Category: Battle of Good and Evil

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The Litany of the Armor of God

Since the Rosary Congress Family Night Mass in 2018, which my family was asked to represent St. Joan of Arc Parish, I have begun to delve deeper into the prayers, litanies, and devotions of our faith.  The literature and prayer handouts that were made available were an invaluable tool and provided a wealth of knowledge.  Since then, I started a journal/prayer book to compile these prayers, as opposed to having numerous flyers, papers, and prayer cards to carry around or cluttering up my desk.  It was during this process, copying over the prayers and litanies that I was moved to compose the Litany of the Armor of God that I am sharing with you now.  I feel that this litany will be beneficial to all who pray it, both young and old.  Like the Armor of God Septet, it was inspired by and derived from Ephesians 6:10-20.  It can be prayed as a stand-alone litany, or used as a follow up to the septet.  It touches upon each aspect of the Armor of God passage, imploring the strength, help, and wisdom of God our Father, as we face the daily battles we must go through.  There are more dangers and evil in the world than today than ever before, and the need for increase in prayer has never been greater.  I also feel that this is something that the youth of today would benefit from greatly, not that there is anything wrong with traditional prayers, but this would be something new, a rejuvenation into the joy and love of being a soldier of Christ.  I am hoping it would stir up their interest in turning up their prayer life, be an aid in their defense of our faith, and create a willingness to share their faith with others. As with the Septet, this is also part of my way of continuing to honor my son, Evan, by doing what I know he would have done were he still here with us on earth.  I have tried to take on his mission of spreading the word of God and our faith with others, which by doing so, also aids in my grieving and healing process.

I have again been blessed and graced to be granted permission to share this publicly by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, who has been a tremendous source of help and inspiration to me since Evan’s passing. After reading the original draft of the litany, Archbishop Aymond provided me with the corrections needed before making it official. Below is the Rescript granting permission to publish.

Below, I offer to you, The Litany of the Armor of God, with the hopes that as you pray it you may feel the power of God’s love and protection, appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and be inspired by the Holy Spirit during your daily battles against the evils and temptations that continually bombard from all directions. May this serve as another weapon in your arsenal to fight the good fight as you travel the path to your eternal home with Our Lord above.


Litany of the Armor of God
 
Lord, have mercy.   Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.   Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.   Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.   Christ, graciously hear us.
 
God, the Father of Heaven,   Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,   Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit,   Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,   Have mercy on us.
 
Armor of God, strength in the Lord,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, strength of Your power,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, resistance of evil,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, assistance in our struggles,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, the light above the darkness,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, defense against wickedness,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, hold our ground in battle,  Protect us O Lord.
 
Belt of Truth, hold fast around our waist,   Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, gird our loins,  Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, secure our armor in place,   Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, secure the sheath of our sword,   Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, encompass our body and heart,   Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, encompass our mind and soul,   Protect us O Lord.
Belt of Truth, Thy Word is Truth Lord,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Breastplate of Righteousness, honesty, goodness and humbleness,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, fairness to others,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, defense of the weak,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, deliver us from death,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, peace, quietness and love forever,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, Thy commandments are righteousness,   Protect us O Lord.
Breastplate of Righteousness, the Lord, our righteousness,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Shoes of Readiness, the Gospel of Peace,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, protection on uneven ground,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, sureness in troubled times,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, eagerness to spread Thy Word,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, testify to Thy Love and Grace,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, walk the path of Thy Son,   Protect us O Lord.
Shoes of Readiness, finish the race set before us,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Shield of Faith, quench the burning arrows of Satan,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, first line of defense,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, guard against temptation,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, defend against fear and worry,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, block against trouble and doubt,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, push back the attacks of evil,   Protect us O Lord.
Shield of Faith, joined with others, an unstoppable force,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Helmet of Salvation, headgear for the Soldiers of Christ,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, protect us from cares of this world,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, whom shall we fear,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, Thy blessing to all,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, the sacrifice of Christ to save us,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, the Power of God over evil and death,   Protect us O Lord.
Helmet of Salvation, help us endure to the end,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, the Holy Bible,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, lamp to our feet,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, light to our path,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, guidance through darkness,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, the strength of our offense,   Protect us O Lord.
Sword of the Spirit, knowledge of God to share with others,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Power of Prayer, communicating with God,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, our training for battle,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, testament to our faith,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, in times of need or distress,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, do not lose heart,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, be anxious of nothing,   Protect us O Lord.
Power of Prayer, all thanks and praise to our Lord,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Supplication of the Spirit, help in times of weakness,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, intercede on our behalf,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, guard our hearts and minds,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, aid us in our spiritual battle,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, keep us ever vigilant,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, dwell within us always,   Protect us O Lord.
Supplication of the Spirit, Your will be done Lord,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Armor of God, let us not grow weary in our fight,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, grant us opportunities to share,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, open our mouths to speak fearlessly,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, make known to us the mystery of the Gospel,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, grant peace, love, and faith to all who seek You,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, provide grace to all who love our Lord,   Protect us O Lord.
Armor of God, our strength until the end,   Protect us O Lord.
 
