//Heartdwellers//
Speak Life and Overcome Hardships
Satan’s Strategy is Simple . . .
//Encouragement in the Lord//
Sermon Notes – January 28, 2024 – Don’t Send a Boy to Do a Man’s Job
“Don’t Send a Boy to Do a Man’s Job”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 27 – 28, 2024
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
As a priest, I have been asked to bless many things. I have blessed homes, boats, and cars. I have blessed women before childbirth and after childbirth. There is a whole list of things that priests can bless. And that’s a good thing. Sometimes people tell me, “Father, I need an exorcism of my house.” So, I go bless the house after which I tell them to get rid of the Buddhist statues, and if they hear anything else, let me know. Also, if you start spitting up pea soup and your head starts spinning around, call me. Occasionally nurses will ask me to bless hospital rooms, and I always ask why. The reasons can be interesting. “Well, the call light has been going off a lot recently.” So, that means somebody needs a nurse. I realize our veterans can be real pains in the butt sometimes but come on! “But Father, there’s no patient in that room, and some weird stuff has been happening.” So I go into the room, bless it, say a prayer, and sprinkle holy water. A couple of weeks later, I asked the nurses if they were having any more problems in that room. They said, “Oh, no problems at all. Thank you, Father, for what you did.” No problem. I was happy to do it. One of the nurses had a sheepish look on her face and said, “Father, we asked a Protestant chaplain to bless that room. He went into the room and said some prayers, but it didn’t work.” I said, “Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job.”
The Church has power over satan through the grace of Jesus Christ. He gave bishops and priests the power over satan to expel demons. It’s called the Rite of Exorcism which is not as uncommon as you might think. I cannot confirm or deny that I’ve done any of that. If I told you, I would have to kill you. Remember the movie “The Exorcist” where the girl spits up pea soup and her head spins around? I met that exorcist, and it’s all true. Satan is very real and can take possession of people. If you have to go somewhere that is sketchy and you are concerned, arm yourself with prayer. When I visit very sick people, I go in with gloves and a mask like Darth Vader. “I am your father, Luke.” It’s not as if after the first century satan said, “Okay I’m done.” He is just as active now as he was then. But so is Christ. And that’s the good news. Stay away from things like Ouija Boards, horoscopes, and all that stuff. “But I want to see what my future is.” Well, your long-term future is at Hartsell’s Funeral Home. What happens to your soul after that is up to you.
People aren’t bad because they don’t have stuff. My parents and grandparents were poor, and they weren’t felons. They didn’t steal, and they didn’t hurt anybody. People choose to be evil. Those people who are certifiable and do not have the free will choice to be evil or not should be locked up in a nice state institution where they can’t hurt themselves or anyone else. People choose to be evil. They choose satan who promises temporary happiness but never delivers it. Saint Peter said, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). So, unless Peter is a liar, satan is very active and looking for people. Satan can appear under a nice cloud resembling something good like New Age Spirituality. I read this in an article, “Father was so busy he barely had time to light the prayer candle and go to prayer.” Really? Father needs to get his head out of his “bleep.” Jesus is here in the church in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Hey Father, throw the candle out and see the Lord. “I’ve got my prayer shawl. I’m so spiritual.” No, you’re not. None of that adds to spiritual development. Stay away from New Age stuff and anything else that appears to be evil because it is a portal for satan. Jesus laid out very specific ways in which to return His love.
I love shows about ghost hunting because they always ask the wrong questions. I know a psychic back home who does this. She once went into this house that was built before the Revolutionary War. She went into a room that was very cold. The homeowner asked her why it was so cold in the room, and she said, “That’s when you know ghosts are here. They don’t know they are dead.” Then they heard a voice say, “I’m dead?” Nobody got the word to you, huh? On some of the shows when they are cleansing the house of spirits, they put burnt sage all over the house. So, the devil is powerless over burnt plant matter? I don’t think so, otherwise he would stay out of everyone’s kitchen because something is always getting burned there. “My house had a bad feeling about it, so I took some sage, burned it, and spread it around.” Really? Why didn’t you light up a toke too? What the heck! You might as well have some fun while you’re at it. Burning sage to exorcise a house is sinful because it denies the power of Christ. Instead, ask a priest to come bless the house. Christ did not give His power to a plant; He gave it to His Church.
