A Very Special Announcement: The Society of Saint Scholastica

We are very excited to announce the creation of the Society of Saint Scholastica. It is a blog project that is being started to support Women's Religious groups within the Catholic Church. Each month we will feature a different Women's Religious group that members of the society will dedicate their efforts of praying, fasting, and almsgiving to. It is a society that will wage spiritual warfare on behalf of those that give their lives for the spiritual needs of the Church.

This is a small 'seed' of an idea that will hopefully blossom into an amazing community of the faithful. If you would like to help out with some of the administrative aspects of the group, please feel free to email me and let me know of your interest. More info will be forthcoming in the next few days.

The first group that we will feature will be announced on: 

October 1, 2011

Feast of St. Therese, The 'Little Flower.' 

More information will be forthcoming on October 1st, but we wanted to make the announcement of this group on the 2nd Anniversary of the Blog. Since the inception of this blog, we have been committed to both personal spiritual growth, as well as making the online blogging community a more holy place through our participation. Hopefully this group will make strides in that effort.

Here is the info page, that will now be permanently placed on the top menu bar on the blog. As the group grows, information will be added to the page:

The Society of Saint Scholastica 

The Society of Saint Scholastica (SSS) is a group of lay and Religious Catholics committed to the spiritual protection and support of Women Religious around the world. The unending and humble service by Women's Religious groups for the Church is often done so with little to no recognition or support by others. Therefore, the Society of Saint Scholastica was started to ensure that our sisters in Christ are supported in the spiritual warfare in which we all participate, by those of us who are so eternally grateful for all that they do. As they have given their lives to Christ as brides of the Church, we the Ecclesia Militans (Church Militant) pledge our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to them. 

"As they do for the Church, we shall do for them."

About the Society of Saint Scholastica

The SSS is a group of lay and religious Catholics who have committed themselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to various Women's Religious communities. Each month the SSS will "feature" a community, whereby all those pledging membership in the society will then commit to Spiritual Warfare  e.g. prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, for that group in assistance to their mission.

How to Join

Each month this page will feature the group which the society is praying for. There will also be a place on the bottom of that post to enter your name (and website/blog) stating your intention to pray, fast, and give alms. We ask that all members place on their website a link back to this page, or the 'post page' featuring that months group. From there, each member is asked to do what they can, based on their station in life, in the areas of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. You can also email Joseph if you don't have a blog, or want to be informed of updates via email.

What Women's Religious 'Groups' Will Be Featured

The SSS will only be featuring those groups of Women's Religious that are loyal and faithful to the Church and the Pope. We do not consider ourselves final arbiters of the faith, but it is generally pretty clear who does and doesn't strive to maintain fidelity and loyalty, and therefore only those groups which strive towards that faithfulness will be featured. 

What are society members to 'DO'

Pray, Fast, and Give Alms. What does that mean? Well, that is up to you. Women's Religious groups do these things in their own ways, and likewise we should do it in our own ways. Some of us are very spiritual and find ourselves in prayer more than others. If this is the case, you should devote your time in prayer to the group the SSS is praying for that month. It might mean devoting a Holy Hour, Rosaries, 

†††

Michaelmas: Sept. 29 - 2nd Blogiversary - Feast of the Archangels

Today is a very special day around here!

It is Michaelmas, or the Feast of St. Michael in the Traditional Calendar (further explanation of the older Feast), and the Feast of the Archangels in the Modern Calendar.  As you all know, or can tell, this blog is protected, and under patronage of St. Michael especially, but all the Holy Angels. So it is one of the most celebrated Feasts around here, hopefully I will get to go to Mass somewhere special today.

Blog Novena

Today also ends the "Blog Novena to the Holy Angels". I was hoping that I would be getting more posts done, but the fact that we travelled 4300 miles right in the middle of it sort of quieted some of its thunder. I still got a few posts out, but I am glad I highlighted the Angels, a topic that is sometimes "under-treated" by the Catholic blogosphere except in certain circles. I really wish I would have planned better and pre-written some stuff and scheduled them to post, but I honestly have been quite busy with travels, and the like. I will of course continue to make it a main focus on this blog, but I am glad in the very least I was able to get some info and resources to the readers.

