[VP Post] - "We Don't Belong"

We are in a battle, a spiritual war for the salvation and damnation of souls, so we shouldn’t be surprised that people are shooting at us and picking sides. You can’t be victorious without an enemy, and you can’t have an enemy without being hated. This hatred against us is a sign that we have offended those that we once tried to belong to, we have essentially told them we don’t want what they are selling. In a way they have a right to hate us… and so be it.

Continue Reading at VirtuousPla.net >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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, 

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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

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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."

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

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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.

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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. 

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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 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

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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

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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Special Blog Event - Starting Tomorrow Sept. 21: Blog Novena to the Holy Angels

Readers, I wanted to inform you all of a special "Blog Event".

Blog Novena to the Holy Angels

Nine Days Devoted to:

Angels, Spiritual Warfare, & The Ecclesia Militans

Culminating on the Feast of the Archangels

with

A Very Special Announcement

Sept. 21 - Sept. 29

I made the following "Promotional Video" regarding the event, please share it, and check back starting tomorrow for Angelic goodness. Also remember to "Stay Tuned", on Sept. 29 - The Feast of the Archangels, also this blogs 2nd Anniversary, for a Very Special Announcement.

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I have an idea... and I need your help!

Dear Readers,

I have an idea for a Blog-Project-Thing. I have the conceptual idea in my head, but I need a few people to help out with logistics, brainstorming, and implementation.

The main idea of the project is something I want to keep under-wraps a bit, but at the same time it will be hard to get people interested to help if I don't reveal at least some small hint of what this project is all about. What I can reveal is that is has to do with Women Religious.

I will eventually be looking for many bloggers to join in, but to start things up I need just a handful of help. This is what I am looking for:

• Someone to do Graphic Design Art - I am thinking Header, Logo, Word Art. I am not an artist, so I will definitely need this type of help.
• I need someone willing to be a "Co-" on this project who will help me out to get things going. This will involve emailing, brainstorming, collaborating, etc... I am looking for a good chunk to be done over the next few days and then once it is off and running, the commitment will be every month a few days here or there and involve some logistics and emailing.
• I will also need 1-2 "researchers" "Googlers" & "compilers" for different smaller tasks. Mainly looking things up, compiling them, and writing brief "synopsis" of them.

I know that a lot of this is vague, but I am trying to keep this somewhat under wraps until I work out some of the logistics. If any of this seems at all interesting to you, please shoot me an email and we can chat more about it.

Or if you know someone that might fit the description - let me know!

Just shoot me an email: angelsdefendus [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Of all the Saints...

Today presents me with one of those contemplative moods. The kind where the second you wake up, you are already in mid thought, and sense in your brain that you have been having an intense meeting with yourself for the better part of the night.

I had an awesome conversation with some very dear friends last night about the nature of our mission as spouses and parents. As Catholics, we need camaraderie with friends who not only share similar virtues and beliefs, but also who share the same perspectives that we may have on life.

I'll be honest, with my beliefs sometimes I feel quite alone. I know there are those that disagree with me that read this blog and could use this nugget of information against me, but I am not worried about such things. You see, my worry is not others and their attacks, my worry is my own sin and my own faults. The devil often worms his way into our hearts and heads through doubt and deception. So I won't let that which I feel is of God to be something I am ashamed or worried. I was thinking of all this when I ran across the post at Dymphna's Road today.

Of all the Saints that I could have come across today:

St. Joan ~ Ora Pro Nobis

While I am no St. Joan, I do feel her solitude. The doubt that she must have had to fight off to cling to that which she believed. The struggles of doing so much for her nation, only to be put to death for it by those entrusted with the faith, in which she believed. 

I guess in the end some of us will be right, and some of us will be wrong. It can't be about intellect, because that isn't just. It can't be just about effort, because that goes back to intellect. Maybe it is a spiritual intellect, our hearts, our souls that wage the daily wars of spirituality against the principalities and powers. I don't know, I just hope that I have the conviction, the love, the determination, the bravery, the humility, and the determination to wage the wars and take heaven by force.

I don't care what people around me say about me, especially regarding my faith. I have even begun to joke that if I am ever put to the stake over my beliefs, such as St. Joan, that I would much like to have a stake made of Cedar because I think the smell would be pleasant. I mean, at that point it would be little consolation but we should take what we can get right? Kind of like St. Lawrence, no use in being all sad and soppy when things get to that point, at least make it memorable? Don't worry though, I don't think I am worthy enough to be a martyr, nor do I think I am important enough that my little, probably blasphemous ideas are important enough to be a threat to anyones sensitivities. 

