COMMENTARY

Old Testament: 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
At the completion of the building of the temple, Solomon calls his people together for its dedication. The ark of the covenant was placed in the holy of holies. Then Solomon offered a dedicatory prayer in which he asks God to hear the prayers of the people as well as the prayers of foreigners.

Epistle: Ephesians 6:10-20
According to tradition Paul wrote Ephesians while in prison. The presence of a Roman soldier gave an analogy for this pericope. He sees a Christian as a soldier properly equipped to do battle with the world. A Christian is in constant conflict with the world because it is evil. The enemy to be defeated is spiritual: evil powers, darkness, wickedness. To conquer this kind of enemy, the Christian warrior needs a…