Blogiversary

It is also the 2nd Blogiversary of this little blog adventure. I started it on this date for a reason, 2 years ago. A lot has changed in my life, in my spiritual life, and my understanding of the faith. Much of that is due to blogging and even more so to the people that I have met along the way. I don't want to make this day about me in anyway, so just know this fact.

So thank you to all my readers for their comments, emails, Tweets, and other forms of communication. I plan to continue this blog and my spiritual warfare. We need each other in the battles of everyday life, we cannot do it alone. I look forward to walking with many of you on our journeys.

A Very Special Announcement

Finally, later today I will be making the Very Special Announcement that I have been "teasing" since before the "Blog Novena" began. It is a project that is in the early stages of development and thought, but that I have been contemplating for a while. It is a culmination of the "Blog Novena" and of two years of blogging. It is something of a "new focus", at least in part, of what I want to do with this blog and my spirituality. It will be a "Blog Project" and not the focus of this blog, so we will see where it all goes. That announcement will be coming later today... so stay tuned.

"Then war broke out in Heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but the could not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, which is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it." - Apocalypse 12:7-9

†††

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 9

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Ninth Day:

Most holy Angels, you whose zeal for the interests of God, wherever they need to be defended, carries you through the universe more rapidly than lightning, protect His cause in our souls, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain for us the signal grace of final perseverance.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Update from Michigan

Michigan

I know my "Blog Novena" has been quiet the last few days, and for that I apologize. We, as in my family, are in Michigan. We arrived the other day, and the long travel from Alaska as well as catching up with family has gobbled up my time the past few days.

So let me update you on a few things:

• That being said, I still plan on making a Very Special Announcement tomorrow about the special blog project that I intend to start. I had envisioned this announcement and the "launch" being a bit grand in scale, but instead I will have to scale it back a bit due to some time constraints and some logistical problems. The project itself will still be as scheduled, and it will involve many of you, the readers and fellow bloggers... so please stay tuned.
• I would love to have a Michigan Blognic while I am here.  There are lots of Michigan bloggers that I would love to meet up with, so if you are from Michigan, and read this, let's try and get something together. I have been in preliminary talks with Diane from Te Deum and hope to get something for the middle or end of next week some time. Please email me: angelsdefendus [at] gmail if you want to join in or participate.
• I haven't made it to any churches here. I had a whole "plan" for this trip, but I am learning a lot about traveling with your family and especially a small child. The biggest lesson Circadian Rhythm > Societal Imposed Time Constraints = 20mos old waking from a "nap" at 1am thinking it is sometime in the early evening. So, my plan to go to daily Mass at a billion different churches has proven to be a little, well, unsuccessful so far. Let's see if I can change things after the weekend. 

I have today is the first full day that we have been here, so hopefully things over the next two weeks will be a little more "regular" in terms of posting. But considering that we have a wedding, Tiger Baseball playoffs begin, and the chance to possibly go hunting are all on my horizon, we will see how well these plans of mine continue to iron out.

So please Stay Tuned...

•••

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 8

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Eight Day:

Most noble Archangels, you who, under the comman of St. Michael, guard and protect the Holy Church, deign to deliver her from internal and external enemies. Watch over the Holy Fathe, as well as over all the children of the Immaculate Spouse of Christ, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain for us the grace to live and die in the Faith, Hope and Charity of Holy Church, so that we may be eternally united with its august Head, Jesus Christ Our Lord.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 7

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Seventh Day:

Sovereign Principalities, you who are the Princes of Nations, we beseech you to guard our Country effectively, that it may realize God's designs it its regard. Govern also our souls and our bodies, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, obtain that we may attain eternal life.