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,   Spare us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,   Graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,   Have mercy on us O Lord.
 
You are the Way, the Truth, and the Light,   With Your Armor, we shall not lose the fight.
 
Let us Pray.  Father, through the sacrifice of Your Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by His Death and Resurrection from the dead, you have mercifully granted us Salvation.  By sending down Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us, You have strengthened our faith.  By your words, You have given us the Truth.  Keep strong our Armor during this fight and grant that we do not fail in our daily battles against the army of evil that threatens to harm us.  Fill our hearts and souls with the courage to spread the Gospel to others, bringing forth more followers of Your Son, and adding to the number of Soldiers of Christ.  In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray.  AMEN.
 

Within the next few weeks, I hope to have the pamphlets prepared and made available to hand out. As always, thank you for taking the time to read and share in my journey as I navigate the waters of grief while seeking the grace of God through prayer and reflection.

You are in my prayers,

Scott

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Retreats with Evan

Our God is an Awesome God. Praise the Lord, my soul. There are no coincidences any more, only signs from above. In August, I was delighted to be able to sign up to attend the Men’s ACTS Retreat. It fell on my weekend off and also concluded on September 29th, the Feast Day of St. Michael the Archangel. That was sign enough for me to see I was meant to attend that retreat on that particular weekend. Just to show you how Satan works on us, I would like to explain the evening leading up to my recent weekend retreat. Wednesday evening, the seeds of doubt were being planted…help out at the golf tournament like you have the past 3 years during the day on Friday, you know how much you enjoy doing that, and you said you would be able to help out…the dedication of the new stadium at St. Charles Catholic by Archbishop Aymond with Gayle Benson in attending also Friday evening…Kyle and Kathleen playing at Frenier Landing Friday night, you know you haven’t been in a while, there will probably be plenty of friends there, you know how much you will miss that…60th Wedding Anniversary for your Nanny and Uncle, you have to go to that, the family will be there, you can’t miss out on that… So, there I sat, thoughts running through my head, should I cancel, should I go, should I just try to make the next one, will I be upset if I go and miss all the activities at home, should I ignore the glaring sign that originally set my decision to go in motion? This went on into Thursday morning when I awoke, and lasted until midday, when I finally decided that I was definitely going.

Saturday night at the retreat, the realization hit me that it was Satan throwing those seeds of doubt in my garden and hoping they would take root quickly so I would choose not to go. He knew the power of this retreat, he knew that a great victory for him would be won if I did not attend. Those plans of his were spoiled. My lesson learned from this is to hopefully be able to recognize the times that Satan is trying to sway my actions or my faith, and to be able to fight through those times. I now know I would have totally regretted not attending the retreat this weekend, which leads me to the 2nd part of this post…retreats with Evan.

