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"Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called!"

(1 Timothy 6: 12)

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   Jesus calls us to 'follow Him' as disciples. This will mean living with Him; proclaiming the gospel to others with Him; tending to the needs of the suffering and poor with Him; seeking to bring back the lost with Him; suffering rejection and persecution with Him; and ultimately, it will mean making our way to the cross and certain death with Him. By His glorious resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, Jesus calls you and me to share in His eternal life! Yet the devil is always working to rob us of our eternal inheritance, and so we must persevere in our discipleship -- we must FIGHT!

   Of course, Jesus does not leave us defenseless. He supplies His chosen disciples, His 'soldiers of salvation', with a spiritual armament that, more than helping us to defend ourselves, actually equips us to take the fight to the devil and the evil in this world with our victorious Savior Christ Jesus leading the charge ahead of us! Saint Paul pleads with the Christians of Ephesus to "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6: 11-12) Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we are enlisted in the Lord's army and armed for the good fight of faith against evil and faithlessness. Saint Paul identifies some of the items in our spiritual arsenal: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness; shoes that will run to proclaim the gospel in peace; the shield of faith; the helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (v. 14-17) Paul encourages the Ephesians and their young bishop, Timothy, to persevere in prayer (v. 18-19) and to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness (1 Tim. 6: 11). 

   As I recalled in my homily at the end of September, these spiritual armaments can be found in the clothing of the priest, especially as is indicated by the vesting prayers of the sacred vestments he wears for Mass, and also in the distinctive clothing of those men and women in consecrated religious life. Our clothing and sacred liturgical vesture, like our priestly and religious vocations, are a sign to this present world -- and to all of the faithful -- of the new person all Christians are called to become by putting on the image of Christ and wielding His virtues as effective weapons against the devil and his followers.

   The Lord also provides us with strong allies for the fight against evil so we know that we are never fighting alone. The saints extend to each of us their friendship and their intercessory prayer to strengthen us, to encourage us, and at times, even intervene for us in the fight! These Holy Ones of God are veterans of spiritual warfare who have already fought the good fight of faith; they have finished the race; and through it all they kept the faith; and now reign victorious with our God in heaven. (2 Timothy 4: 7) Through them, God provides us with many other powerful weapons against the enemy.

   In the month of October, it is important to remember our greatest advocate among the saints -- the Blessed Virgin Mary -- through whom we have been given a most powerful weapon to wield against evil: The HOLY ROSARY! The rosary, and our Lady's spiritual patronage, are most effective in the fight to save souls from the devil, so we should always call upon our holy Mother, and her most chaste spouse, Saint Joseph, whose strong presence and intercession as a protector of the Church has earned him the rightful title Terror of Demons.

   The battle for salvation is never easy, and will not end for us until we die and our souls are resting secure in the hands of our merciful Savior, and so we must persevere after the example of Christ Jesus and His saints. For this, the Lord provides His sacraments of healing and reconciliation when we have been wounded by sin. He extends His mercy and forgiveness in the confessional when our resolve falters, and he anoints us with holy oils when we are weary or wounded. Most important of all -- because no one can persevere in a fight on an empty stomach -- He gives us nourishment through His Most Holy Eucharist. In these ways, the Lord strengthens and sustains His chosen soldiers for the good fight of faith that lies ahead of all of us.  Therefore, my fellow soldiers in Christ, let us never tire; let us never waiver; but let us persevere with all hope and fidelity alongside our Savior in the good fight of faith, so that together, we may take hold of the eternal life to which we have been called!

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Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!​

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Oremvs Pro Invicem!

Father Albert Beltz, KHS, Pastor​​