Go Get Your Armor, Archangels, Prayer Warriors, and Mother Mary

Lately, I’ve seen and read a lot that talks about spiritual warfare. What place do weapons, war, fighting, and armor have in the spiritual realm? Turns out, they are very appropriate and necessary elements for Christian combat.
    
My favorite song on the passage from Ephesians 6:10-20 is by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. It’s called “We Are United,” and begins with:

     “We are united in Jesus Christ.

     We are the soldiers of the Light.
     We don’t wrestle flesh and blood

     but principalities of the dark.”

    
It’s important to be reminded that we are indeed united to our Savior, part of His holy army, which brings Light to dispel the darkness. Since we are human soldiers, we are fighting darkness within us and outside of us at the same time. Our mission isn’t to attack other people. We are called to destroy the darkness in and around us by spreading the Light and Love of Christ. Sometimes this means we will have to go head-to-head against the enemy by directly confronting lies with truth, despair with hope, hate with love, division with peace, and fear with joy.
    
We aren’t meant to go out and fight alone. We are given the direction and training we need either in advance or on the job, if we’re willing to listen. Our comrades are sent out with us, to lift us up, encourage, and protect us when we get worn down by the fight. They share their skills and we offer our talents, so that the holy army moves as one body to conquer evil. The more we heed and learn to trust the Lord, our commander-in-chief, the better able we will be to win the battles while preserving the souls entrusted to our care.

     "We, too, are marching to one beat,

     crushing the enemy under our feet.

     We are mighty in our stand

     with God’s word in our hand.”

    
People brought together for a common purpose and goal tend to stand out. Groups attract attention. The larger the group, the more attention. A unified group of people marching together in an organized fashion has a commanding presence. Confidence and strength exude from such a formidable sight and sound as troops marching, prepared for battle, faces sent like flint against the foe.
    
Though I’m one who likes to have the answers immediately, if not sooner, there is a question from Scripture that has been very beneficial for me to ponder. When facing strong opposition, I have often taken comfort in a question that still gives me pause: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 

Inevitably when I ask myself this in light of a troubling situation, the people opposed to the words and actions I choose and do to live out a certain ideology come to mind. When the issue is a major one, such as respecting life from conception to natural death, individuals as well as groups pop into my head. That’s when I return to the question and rejoice in the answer. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” No one. No person, no group, no ideology of the dark, no widespread lies…will remain standing. Who can separate us from God, His Love, and His Truth? Nothing and no one!

     
“The Lord, Our God is our sword and shield

     We fight our battles on our knees.”

The greatest weapon we have is prayer. Jesus knew this and often went off to pray alone. We definitely need to prepare for spiritual warfare by spending time alone in silence to hear the Lord’s still small voice. We are also called to unite our prayer power with other soldiers of the Light. Wherever two or more are gathered in prayer, God is there. No other scenario is more reassuring when facing the enemy than:

1 prayer warrior + 1 prayer warrior -> 2 prayer warriors + Lord God Almighty

    
Lord, please help us to put on the armor You provide, so that we are ready to bring Light into a world confused and disillusioned by principalities of the dark. Let us always seek and spread Truth, Light, and Love. Source of all that is good, all that is holy, all that is just, guide us Almighty Commander-in-Chief to be faithful soldiers, prayer warriors, and servants. Amen.

March for Life 2010

     I’m still processing all that happened today, but I feel that I need to write something about the first time Kevin and I participated in the March for Life on this, the anniversary of Roe v Wade and the 37th year of the March held to convince our government and our country to reverse that decision.  Though mainstream media rarely if ever makes mention of it, hundreds of thousands of people from across the country came together yet again to speak out and pray that our government officials and the citizens of the United States will open their hearts and minds to God’s call to protect the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.
     I have been involved in supporting the pro-life movement in various forms for a number of years. Our family has participated in the annual Walk for Life sponsored by the Pregnancy Resource Center. We’ve prayed and fasted for an end to abortion through 40 Days for Life vigils held in Richmond (last year and this year my mom, Ann Niermeyer, has been the one to head up the Spring campaign in our area). We’ve gotten in touch with our legislators, done extensive research and tried to educate others about what the effects of abortion are on women, children, men, and our country.
     It was very powerful indeed to convene with so many other pro-life people in one place knowing that since God is for us, there is no one who can be against us in bringing about the end of abortion. When God told us as part of the Top Ten “Thou shalt not kill” He meant it.
     Last year, I was amazed and horrified by the abortion statistics I learned from my mom when she reported back from her participation in the March for Life events. In the past few years I’ve come to see and realize why some refer to abortion as “black genocide” and the “stop the lying, we are dying” phrase chanted really hit home.
     Today many of us held signs up given to us for free by volunteers from Silent No More, a group spearheaded by women who have had abortions and are courageous enough to be silent no more in how the experience has affected them. We held the signs they handed out which read “Women do regret abortion” on one side and “Men regret lost fatherhood” on the other.

