others.
May the Lord grant us the grace to forgive from the heart, to fight with the weapons of the Spirit, and to remain faithful until the end.
Prayer for the Week
Domine, da nobis, quaesumus, ut inimicos nostros diligamus, ut arma justitiae in dextris et sinistris portemus, et vincamus in bono malum, ut, indulgentes fratribus, veniam a te mereamur accipere.
(Lord, grant us, we beseech Thee, to love our enemies, to carry the arms of righteousness on the right and the left, and to overcome evil with good; so that by forgiving our brethren, we may merit to receive pardon from Thee.)