Saint Michael, the Archangel Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 6

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Sixth Day:

Heavenly Virtues, who watch over the harmony of the material creation, you whose name signifies "Strength," have pity on our weakness, and obtain for us in virtue of the Divine Blood, the greace to bear with patience the trials of this life.

Saint Michael, the Archangel Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 5

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Fifth Day:

Invincible Powers, whose mission it is to remove the obstacles to the Divine will, and to overcome its enemies, defend us against attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, render us victorious in our combats against this triple power.

Saint Michael, the Archangel Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 4

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Fourth Day:

Supreme Dominations, you who have authority over all the Angelic Choirs, and are charged with the execution of God's orders, rule over our minds and hearts, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, help us to know and faithfully to accomplish the will of God.

Saint Michael, the Archangel Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Heaven: Taking It By Force

We Catholics are waging in the battle of good versus evil. Whether we like it or not, we are in the midst of an eternal war between heaven and hell, and we have the freedom to choose which side we fight on. There is no option of sitting this one out, so choosing: "neither" will put us default on the side of hell. It isn't a pleasant thought, and it isn't always comforting - but it is just and it is true.

Today is the feast of St. Pio of Pietreclina (aka Padre Pio). He was once asked what he thought of those folks who were too modern to believe in Hell, and he responded that "they will believe in it when they get there."  Isn't that the truth!

Or is it? We think we have it all figured out - we live our lives according to our version of the faith, maybe we believe in Hell and satan, maybe we don't, or maybe we believe in something, but it certainly isn't strong enough to trap us. We are fairly good people, we sin of course - everyone does, so in reality it isn't a big deal. We will get around going to confession one day. By the time we are old and ready to give up the "good life" we can really get down to some serious faith. The whole daily Mass, daily Rosary, etc... is just too much right now.

Heaven and Hell

··†··

Photo Link

If I could convince other Catholics of one thing it would be that we are actually, really, truly, in the midst of spiritual warfare. That demons exist, the devil is real, and we are bombarded with temptation, deception and seduction every single day.

In Matthew 11:12 we read that the violent take Heaven by force. I know this verse has a lot of different interpretations, but I trust the patristics, especially St. Jerome: it is meant that by our sin we are not guranteed heaven, but through the battle of our spiritual life, through a pursuit of what Jerome calls "excellence" we just might obtain Heaven. Might. It isn't like Kindergarten where everybody wins. God is just, and a just God would not allow those that have chosen to live apart from God through their free will, to enter heaven just because. Therefore heaven is not a done deal, we have to work towards it, we have to work to perfect ourselves - we must take heaven by force for it is not given to us, or granted automatically.

I think that we are called the Church Militant because we are in a battle. We can't find Jerome's excellence on our own, we need the Angels and Saints, their intercessions and promptings, and of course we need the Grace of God. They will do their part, as long as we do ours. This battle isn't physical of course, Ephesians 6 tells us that it is against principalities and powers, which are types of angels - or demons. So we must pray, we must do penance, and we must seek the Sacred Heart of Christ. We can't do it on our own, so we might as well accept that we need the help and seek the best help we could ever ask for.

As part of the Church Militant we must do our part and accept the reality of our strife. We are locked in battle, and we do our God, our Church, and our comrades-in-arms any good if we attempt to "pretend away" the reality of the situation. Everything matters, everything in our spiritual life is part of the war. Our Sacramental participation, our prayer life, the lack thereof, our relationships, our penance, and our defense of the faith. It all matters. As I said, we really only have two choices. We either courageously stand up, pick up our sword, and storm heaven, or we build up the devil's side through our complacency, laziness, and sin.

We are the Church Militant, Hell exists, and regardless of what we believe - it serves us much better to storm of into this war, then to sit back pretending it doesn't exist and hoping that we are right. Like St. Pio said, "we will know when we get there."