I was never lucky enough to have the chance to share a retreat with Evan like many fathers and sons do at Manresa. I was never able to take him with me. I know this is something he would have enjoyed immensely. His faith in and love of God would have grown by leaps and bounds with each passing retreat. His devotion to God, along with his speaking ability and leadership qualities would have made for one amazing retreat leader some day. This was my 3rd year attending Manresa since Evan’s passing, and each year I feel the loss and the sadness that comes with knowing I was never able to bring him here and that it took his death to get me here. The revelation hit me that Saturday morning…had he not passed, I may never have received the chance to share this with him or bring him with me on a retreat because I may not have attended any. The irony of the situation is that he was the one who brought me to Manresa. He is the one who is sharing the retreat with me. I can release that burden of guilt. That feeling is now gone because I know every time I step foot on the grounds at Manresa, he is there with me, watching over me, kneeling beside me as I pray, and sending inspiration so that I may continue his mission. Thank you Evan, for finally helping me realize that I don’t need to beat myself up with regret any longer. I Love you my son.

God Bless You All,

You Are In My Prayers

Scott

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St. Michael the Archangel, The Thirsting, and Evan’s Birthday (8/30/2018)

” Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the way, angels plead to be heard, but we pay little attention to them. “—Paulo Coelho

For those who do not know, I have always felt a closeness to St. Michael the Archangel. I chose him as my confirmation Saint. I used to pray the Chaplet of St. Michael regularly and shared it with my family (I do still work it into my prayer rotation). I have always felt like he was my Guardian Angel. On August 30th of 2018, I happened to be scrolling through Facebook after visiting with Evan and the first non-friend post that popped up was a link to the video ” Michael” by The Thirsting. I was immediately touched to find this and broke down in tears. I so needed this at that moment to lift my spirits and it worked. I commented on the video and also sent a message and email to the lead singer, Daniel Oberreuter, explaining to him the significance of seeing the post when I did and also telling him that I wanted to share a little more about it with him. He took the time to talk with me and I was able to share Evan’s story and my story since his passing, along with the story of the Septet.

The Thirsting is a Catholic Rock Band. Their sound is very diverse, hitting different genres and styles, providing songs for a variety of musical tastes. I think they are more geared to the younger generation, but those between teen years and their 50’s should find their music enjoyable, refreshing, and rewarding. Their songs are very inspirational and moving, borrowing from scripture, the mass, the sacraments, and everyday life events that we all go through and can relate to. Check them out. Give them a listen. Share them with your family. You won’t be disappointed. I will include the link to the video “Michael” as well as the link to their website. They have a Facebook page also. (Personal favorites are “Michael”, “Oceans of Mercy”, “Stepping Into the Day”, “Running”, and ” Come Hold My Son”)

I also highly recommend the Rosary recorded by Daniel and his wife. It is very beautiful and well done, spiritually relaxing while being prayed with gentle guitar playing in the background. This is what I use to pray along with in my car to and from work. You can find this as well as all their music on the website. You can also listen to the songs as well as the Rosary before purchase, and they also offer free downloads and offers of their music. (Click on the “STORE” tab on their web page to listen/try some selections). So, again, check them out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

http://www.thethirstingcatholic.com/welcome

“Look to the future with commitment to a New Evangelization, one that is new in its ardor, new in its methods, and new in its expression.”—St. John Paul II.

This is a new day and age in which we live. Satan is coming at us from all angles and directions. Our faith as Christians is constantly under attack. Trials, temptations, and tribulations abound. This is just another weapon to add to our arsenal in the defense of our faith, our lives, and our very souls. Prayer and worship to the Lord in whatever way possible is what we must strive to do. Sing out to the Lord. Spread His message to all who will listen. Keep strong in the faith and keep your eyes and ears open for the signs that God is sending to you. I know it has made a difference in my life.