Satan can come in by all sorts of less obvious means such as our entertainment, what we hear, what we see, and what we wear. Hey, sweetheart, cover-up. I’ve been a hospital chaplain for 40 years. I’ve seen more body parts than you’ll ever have. Okay? It’s not a thrill. The latest craze is Stanley tumblers. You’ve got to get a certain drink cup because that’s cool. Is your ego so fragile that your whole life will be much better because you have one particular cup? Really? I know a doctor who will give you some help. I’ve got a summer camp you can go to that will give you some help, and they will even pay you to go. You probably wouldn’t like it, but it would be good for you. But think about that kind of thinking. “I’m better if I have this or I have that.” Really? You are trying to fill an infinite hole with finite objects. The hole in our soul can only be filled up with Christ.
Remember, our Lord’s plan for us is peace and not affliction. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son. He loves you so much that He allows this sinful priest to act in the person of Christ so that you might have life and have it to the fullest; so that you may receive the Most Precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion; and so that your soul can be washed clean by His Most Precious Blood in the Sacrament of Penance. Even if a priest who, God forbid, is in a state of mortal sin, the Sacrament is still efficacious. Even if a priest has been chucked out of the priesthood, what we call defrocked, he is still able to give Last Rites if someone is in danger of death. So much is God’s great love for us. Hopefully, my time for getting Last Rites is a bit further down the road.
Satan tempts us just as he did Adam and Eve. We have the power over ourselves and our world. “But if I had just one more thing, I would be perfect.” That’s true. You need one more thing to be perfect and that is Jesus. Satan is always active in the world. “Oh, women who have abortions have psychological problems.” Really? One of the doctors I served with was a combat infantryman, a Ranger, and a West Point graduate . . . a pretty hard-core guy and not exactly milk toast. He said, “A baby is not a tumor. A baby is not Pancreatic Cancer. A baby is life.” So, be very careful. Stay sober and alert because the devil is roaming the world seeking the ruin of souls.
How will you apply this message to your life?_________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Grandma Used to Say…
Lies the Devil Wants Us To Believe
Ever since Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been harassing us. The efforts of the Father of Lies to distort the truth—and his attempts at convincing us to question God’s word—have not ceased, and neither should our efforts to combat him.
It has been said that the devil will use ninety-nine percent of the truth to float one lie. This is true because he cannot create, which leaves him only with the ability to twist what has already been created. He is a master at this and we need to be on guard against it.
In Ephesians 6:11 it says,
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Here are six lies the devil tells us and ways in which we can combat them.
Lie #1: You don’t have time to pray.
The devil hates prayer. In the Manual for Spiritual Warfare (MSW), author Paul Thigpen says,
“We can see how much the Devil fears those who pray, since there’s not a moment of the day when he tempts us more than when we’re at prayer. He does everything he possibly can to prevent us from praying. When the Devil wants to make someone lose his soul, he starts out by inspiring in him a profound distaste for prayer. However good a Christian he may be, if the Devil succeeds in making him either say his prayers badly or neglect them altogether, he’s certain to have that person for himself.”
In our busy lives we can easily fall into the trap of believing that “we don’t have time to pray.”
However, the Bible does not give us an excuse, but a command regarding prayer: “Pray unceasingly” (Eph. 6:18). Jesus implores His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Rise and pray, that you should not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46).
The Rosary is a prayer the devil hates. Pray the Rosary!
Shorter prayers are also important. By learning certain “ejaculatory prayers,” we can offer a quick response when we feel tempted during the day.
An ejaculatory prayer is a secret and sudden lifting up of the soul’s desires to God during any emergency that may occur. One may engage in this prayer by a simple thought directed to heaven. The devil would like us to not use this method of prayer. He knows the power that these prayers have because they reveal the faith of the one praying.
The following are a few ejaculatory prayers to remember:
- Jesus, Mary, Joseph, be my Salvation.
- Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (Known as “The Jesus Prayer”)
- My God & my all!