†††

Feast of St. Padre Pio of Pietreclina - September 23

St. Pio on Redemptive Suffering:

"When Jesus wants me to understand that He loves me, He allows me to savor the wounds, the thorns, the agonies of His passion...When He wants to delight me, He fills my heart with that spirit which is all fire; He speaks to me of His delights. But when He wants to be delighted, He speaks to me of His sorrows, He invites me -- with a voice full of both supplication and authority -- to affix my body [to the cross] in order to alleviate His suffering. Who can resist Him? I realize how much my miseries have caused Him to suffer, how much I have offended Him. I desire no other than Jesus alone, I want nothing more than His pains (because this is what Jesus wishes). Let me say--since no one can hear me--I am disposed to remain forever deprived of the sweetness Jesus allows me to feel. I am ready to suffer Jesus hiding His beautiful eyes from me, so long as He does not hide His love from me, because then I would die. But I do not feel I can be deprived of suffering--for this I lack strength. [...] Perhaps I have not yet expressed myself clearly with regards to the secret of this suffering. Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, wants all Christians to imitate Him; He has offered this chalice to me yet again, and I have accepted it. That is why He does not spare me. My humble sufferings are worth nothing, but Jesus delights in them because He loved [suffering] on earth...Now shouldn't this alone be enough to humiliate me, to make me seek to be hidden from the eyes of men, since I was made worthy of suffering with Jesus and as Jesus? Ah, my father! I feel too keenly my ingratitude toward God's majesty."

•••••

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 3

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Third Day:

Sublime Thrones, dazzling in your beauty, upon whom rests the Almighty and who convey His commands to the inferior Angels, obtain for us in virtue of the Divine Blood, peace with God, with our neighbor and with ourselves.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

New Post at VirtuousPla.Net: Our Faith is Who we are...

Please take a minute and jump over to VirtuousPla.Net and read my recent post.

No one said this would be easy. Living as a Catholic in the world, but not being of the world – yeah, it is hard. And if you don’t think it is hard, either give me your secret or quit lying to yourself. God told us that we would be hated, that some of us would die for the faith, that some would have our own families turn against us, and that we would be outcasts. It seems like the prospect of being counter-cultural seems gleefully positive as compared to some of this. But we must make our faith something that we are as opposed to making it something that wedo. I know there are a lot of forces storming against us, but we must be vigilant. We must be willing to be warriors in the eternal struggle of God versus evil (Matthew 11:12).

Continue Reading the rest at >> VirtuousPla.Net >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

†††

Kreeft On: Spiritual Warfare

Dr. Peter Kreeft explains Spiritual Warfare in his book, Angels (and Demons)..., in the following:

Spiritual warfare is the battle between Good and Evil in all forms. The battleground is human souls. As Solzhenitsyn says, the line that divides Good and Evil runs not between nations or parties or physical armies but right down the middle of every human soul... We are surrounded by two invisible armies, and the army of the loyal angels is greater and stronger than the army of rebel angels.

He goes on to say:

[What can I do to help fight this spiritual war?]
1. Be aware of it. Believe it.
2. Use the weapons God ahs provided. Scripture calls them "the whole Armor of God" and lists them in Ephesians 6:10-18.
3. Pray daily.

Pray to your Guardian Angel, to St. Michael, to Mary, and to God. 

†††

Novena in Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels - Day 2

••···••

Novena In Honor of St. Michael and All the Holy Angels

Second Day:

Bright Cherubim, you who are allowed a deeper insight into God's secrets, dispel the darkness of our souls, and in virtue of the Divine Blood, give that supernatural light to our eyes that will enable us to understand the truths of salvation.

Saint Michael, the Archangel Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(Optional prayer): 

O all ye Holy Angels, who contemplate unceasingly the uncreated beauty of the Divinty, in company with our ever glorious Queen, we present and offer to you this novena not only as a means of obtaining favors (here specify your request), but also as a reparation for our past ingratitude, and that of all men. Deign to accept it, O amiable Spirits, in union with the love and devotion of such saints as were especially devout to you, and obtain for us the grace to spend this life fervently that it may be be commencement of that blessed life which we hope to live forever with you in heaven.