I do think though, that many of us are so afraid of offending one or two people that we would forsake all of heaven and our eternal souls to be well liked by a few. Isn't that what sin is really all about? If it isn't about private personal self-gratification, it is about looking good to others. St. Joan didn't have that problem, so she was killed. I wonder if she was put to death ultimately because Bishop Cauchon and the rest of the clerics were upset that she was making them look bad. Maybe they just really thought she was crazy. 

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Ford: Not Pulling Punches

Watch this.

You have to admit, this is genius. 

There is a lot to say about all this, but to be honest I said prior to the Bailouts and during the "pennies-a-share" period with Ford that they would be back. I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan. I was never a Ford "fan". I just liked GM/Chevy styling, and preferred Jeep products over anything Ford put out. Yet from a principle standpoint I get this commercial and agree with it. 

a Catholic press conference?

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What if some of our Bishops held a press conference like this? What if they came up to the microphone at Mass and said: 

"Contraception is a sin - it distorts marriage, our souls, and our way of life. Masturbation is a similar sin. There cannot be women priests, just like there can't be a round square. We need to stop using gimmicks in our prayer life and start going to Adoration and praying the Rosary. Abortion is wrong - always. You must go to Mass, every Sunday. Mortal Sin will send you to Hell and there is a Devil. Confession and the Mercy of Christ make sin and the devil distant memories."

Sometimes just speaking the truth is jarring enough to get people to realize the situation we are in. Charity, in the Catholic sense, isn't equivalent to being non-offensive, Charity should be about love and the SALVATION OF SOULS. We wouldn't refrain from yelling at a child about to touch a hot stove so that we don't offend them, instead we yell, because we love them. It is time for us as Catholics to stop pulling punches.

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But How Could He Let That Happen?

 Cross posted from Shoved to Them

This has been a difficult week to discuss the concept of Free Will with my children.  Perhaps it is Divine Providence that we hit upon this topic in the same week that the news channels are all running footage of the attacks of September 11th.  My 10 and 11 year olds are fascinated by the events of that day, but they keep coming back to the troubling question of "Why did God let that happen?"

I struggle with an answer to that question.  How do I explain to my children and myself how a loving God could let such atrocities occur?  Why doesn't he stop them?  He could prevent all this pain and heartbreak, but He doesn't.  How is that love?

Last night, by 10 year old answered it for me beautifully.  He kept sliding down the banister.  I hate this.  He doesn't seem to care what I think.  The stairs are steep; the banister is slick and shiny; sliding is fun and exciting.  No amount of warnings, punishments, or lectures have convinced him to give up his sliding completely.  We have tried, his father and I.  The child just won't listen.  He is obstinate and the temptation is greater than any threat or warning we can make.

Last night, he slid down and landed on his 2 year old brother.  #6 thudded on the ground and bonked his head on the wall.  Crying, tears, and pain were the result of #3's defiance.  Unfortunately, the consequences were not visited upon him, but upon his baby brother.

It was as I sat cuddling and consoling #6 that it dawned on me....God is a parent, too.  He, too, watches His children disobey.  He warns them; He points them toward the right path; He calls to them to change their ways, and just like me, He has to deal with the aftermath of their defiance.

God could have stuck the hijackers dead on 9/11.  They could have all keeled over from massive heart attacks.  He could have swatted the planes from the sky.  He did not.  He instead offered them mercy and gave them every opportunity to repent and change their minds, right up until the moment of their deaths.  He loved them enough to give them the chance to turn to Him even as He watched the horrible things hey did.  He was their Father, the Father of disobedient sons.

He was also the Father of those passengers on the planes.  He called to them to rise up and offer themselves for the chance to protect their brothers and sisters on the ground.  Those happy few in Pennsylvania heard the call of God and answered Him willingly, and became their Father's pride.  The same too of the first responders in the Towers.  They were their Father's mercy incarnate, hurrying the living toward safety even at the predictable cost of their own lives.  What joy for a parent in kind, generous and obedient sons and daughters.

Part of being a parent is allowing your children to make horrendous and disastrous mistakes.  Often, we can see the pitfalls long before our children get to them.  We can call and call to our beloved ones, but there are times when they will not hear our voice.  Then all a parent can do is love the injured, rebuke the disobedient, and try to ameliorate the damage that was done.

All I could do for my 2 year old last night was hold him close and kiss his owies.  I could have prevented it completely by handcuffing my older boy to my side, but imprisonment would not teach him self-control and to listen to his parents' council.  Instead, he would spend the whole of his life trying to escape from me and the prison I had built.  We have to love them both, the guilty and the victim.  We have to be parents to them both, just as God is parent to us all.

