Tuesday, September 5 : Diadochus of Photike

Baptism, which is the bath of holiness, takes away the stain of our sins but does not as yet alter the dividedness of our wills nor prevent the evil spirits from fighting against us or engaging us in delusions…. But God’s grace has its dwelling in the depth of our soul, that is in the understanding. For it is said that “all glorious is the king’s daughter within” (Ps 45[44],14): she does not show herself to demons. That is why it is from the very depths of our hearts that we seem to feel the divine longing spring up as we fervently call God to mind. But then the evil spirits jump into our bodily senses and conceal themselves there, taking advantage of a relaxation of the flesh… Thus, according to the divine apostle Paul, our understanding always takes delight in the law of the Spirit (Rom 7,22) but our fleshly senses want to be carried away down the steep slopes of pleasure… “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not received it” (cf Jn 1,5)…: God’s Word, the true light, counted it fitting to make himself known to creation in his own flesh by lighting the light of knowledge within us in his immeasurable love for humankind. The spirit of the world did not accept God’s design, that is to say did not know it…; however, that wonderful theologian, John the evangelist, adds: “He is the true light enlightening everyone coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, and the world did not know him. He came to what was his own but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God” (v.9-12). It was not Satan whom the evangelist says did not accept the true light since, from the beginning, the light was a stranger to him since it does not shine in him. But he rightly criticises those people who understand God’s power and wonders but, because of their darkened hearts, don’t want to approach the light of knowing him.

Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team