O God, who with wonderful order has regulated the functions of angels and men, grant that those who always assist before Thy throne in heaven may defend out lives here on earth, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

N.B.:
A novena may be made at any time of the year, with any form of approved prayers, of which these are. By this exercise, the faithful may gain an indulgence of five years on each day, and a plenary indulgence at the end of their novena under the usual conditions. - "Preces et Pia Opera," 409. 


This Novena is from: St. Michael and The Angels, TAN Books, 1977.
You can purchase the Book at Aquinas and More.

•†•

Sources of Angel Theology

Angels. When we hear or read that word, our mind instantaneously invokes a multitude of images in our head. Everything from from cute little fat baby like cherub type creatures, to stoic creatures clothed in white garments with giant wings, to the images we have seen on icons of warrior like male figures holding all sorts of interested items from flaming swords to glowing balls of light. So what exactly does the Catholic faith teach about angels? Not just what they look like, but what they are, what they do, and why they exist. What is a 'fallen' angel? Where did satan come from? Do we really have guardian angels? All these questions pop into our heads when we think about angels. So let us take the first step towards knowledge, by learning where, and by what sources, we can learn about the Church's teachings on angels. (Click on links to their primary source).

Father Acervo summarizes the existance of angels as such:

They really do it all for us, serving as our guides, companions, protectors, and helpers... They are also citizens of Heaven who perpetually see and adore the face of God. They are present with us wherever Mass is celebrated.

Angels in Scripture

·°ˇ°·

So what does the Church officially teach? Actually, a lot. The first and most immediate place we can look is Scripture. There are loads of references to angels in scripture, everything from naming 3 Archangels, to their appearance on behalf of God, and even to their role in the cosmic battle between good and evil. But like many other things, the Blessed Mother comes to mind, Sacred Scripture only gives us a a starting place for a full theology on Angels. In fact, most of the information we have on Angels comes from St. Thomas Aquinas, aka "The Angelic Doctor." Dr. Peter Kreeft makes this point in his book: Angels (and Demons) What Do We Really Know About Them? He makes the point that most of what we know about angels really comes from St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and the references in the bible. Because the bible treats them as real entities, they exist in Sacred Scripture and therefore we will look at them in a philosophical, or theological manner.

The Angelic Doctor

··†··

The Angelic Doctor

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote quite a bit about angels in his masterful work, the Summa Theologica. In fact he wrote so extensively that he was given the Angelic Doctor moniker. (There is some question as to this, I am looking into it further). He wrote 14 "questions" and responses on angels, and much of what we as Catholics understand theologically about angels comes from this source. He outlines everything from the nature of angels in time and space, the knowledge of angels, to the way they interact with the human and divine. This is the first go to place for anything involving angels outside of scripture. His explanation and theology of angelic will and knowledge have very important relation to the understanding of good and evil in the world, and how it relates to the will of man. Aquinas' understanding and philosophical extrapolation of Sacred Scripture in regards to angels was the central source for what we believe as Catholics as it relates to angels.  Most of what is written in modern Catholic literature comes from Aquinas if it is not direct scriptural reference. (A brief summary of Aquinas' angelic theology).

Briefly, Aquinas says, about the existence of angels (ST, Q1,a1):

"Hence the perfection of the universe requires that there should be intellectual creatures. Now intelligence cannot be the action of a body, nor of any corporeal faculty; for every body is limited to "here" and "now." Hence the perfection of the universe requires the existence of an incorporeal creature."

Angels in the Catechism

··†··

 The Catechism explicitly explains, with some brevity, the Catholic belief of angelic theology. CCC nos. 328-354 deal with angels. CCC 328 says:

The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

The CCC goes on to further to explain the nature of angelic will, knowledge, and interaction with the created world.

Bl. John Paul II - Catechesis on Angels

··†··

In 1986, then Pope John Paul II gave a Catechesis on the Holy Angels during his General Audiences from 9 July to 20 August 1986. Much of what he said was a compilation of the above mentioned sources. He injected into the faith a new understanding of how and why we should not only learn about the angels, but implement that belief into tangible action within our faith life. In 6 general audiences, he was able to distill and disseminate a plethora of information to the faithful, inviting them into a more intimate relationship with the angelic beings made for us, by God.

