On taking back the land

History tells us that, in the early struggles against paganism, one of the ways in which spiritual warfare was conducted was the destruction of sacred groves.  Following the example of St. Martin of Tours, the Celtic saints in particular, would destroy the sites of pagan worship.

Now, we know from St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians that pagan worship is the worship of demons.  And, as he reminds them elsewhere, "For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses."

Now, how does that apply to us, as Lay Dominicans - or lay persons in general?  These saints who did this were PRIESTS, after all!

Well, we are priests.  But of a different order, the royal priesthood.
In Exodus 19:6, The Lord tells Israel, "You will be for me a kingdom of priests".
In his First Epistle, St. Peter tells us that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood".
And in the Apocalypse, we read that we are "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father".

We do have authority as priests, but only insofar as it is flows from the Ministerial priesthood.
As such, we may use sacramentals, not to physically destroy the demonic places - such a thing would certainly not be acceptable in our culture - but to take back those places from the demons.
We are authorized to use Holy Water and Blessed Salt to sanctify those places, to take them back from the demons.

A simple example.

A few years back, a man noticed a "gay" bar in his city.  Resolving to take arms against the demons that dwelt there, he drove around the block on two separate occasions, informing the demons that the land was not their to occupy, that it belonged to the Lord, and that they must leave that land.

The bar went out of business.

What if we did the same, repeatedly, circling the abortion mills in our towns?  What if we took back the government buildings?  The schools?

We have the authority.
Let us go forth and take back the land that the glory of the Lord might shine forth.

Put on the Belt of Truth.

A talk originally delivered at Knights of Columbus Council 3717 Monthly Business Meeting, 16 September 2003

Our study this month is a continuation of last month’s.

Again, let’s look at the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians(5:10-18a)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Last month we talked about being spiritual warriors. This month, we’ll take up the

first part of our armor, the Belt of Truth.
Now, consider the Roman Armor. The Romans did not wear pants like we do. So

what was the purpose of a belt?

1. To attach the scabbard for your sword
2. To hold the armor together.

In the same way, our armor in the spiritual battle, our defense against the spiritual evils which assail us, cannot function properly, cannot stay together, without being bound together in truth.

But let me be quick to say, not just spiritual truth. No. Our Lord did not say, “I am the spiritual way, the spiritual truth, & the spiritual life”. He said, “I am the way, the truth, the life.”


Take abortion, for example. Yes, our struggle has spiritual dimensions, and
ultimately, this war will be won by the Spirit of God. But you know as well as I, it has a political and cultural dimension. There are public debates. Perhaps you’ve engaged in a debate on the subject at work, or in a coffee shop. I know I have. And what’s the biggest tool we have in such a situation? Certainly not telling the unbeliever that it is contrary to God’s Law. What do they care about God’s Law? No, the biggest tool we have is truth. Facts. Scientific evidence shows life begins at conception. The fertilized egg has a unique
genetic identity. Facts. Facts. Facts. THE TRUTH.

Do you remember our Lord’s words? “You shall know the truth, and the TRUTH
shall set you free”.

On the other hand, truth is a powerful weapon in learning to love yourself (which, of
course, is necessary in order to love your neighbor). And lying to yourself is positively
destructive.

I’m a pianist, and part of my college experience was at Berklee College of Music, in Boston. Now, I judged myself not according to what I could do, but what I couldn’t do. My idols were people like Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Bud Powell – the upper stratosphere of jazz piano luminaries. Consequently, when I didn’t measure up to them, I put myself down. Mercilessly. For years I thought I was mediocre at best. And it caused me to limit myself. I never took the chances that might have led to real musical success.
Then, about 5 years ago, I found the e-mail for a buddy of mine from school, a trumpet
player. We hadn’t been in contact in about 17 years, but his initial response to me was,
“yeah, I remember you. You were a Monster Piano player”.

And I always thought I was a bum.

Who knows where I would have gone if I’d told myself the truth? I have friends in
the business who have indeed ‘made it’, Grammy winners, contracts with major
recording labels.

Now, yeah, I admit I have some limitations in my playing – I certainly don’t play for hours on end like I did when I was 20, and it shows. But y’know what, I know I’m good – not in the sense that I’m cocky about it, but I’m confident in my own abilities. But I also know that I’m not the best. Knowing the truth has allowed me to accept what God has allowed me to become.

“You shall know the truth, and the TRUTH shall set you free”.

And knowing the truth allows me to avoid the lies I hear in the world. It allows me to have the sword of the spirit – that is, the Word of God – available to me to help fight spiritual battles.

So, how do we know truth?

1. Know your Catechism and Bible, know the contents of the prayers of the Mass – these will give you spiritual truth.
2. Know yourself – be honest with yourself, admit your weaknesses and your strengths. True humility doesn’t lie in thinking that you’re nothing; it lies in knowing your abilities and liabilities —your strengths <b>and</b> your weaknesses — and appreciating what God has made you.
3. Pray that God will open your eyes. and beyond that
4. Pray. Pray, and Pray. And when you're done praying, pray again