As I explained this to my sons this morning, the elder boy asked "But where was God's mercy and comfort on 9/11?  Where was the hand of God?"  It was then that I remembered the initial news reports of the tens of thousands who had died.  The initial suspected death tolls were a staggering 30,000.  Violence, hate and disobedience killed 3,000; but love and mercy saved 10 times that many.  Then, God sent the entire Christian world to love, pray for and grieve with the families left behind.  He sent His children, His beloved, to be His love for them on Earth that they would know they were not alone.  In those first horrible moments and days, they were not. What Father could leave his children alone and abandoned in their pain?

It's not that God let it happen, it's that His children were disobedient and ignored the warnings of a wise and loving Father.  In a tragedy, it is so easy to focus on the His power not exercised and lose focus on the love poured out.

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Joe's Commentary:

I really wanted Rebecca to post this because I think it goes right along with my post from earlier. I think that she is talking about a similar topic, but she just says it a whole lot better than I did. Normally I would link to her, but I thought it was so good I wanted to make sure all my readers go a chance to read it. She sometimes posts here when I go on hiatus, but she keeps all the really good stuff at her place, so make sure you go check "Shoved To Them" out.

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The Seduction and Deception of Me

One bite won't hurt...

In Pope Benedict's book "Jesus of Nazareth" the second chapter is titled: The Temptations of Jesus. In the "book" of my life that second chapter, more properly the first, would be titled: The Seduction and Deception of Joseph. I am no Jesus, and I sin. The devil is crafty and I find myself seduced and succumbing to his deceptions all the time. Just as Benedict points out, the devil does not sell blatant evil, but coaxes us: he seduces wryly. He could not crack Jesus... but he definitely cracks me, my sin is a product of falling for the temptations - hence, seduction and deception.

Jesus' temptations occur in the Gospel narratives where he goes out in the desert to be tempted, fasts, becomes hungry, and then is confronted by the devil. Looking at Matthew 4:1-11[1], we see that the temptations are about his power as God, or proof thereof. For us though as Pope Benedict puts it, temptation for us is about what matters to us:

"At the heart of all temptations... is the act of pushing God aside because we perceive him as secondary, if not actually superfluous and annoying in comparison with all the apparently far more urgent matters that fill our lives.
...
Moral posturing is part and parcel of temptation. It does not invite us directly to do evil – no, that would be far too blatant. It pretends to show us a better way, where we finally abandon our illusions and throw ourselves into the work of actually making the world a better place. It claims, moreover, to speak for true realism: What's real is what is right there in front of us - power and bread. By comparison, the things of God fade into unreality, into a secondary world that no one really needs.
...
What must the Savior of the World do, or not do? That is the question that the temptations of Jesus are about."

command that these stones become bread...

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The first temptation for Jesus, in Matthew's account, is to satisfy his hunger. It is for him to prove that He is God, by removing his own hunger by turning stones into loaves of bread. The devil is trying to subdue Jesus, by making him prove that He is God.

I do the same thing all the time. "God, I know you are there (sort of, I think) please do this thing... because you are God." I turn God into a self-proving theorem. No longer do I want to have faith or trust, but instead in my fear and weakness I try and use God, against Himself. I want Him to prove Himself to me, not only to satisfy my hunger for the truth and reality of God, but also to give me whatever it is I want. It is about wanting God and my life on my terms. I give into the hunger. I feel a pang somewhere in my belly for something, and I want it now. McDonald's serves billions of burgers not because they are the best, biggest, or healthiest. They are successful because they are fast and easy. We wouldn't pay $20 for them at a sit-down restaurant  where we had to wait 45 minutes for them. At least not to the tune of "99 billion served." Likewise, we want God to fix the world to our liking. He needs to fix world hunger, poverty, sickness, evil, pain, suffering, and definitely "global warming" if He is any sort of God at all.

I know that Jesus resisted this temptation, although hungry, by digging in and quoting Deuteronomy[2] saying that, "One does not live by bread alone." He is the Bread of Life. He gives us how to resist this temptation with His answer. His answer works for us too, except we are too lazy, scared, weak, foolish, greedy, self-absorbed or apathetic to use it. When the Devil tells me to grab the reins of life, to make bread from stones, all I have to do is say, "Nope, don't care if I am hungry, I don't need bread... I have THE BREAD OF LIFE."  But instead, I end up saying, "Oh man, yeah, I know I have God and all, but clearly he isn't interested in showing himself, so I guess I will put him second since He is making me second." Obedience and trust are necessary. As Benedict puts it, our obedience to God's word is necessary to allow our hearts to resist the "delusions and false prophecies" and to accept that we "don't live by bread alone."

putting God to the test...