Other Sources

··†··

There are loads of other great sources on angels, but as Dr. Kreeft says, most of what we know about angels has already been written. The following list is a compilation of sources that discuss angels in a way that is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church:

• Angelology - Fr. John Hardon
• Compilation of Catholic Teachings on Angels - Resources for Catholic Educators
• Directory of Links - Catholic Pages

There are also a ton of great books on angels, yet my two favorite, aside from the Summa, are:

By: Dr. Peter Kreeft, Ignatius Press

Purchase

I plan to write more on these topics over the course of the "Blog Novena" in the next nine days. Please let me know if there is any topic that you would really like me to explore, as I have quite a few resources on this topic. I am no expert, but no one but God and Aquinas really are, yet I love reading and writing about this subject. I will also encorporate how angels have a huge role in spiritual warfare, and are the guardians and protectors of the Church Militant. Hopefully this post provides a starting point for those of you that have yet to discover the Guardians of the Church.

†††

Welcome to The Blog Novena to St. Michael and the Holy Angels

Today begins our Nine (9) Day exploration of The Angels, Spiritual Warfare, and the Ecclesia Militans. A Blog Novena to the Holy Angels. What that means is that for the next nine days, we will be praying, discussing, and learning about these various areas of our faith in honor of them as a gift from God. This will all culminate on the 9th day, September 29th - The Feast of the Archangels, with a very special announcement.

Promotional Video for the Blog Novena

I know that the St. Michael Novena traditionally starts on the 20th (yesterday) because the last day for the Novena is the 28th, the day upon which the Michaelmas Vigil occurs. So please don't think you have it wrong, I am actually the one taking the less traditional route here and having this "Blog Novena" run on a slightly different path. Since it isn't only a prayer novena, but more of a blog series and catechetical event, I figured that slightly altering the timing would help make this distinct from the St. Michael Novena itself. (I am leading that Novena as part of this series starting today.)

What this Blog Event is All About!

··°†°··

St. Michael, the Archangel

So what is this special event, this Nine Day Blog Novena to the Holy Angels all about? Well, I started this blog in patronage to St. Michael and the other Holy Angels, 2 years ago on the feast of St. Michael and the Archangels. Through that time a lot of ups and downs have occurred on this blog, in my spiritual life, in the world, and in my family life. Since that time I believe I have become a more devoted Catholic, and I am also more aware of how much wonder and awesomeness exists in our faith that sometimes goes unknown because there is so much to learn and it can be a little overwhelming. I figured I would celebrate the blog's second anniversary with this catechetical series, if you will, on the Holy Angels.

Therefore, over the next nine days there will be all sorts of posts about angels, spiritual warfare, and the Ecclesia Militans (the Church Militant). Art, prayers, reflections, opinions, questions, etc... will be used to explore the world of spiritual protection which has been given to us by God as a guide and guardian to the gates of Heaven. I look forward to good comments and discussions in the comment boxes, and hope that if you have any questions, comments, or concerns you will let me know. Realize that I have neither the knowledge or time to write everything there is to know about these subjects in nine days, but I hope that each day you take something new.

A Very Special Announcement - September 29th: The Feast of the Archangels

·°†°·

Finally, this nine day period, this series and novena are also meant to be a time of preparation. They are a run up not only to the 2nd anniversary of this blog, but also to a very special announcement I will be making on September 29th, the Feast of the Archangels. On that date, I will announce a new "project", of sorts, that I will be undertaking and asking all of you to join in on. So please stay tuned for that. It really will be an opportunity for this blog community to live out its namesake.

So enjoy the next nine days, and I look forward to all the wonder and splendor that is the world of:

Angels,

Spiritual Warfare,

&

the Ecclesia Militans

•†•