The Sunday Morning Tune-up ~ January 11, 2015

“First Things First!”

I came across this article “In Philippines, Spirituality Includes Warfare Against Forces of Darkness”, and I thought to myself this is true everywhere…especially now it seems. And then I wondered to myself how prepared are we for the warfare at hand? I’m afraid the answer is we are not nearly as prepared as we need to be, based on the people I come in contact with here in the Lower Hudson Valley/North Jersey/New York Metro area on a daily basis. I believe most of us are conditioned to behave as if the “forces of darkness” exist only on our TV screens and in our movie theaters, even though the daily headlines tell us otherwise. Good Sunday Morning Dear Friend!

Spiritual Preparation

Accepting the reality that these forces do in fact exist, we have to conclude that it is in the best interests of ourselves and those we love to be prepared for it…without living in paranoia. In fact, to respond otherwise is to live in denial and delusion. But how do we do this? Do I just take some Karate lessons, get myself a 12 gauge pump and call it a day? These may be advisable steps, but these steps alone would be like getting in your car with no place to go.

Have you ever been in a hostage situation? Have you ever had your life threatened? Have you ever been robbed or physically attacked? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you know that fear is the very first thing you encounter…by degree. There is the fear that grips you when you are surprised on the street by the mugger who only wants your wallet. And there’s the fear that paralyzes when you’re the one in the kosher deli or Charlie Hebdo, knowing they are here to kill you. Not to be trite; but if you are spiritually unprepared then you literally haven’t a prayer…

The fact of the matter is that the same forces of darkness we employ our own spiritual preparedness to combat, are the same forces that ridicule us as being paranoid for doing so…when in reality, doing so eliminates paranoia! OK…so how exactly do we accomplish this?

Sometimes the most important ingredients, the best recipes and the most powerful notes are the simplest of all. The Forces of Darkness needed 3,000 pages to con you into a healthcare plan. I have two steps to save your life:

1. Give yourself permission by understanding the “Morality of Self-Defense”.

• We have a legitimate right to self-defense based on rightly ordered self-love

• We have a duty to protect those in our care, such as our families

• Force should be used in moderation. Force should be met with like force.

• The taking of a human life in self-defense should be a last resort, when all other options have been exhausted

 

2. Equip yourself with the “Virtue of Fortitude”.

Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause. “The Lord is my strength and my song.” “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

NOW we are ready to talk about home defense…

Note- A special thanks to Ann Barnhardt for introducing me to Sam Guzman and The Catholic Gentleman! 🙂