- Jesus, Mary, I love You. Save souls.
- O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. (From the Divine Office)
- May the Holy Cross be my light. (Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict)
Lie #2: You aren’t good enough.
This common lie is an easy one to fall for, regardless of our vocation. As a mother of nine, I can feel overwhelmed and sometimes doubt my competency. This is exacerbated further when I see other mothers accomplishing so much with ease. I can quickly become frustrated with myself and become envious or—worse—despairing. When we feel unworthy, we can falsely imagine that God does not love us; that He is not here for us. That is exactly what the devil wants us to believe.
Today, with the easy access to social media and the constant barrage of images and snapshots into people’s lives, we can become even more susceptible to the belief that we are not good enough. We see images on social media and think, “Look how happy or how successful they are. I’m not as successful…I’m not as good as they are.”
If I can feel that way as a fifty-year-old mother, how do my teenagers feel?
Sharon Johnston, a friend of mine who has led a Bible study for young women and young mothers for ten years, suggests occasional “fasts” from social media. She tells the women she counsels that time away from social media with the purpose of spending that time with God in prayer is helpful to combat the noise that fills our heads.
She is wise. Time away from the noise and bombardment of pressures to live or act a certain way is a good way to bring our attention back to the One who gave us life and Who sustains us.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” To counter the lie that we are unworthy, author Paul Thigpen suggests that we get to know the saints. Especially those who shared our vocation or those who shared our struggles. 2 Corinthians 12:9
For instance, as a mother who worries or grows anxious about my children’s faith, I can look to Saint Monica who cried out to God for years in agony over her lost son.
If someone struggles with lust or the things of the flesh, they can turn to Saint Augustine who struggled as a young man with those sins. The following prayer is a good way to turn away from thoughts of unworthiness and ask God for help through his saints:
Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. [name] protect us, through Christ Our Lord.
Lie #3: Be anxious, for there is much to worry about.
Satan wants us to look at our problems instead of looking at God. He knows that the ultimate answer to our problems can only come from God and so he wants our minds to be preoccupied with those things that keep us from thinking about God.
Fear is one of Satan’s most useful tools. This is not simply because fear causes us to lose trust in God, it is also so that we do not have a proper “fear of the Lord.” Monsignor Charles Pope explains that the devil plays a game of diversion—hoping we will be drawn into anxieties and fears to divert our attention away from God:
“Anxieties and fears also cause us many distractions. And by these, the devil causes us to fixate on fears about passing things, and thereby not to have a proper fear of the judgment which awaits us. Jesus says Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28). In other words, we should have a holy reverence and fear directed towards the Lord, and in this way, many of our other fears will be seen in better perspective, or will go away altogether. But in this matter of fear, the devil says just the opposite: we should fear 10,000 things that might afflict us on this passing earth, and not think at all of the one most significant thing that awaits us, our judgment. The Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most temporal part of time—for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.”
We can also remember the words of Scripture which were the words John Paul II often reminded us of during his papacy: “I say to you who are My friends: Do not be afraid” (Luke 12:24).
Lie #4: You have plenty of time.
I once heard a talk by a nun who said that one of the devil’s favorite lies is to convince us that we have more time.
In other words, “there is always time to get serious later.” Satan convinces us to delay something so that it never gets started or completed.
It is not difficult to see the power in this lie. Just as the devil plays a game of diversion with our fears and anxieties, he plays the same type of game with our sense of time. By convincing us that we have plenty of time to work on the spiritual side of our life, he also tells us that we should put those things off that will draw us closer to God. He convinces us that our sins aren’t that big of a deal; that we can attend to them later.
Yet Scripture says the opposite. The following are just a few of the verses from Scripture which warn us of this very lie and help us to remember to be awake and be ready.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
—Matthew 16:26“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.”—Revelation 22:12-14
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
—Matthew 24:42-44
Saint John Bosco’s words are also helpful for us to remember:
“The principle trap that the devil sets for young people is idleness. This is a fatal source of all evil. Do not let there be any doubt in your mind that we are born to work and when we don’t we are out of our element and in great danger of offending God . . . First tell the devil to rest . . . then I’ll rest too!”
