Fr. David Gunter, MIC reflected on the spiritual battle between good and evil, drawing attention to the importance of St. Michael the Archangel and devotion to Our Lady. He connected the message of Revelation 12 with the apparitions of Fatima in 1917, emphasizing St. Michael’s role in defending the faithful against the forces of darkness. He also recalled the tradition that Pope Leo XIII had a disturbing mystical experience involving Satan’s desire to attack the Church, after which the pope composed the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. Although this prayer was later removed from the regular prayers said after Mass following the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, devotion to St. Michael has continued to grow as Catholics seek spiritual protection.
Fr. Gunter compared the moral confusion of the modern world to a biblical flood—not a flood of water, but one of immorality and sin. In the midst of this spiritual struggle, he presented the Blessed Virgin Mary as a loving mother who protects her children and the Church and leads them closer to Christ. He emphasized that devotion to Our Lady, encouraged in a special way by St. John Paul II, offers hope and spiritual strength in confronting the problems of our time. The teaching ultimately called Catholics to deepen their prayer, entrust themselves to the protection of Mary, and invoke St. Michael the Archangel for courage and defense in the continuing spiritual battle.

Readings for September 29th 2026: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092926.cfm