     Things came together today on the Mall. The prayers and example of my mom, dad, and grandma joined with those Kevin and I prayed with friends, families, complete strangers who are from a variety of races and creeds. I am sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Holy Spirit was working in glorious ways and know only some of the blessings are evident to me at this point.
     Thank You God for the gifts of life, love, truth, prayer, faith, and compassion. Amen.

Go to Joseph

     After reading only the first chapter of Go To Joseph by Fr. Richard W. Gilsdorf, I felt my understanding of Christ’s childhood and the role of Joseph being expanded. I hadn’t before considered all of the vast implications of Joseph’s role in the Holy Family, nor had I made all of the connections among Old Testament persons whose roles in history resembled those Joseph would play as the foster father of Jesus until I read this book. Picturing Joseph as a young man of about nineteen changed my view of him considerably. I appreciated the historical references and research included to give a more in-depth synapses of what occurred between the time Mary was found with child and that of Joseph’s death.

     I felt more connected to Jesus and Mary when, for the first time ever, I imagined them by Joseph’s side, mourning his death. There isn’t anything about the circumstances and emotions surrounding his passing, but surely if Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died, he cried when His father on earth passed away.

     The greatest advantage to reading this book is that it has increased my understanding of and devotion to Joseph as a powerful intercessor and important role model in Christ’s life. It got me thinking about how faith-filled and graceful a man Joseph must have been. I wondered what he and Mary talked about on their way to Bethlehem. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to hear the conversations that took place between Joseph and Jesus when He was just a boy?

     Though advertised as “a retreat in a book,” I don’t think it really serves that purpose. Each chapter has extensive footnotes, some have contradicting arguments, and the writing is often very academic and intellectual. There were certainly times when I came across golden nuggets to ponder that made it well-worth sifting through the numerous footnotes and suppositions of various theological scholars.

     You could definitely take parts of this book and build a retreat around it. Praying the Rosary while contemplating more of the mysteries from Joseph’s point of view has made that form of prayer a richer experience for me. Meditating on the poignant study questions at the end of each chapter has also helped to enrich the vision I have of Joseph’s role as husband, father, protector, provider, and head of the family.

     I would certainly recommend reading this book, as it will likely increase your respect for Joseph and the role of fathers—biological, foster, and spiritual.

     This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. In exchange for a free copy of the book, I provide an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Go To Joseph.

Not Your Normal Kind of Gifts

Though this year we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord on Sunday, the usual day for this celebration is January 6. I don’t know about you, but I would have thought it very strange that three kings from distant lands following a star had come to bring gifts to honor a newborn baby.

Mary and Joseph had already gotten a clue that God’s ways weren’t often what they’d had in mind in terms of the order of circumstances making them a family: betrothal, a virgin becoming pregnant, then the two living together as husband and wife. The labor and delivery accommodations probably weren’t quite what they’d pictured, either, so I guess it stands to reason that the visitors made aware of this miraculous birth would be rather out of the ordinary as well.
    
Angels have come to announce His birth. Shepherds tending to their flocks are told of Christ’s coming, and three wise men, or as Kevin refers to them “the three wise guys,” come to pay homage to the child born in Bethlehem. These are only some of the marvels that occur during this next leg of the young family’s journey. They must have been at least a little mystified by the gifts brought by the three wise men. I’m pretty sure gold, frankincense, and myrrh weren’t your everyday baby shower gifts, especially for such humble, lowly families.     

The revelation of the Incarnation, God made Man, is enough to wrap our heads around, but then we’re given the significance of these three gifts to ponder. Gold seems an appropriate gift for one called a king. Frankincense seems fitting since it was an ingredient for incense which was often used in the Old Testament for religious rites. Myrrh would have struck me as a rather strange baby gift. This reddish-brown tree sap was widely used in burials and funerals as embalming ointment.
    
Right from the beginning, we are reminded how fragile life is at both ends of the spectrum. A helpless baby lying in a feeding trough will one day experience death. God bridged the gap by becoming man, thereby becoming mortal for a time. Even in Mary’s tears of joy at holding the Christ child, she is given a foretaste of the sorrow that will later pierce her heart, the death of her beloved Son, just as essential and miraculous as His birth.
    
Lord, thank You for giving us the gift of Your only Son. Help us to pay homage to Our Savior by following His example (and those of Mary and Joseph) by committing completely and fully to Your will, especially when Your gifts and blessings to us aren’t exactly what we’d hoped for or expected. Amen.