St. John Bosco
Lie #5: Your past is irredeemable.
The devil wants us to lose hope, to despair, and to place our trust in anything but God.
One way he does this is by using our past sins against us and convincing us that we cannot be redeemed. He nags us and tells us that our sins will always be our downfall and that we are powerless against them. Yet this is exactly the opposite of what Our Lord promises. By reading the Bible and listening to the words of Scripture at Mass, we can arm ourselves against the father of lies and know that God is our savior no matter what our past looks like.
Thigpen in the Manual For Spiritual Warfare says the way to combat this lie is to always keep close the second theological virtue: hope.
“The hope of salvation is a helmet, the Apostle Paul declares (1 Thes. 5:8). It’s essential for protecting the mind. The temptation to despair is a powerful tactic of the Enemy. If we lose hope for our salvation, we open our minds wide to all the poisonous thoughts that the enemy seeks to plant there. If we should conclude that we have no hope of winning the battle, why even fight? So we must never take off the helmet of hope if we hope to overcome the devil” (MSW page 58).
Scripture also reminds us that God never forsakes those who turn to him and who are truly repentant:
“I give them everlasting life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.”
—John 10:28“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?…In all these things we overcome because of Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 8:35-39
“So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.”
—2 Cor. 5:17
Lie #6: You don’t have to worry about the devil—he isn’t real.
The devil wants us to believe he is not real. His work in this world is much easier if we think he does not exist. After all, how could we fight an adversary if we don’t even know he exists?
Yet as Thigpen writes,
“The reality of demonic powers has been a constant doctrine of the Catholic Church ever since it was founded by Christ through his apostles. They and their ancestors spoke and wrote about Satan repeatedly. Through the centuries, the great teachers of the Church have consistently affirmed that Satan is real” (MSW page 6).
There are many references to the devil in scripture. The following are just a few:
“Be sober, be watchful! For your adversary, the Devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking someone to devour. Resist Him, steadfast in the faith.”—1 Peter 5:8-9
“Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of the light.”
—2 Cor.11:14“But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his guile, so your minds may be corrupted and fall from a pure devotion to Christ.”
—2 Cor. 11:3“Indeed what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—I have done for your sakes, in the person of Christ, so that we may not be defeated by Satan; for we are not unaware of his devices.”
—2 Cor. 2: 10-11
Although we need to be aware of the devil’s constant harassment, we also need to remember that Christ won the battle. The sacraments allow us to draw our strength from God because through them we receive His Grace. So by staying close to the sacraments, to the Holy Eucharist and to confession, we stay close to Christ and we are able to fight off the devil more effectively.
Let us pray for strength and for God’s present help in danger. Most importantly let us always remember that God’s mercy is abundant and that He is with us always.
“You draw near this day to battle against your enemies; Let not your heart faint; do not fear, or tremble, or be in dread of them; for the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
Deuteronomy 20:3-4
//Good Catholic//
Daily Devotion – Successful Strategies
“Our struggle is … against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12-13 NASB
It was no accident that Paul used military terms to describe the Christian life. He knew that our interactions with Satan are not a game, but a real war with serious consequences. Paul also knew that we needed careful preparation for spiritual warfare if we want to be victorious.
To understand this warfare, we can consider the insights of military historian Bevin Alexander. He discovered that many great military generals are successful because they avoid direct attacks. Instead, they attack an “enemy’s flank or rear.”
This strategy can catch an enemy off guard and distract them, make them lose their “confidence and sense of security.” It cuts them off from their supplies and reinforcements.
Like the strategies of these generals, Satan often attacks believers where we are vulnerable and least prepared when our defenses are weak.
If we want to be victorious, we must remember that Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). A master of deception, he can strike at our minds and emotions, planting misleading ideas. He can appear harmless and trustworthy and disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Be sure to be prepared for battle. Put on the whole armor of God. Stand on the truths in the Bible. Focus on the Gospel. Take on the shield of faith that can provide a sure defense. Attack with the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. And dedicate yourself to persistent prayer.
Prayer
Father, help me to be ready for the attacks of the enemy. Thank You for victory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Extended Reading
Ephesians 6