God Bless You All,

You are in my Prayers,

Scott

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The Battle Rages Daily

“There is no neutral ground in the universe.  Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God, and counterclaimed by Satan.”              —C. S. Lewis

If you are starting to see somewhat of a pattern in quotes being used by C. S. Lewis, here is the reason.  On my last retreat at Manresa (2018), I purchased A Grief Observed and The Problem With Pain, both written by Lewis.  I was already a big fan of his from reading The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books) which I also had the pleasure and delight in sharing them with Evan when he was in 7th Grade.  They are wonderful stories for kids as well as adults.  The message of Good vs. Evil, repentance, 2nd chances, and faith all parallel with the Word of God in the Bible.  For those who don’t know, he has also written a few Catholic/Christian books for adults.  Since the retreat, I have read more of his works and found many quotes that have sparked my inspiration to write and share, hence, the reason for using his quotes thus far.  

(Back to the quote itself)

There is a constant battle being waged between God and the forces of evil led by Satan.  That battleground is comprised of the human souls, not only here, but those who have perished and currently remain in Purgatory.  Satan will o all that he can within his power to temp and persuade you to turn away from God and a life of Christ.  He is constantly trying to use all means necessary to defeat the goodness within us.  He plants those seeds of doubt and fear in our lives, playing on our emotions, looking to expose the tiniest crack in our faith and use it to his advantage.  He wants to get to us and ruin our lives, not necessarily in this world, but for the world that awaits us to come.  That is why we must take action now.  A call to arms to all soldiers of Christ.  

The time is now, for we do not know the time of His return, but from the direction the world appears to be heading, it may be sooner than we think.  There are weapons available to us to help withstand this onslaught of evil.  There are things that can be done in preparation, tools that have been within our grasp the majority of our lives.  It is up to us, by way of our free will, to choose whether or not we want to use these instruments to fight for God, or just give in to the evil plans of Darkness.

First and foremost, the ultimate weapon for our offensive against evil is prayer, the strongest of that being the Holy Rosary of Our Blessed Mother Mary.  A daily Rosary, 15 to 20 minutes out of our 24 hour day is a perfect way to battle.  “I will put enmity between you and the woman…”— God to the Serpent (Genesis 3:15)   We can always turn to Mother Mary for protection from evil.  Throw in some morning and evening prayers, prayers before sleep, whenever you can fit them in.  Just find time to pray. 

Secondly, take some time to open up the Bible and read the Word of God.  Psalms. Proverbs. The Gospels.  To use a quote inscribed by Evan to his cousin in the Bible he brought home for her from Rome, “If you make the choice to read the Scripture, I recommend  that you read the four Gospels first.  The Gospels are where you will find the truth, and the truth makes the world a better place.”  Skip around and find what ever may catch your interest.  Close your eyes and open it up.  See what message the Lord may be sending you.

Third, try to attend Mass regularly, not just Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation, but Daily Mass.  I know it may be hard for most to do so with work.  I have the advantage of working shift work so I am able to attend Daily Mass fairly often.   It is rewarding to start the day off with mass before having to dive into the duties of adulthood.

Those were the means of offense.  There are also defensive tactics as well.  These include our Faith as believers in the Holy Trinity and Our Mother Mary.  Righteousness, in the form of living a Christian life to the best of our ability, through humbleness, acts of kindness and mercy, and fairness to others.  Salvation in the form of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by His death and Resurrection.  The Truth of the Word of God.  Our trust in Jesus.  Our daily prayer regimen.  All of the above help in the defense of our souls against evil.

I do plan to expand on these weapons and defenses in future posts.  I wanted to get them out there now.  It is time to make changes in our lives.  Small changes or large ones, the choice is up to you as to which you choose.  It is our free will, our daily choices that will determine the outcome of these battles. 

This is the challenge before us.  There is no better time than Advent to start making these changes.  Just as we celebrate the upcoming birth of Christ, we must also welcome Him into our hearts and our lives.  I will end this post with a quote from another favorite author of mine. 

“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.  Today and Tomorrow are yet to be said.  The chances, the changes are all yours to make.  The mold of your life is in your hands to break.”—J. R. R. Tolkien

Take that chance.  Make that change.  Break that mold.

God Protect You Brothers and Sisters,

You are in my Prayers,

Scott