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The second temptation is a "theological debate between Jesus and the devil." First the devil quotes scripture[3] as if he is some authority on it. Jesus again responds simply with His own scripture recitation. He tells the devil that the Lord should not be put to test. Simple, true, and easy. Well, maybe for Jesus. But what about me?

How do I even know God is there? Of course He doesn't want to be tested, He wants undying loyalty and belief without any effort on his part doesnt he? Well I can do that, I can believe... except what about that doubt. What if I "jump" and he doesn't catch me? What if something BIG happens and I really need Him to be there and He isn't? So I test him, I make some demands. Not always big demands, but similar to what devil is asking for, "Give me what I want, because you are God and can and should." This isn't such a big demand, right? I got Him now, this will secure in my mind and heart that He is God. The first temptation was silly, it was parlor tricks at best, so what if He doesn't satisfy my every hunger, this is about the power and ability of God. The devil invokes Psalm 91:11-12, pretty much a scriptural guarantee that God, via His angels, will never let us come to harm or even a stub of our toe. That means unemployment, sickness, despair, divorce, infidelity, addiction, debt, and all the other big dangers in life will be swept away by God, and if they aren't, well then there obviously isn't the God I thought there was, is there?

What a fool I am when I do this. Tricked again, seduced and deceived. What I don't realize is that this guarantee comes on the heels of ultimate trust in God. It isn't a pre-requisite for trusting in God, but the other way around. God isn't mine to "experiment" on or test. I am not above Him, I am not in a position to demand anything of Him. God loves me, and with love comes the fact of love that requires freedom and not compulsion. God loves us and wants to be loved in return. Submitting to our demands would negate that freedom required in a loving relationship. It is only when I let go, trust, and throw myself, not from the top of the temple, but onto the Cross, can God embrace me. This isn't a limit to His power but a just element of His love.

the kingdoms... of earth and heaven

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No way I would mistake one for the other, right?

The third is the worst temptation. It seems when I read it that I would never give in to such a blatant temptation against God. Worship satan, worship evil? Jesus is so fierce and says, "Get away Satan!" Of course I would do the same, especially in the face of such ridiculous requirements. Sure I can be tricked through fear and doubt, but out and out worship of the devil? No way!

But wait, what about all this great stuff in life. Jobs, money, fame, vacations, houses, cars, women, clothes, watches, sporting events, flat screen TV's, new rifles, Under Armor Hunting gear, a boat, a new snowmachine, and the other necessities of a good life. Surely I don't have to push those aside just to love and follow God right? I mean lots of good people have these things, they can't all be bad people so I can surely have them. God wants me to have them, doesn't he? If He doesn't, why not? No, I wont sell my soul to satan for them, but cmon. There has to be some middle ground here, between selling my soul, and going overboard with the whole God in heaven thing. Can't God have his "place as a private concern" and let me live my life in the day-to-day?

I mean the world is right there, in my face, day to day. Jesus doesn't want me to be some freak, that lives in a little house with 13 kids, no tv, and drives a beat up old truck right? It isn't like the devil invented jet boats and moisture wicking base layers right? God made a life to be lived and to be good, so with the option of two entities, I am going to go with the one that provides happiness now. That doesn't sound like picking the devil, does it? Does it? [CRUCIFY HIM!]

Benedict puts it this way:

"What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has He brought?
The Answer is very simple: God. He has brought God."

Woops! I guess I chose to free Barabbas. I was like Peter, said I would never deny Him, and I dropped him at the first sign of something new and shiny. Of course I didn't really want to, but it sure shows where my priorities are huh? It is funny, because I know that we should "Let the dead bury their dead" and that our task is to "proclaim the Kingdom of God." I also know that earthly things are not heavenly things - especially kingdoms. How could I be so stupid, so foolish, so .... easily... seduced and deceived. 


I need to realize that giving into these temptations don't prove God, they place Him on the Cross. God wants our hearts to be inline with His and all I have to do is follow His word. I need to be stronger, I need to be able to resist temptations. Like anything in life that can seduce or deceive me, I need to keep away from those things. I am smart enough to know I will succumb to the tempting and trickery, so I need to guard my heart by placing it in the hands of God. God needs to be primary, I have to trust that He is there and will be there, and that the second I grab control I have denied God the ability to act as He can. The way to prevent myself from being seduced and deceived is to love God so fully and intimately that I dont give myself the opportunity to be entrapped by the devils deception or seduction.

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[1]: See also, Luke 4:1-13
[2]: Deuteronomy 8:3
[3]: Psalm 91:11-12

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