spiritual warfare Archives - Amazing Catechists

by Dan Burke and Mary Ruth Hackett

Published by Sophia Institute Press

Also available as an ebook and audiobook on the Saintifi app

I think that the first time I realized how real and serious that spiritual warfare is was when a friend recommended a series of talks by Fr. Ripperger on spiritual warfare in marriage. This really opened my eyes, and I would have loved to have this information much sooner in my life. Dan Burke and Mary Ruth Hackett have penned a helpful guide on this very topic called Discernment of Spirits for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy.

A Guidebook and a Journal

This handy little book is both a guidebook and journal. The 7 sections could be read over 7 days which I think makes the book a good length and very approachable. The book has a combination of relatable stories, advice drawn from St. Ignatius’ teachings on discernment of spirits, efficacious and simple prayers to turn to in various situations, questions for reflection, and space for journaling. This book describes all the key aspects of the lies of the devil and how to call on Jesus and our guardian angels for guidance and protection in all of our spiritual battles.

Each chapter is about 16 (small) pages and ends with reflection questions which I thought were very helpful and related to the reading well. There are also multiple lines to record your answers and reflections.

Practical Guidance

I love that the book had practical steps for practicing St. Ignatius’ discernment of spirits right away. For example, the book explains the importance of a daily examen and daily mental prayer practice. The authors do not just explain why these practices are crucial, but they describe exactly how to include these powerful spiritual practices into your day.

The book discusses consolation and desolation, and how to keep going through periods of desolation. This is extremely useful and practical advice, and, again, something I wish I had known about much sooner in life.

There are also simple and consoling prayers sprinkled throughout the book which I loved. For example, the authors encourage readers to immediately invoke the name of Jesus in times of trouble and begin prayers with “In the name of Jesus…” The practical steps throughout the book can be implemented immediately after reading them.

A Great Gift for Teens, Young Adults, and their Parents

The scenarios and stories sprinkled throughout the book would be very relatable to teens and young adults. They deal with issues such as anger, anxiety, school troubles, and the importance of holy friendships.

This book would be a wonderful Confirmation gift. I think it would be most effective and helpful for the teen to go through the book alongside a parent, if possible. The teen and parent could journal separately and then come together to discuss. It may even be helpful for them each to have his or her own copy.

College students would also benefit from this book, and having group discussions along with this book would be very valuable for everyone.

I wish this book existed when I was a teen! I would have benefited a lot from its wisdom and guidance. I am happy that it exists now, and I know it will help anyone who reads it and whose heart is open to it.

You can find Discernment of Spirits for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy from Sophia Institute Press.

It is also available on the Saintifi app as an ebook and audiobook, along with many helpful podcasts on discernment of spirits from Dan Burke and his wife.

Fasting: The Solution to Many Problems

By Ellen Gable Hrkach

Footprints_in_the_sand_(1) Wars, persecutions, terrorism, famine, greed, abortion, oppression, immorality, human trafficking, indifference, addictions, suicide, divorce: one need only look at the state of our world and at our own lives to know that there is a spiritual war going on, a battle between good and evil.

Many of us feel helpless. Some may even feel hopeless. We might ask, “What could an insignificant person like me do to combat the evil atrocities and immorality of the world today?”

There is something we can do! It’s a solution that might seem simple, but it’s an extremely powerful weapon against evil. That solution is fasting. Prayer and fasting as a team are very powerful weapons in own our spiritual battles as well as the spiritual warfare happening in the world. Jesus, the apostles, the saints, popes and many clerics have fasted and have urged others to do so.

Fasting opens our hearts to conversion and gives weight to our prayer intentions. Fasting strengthens us in resisting temptations and frees us from addictive behavior. Fasting promotes peace in our hearts and peace with one another. Fasting teaches us the difference between wanting and needing and reminds us of the plight of the poor. Fasting invites the Holy Spirit in to heal our hearts, our relationship with God and our relationship with others. The late Fr. Slavko Barbaric said, “Fasting will lead us to a new freedom of heart and mind.”

St. Jean Vianney said, “The devil is not greatly afraid of the discipline and other instruments of penance. That which beats him is the curtailment of one’s food, drink and sleep. There is nothing the devil fears more, consequently, nothing is more pleasing to God.” Satan hates fasting. Why? Because those who practice the regular self-denial of fasting increase in virtue and grow closer to Christ. Those who fast for others are generously denying themselves for others.

Lent is an ideal time to begin the penitential practice of fasting and self-denial. Scripture and Catholic tradition have always placed a great deal of emphasis on fasting and prayer. In the past 50 years, however, fasting has become less important to the modern day Catholic and many Catholics have become lazy in their faith. The self-denial of fasting is exactly the solution to the world’s problems and to our own eternal life.

Lent is a training ground, much like the 40 days fasting in the desert was training ground for Jesus, especially when He was tempted by Satan. During His time in the desert, Jesus was preparing to take up His own cross, to suffer a painful death, to redeem all mankind.

We all want to be prepared for eternal life. The penitential season of Lent with the self-denial of fasting can be our training ground and helps to prepare us for both our future crosses and for our eternal life. Fasting trains us in self-knowledge and is a key tool for mastery over one’s self.

Fasting allows us to help others, even strangers we’ve never met. It’s a generous, selfless act because when we fast and pray for someone in particular, fasting gives weight to our prayers for that person. Pope Francis said, “Fasting makes sense if it really chips away at our security and, as a consequence, benefits someone else, if it helps us cultivate the style of the good Samaritan, who bent down to his brother in need and took care of him.”

In Scripture, (Matthew 6) Jesus tells us how to pray, then immediately tells us to fast: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.”

Jesus says, “When you fast,” not “if you fast.” Fasting and prayer are a team and are extremely powerful weapons against the evil one. “The disciples asked Jesus, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it (demon) out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.’” Mark 9:27-29

Fasting is responsible for many miracles throughout history. One miracle happened in Hiroshima, Japan. Eight Jesuit German priests fasted and prayed the rosary daily before the Atomic bomb hit in August 1945. Their parish house was only eight houses away from the center of the atomic bomb blast. Although most people within a one-mile radius of the blast were either killed instantly or died afterwards from radiation poisoning, none of the priests suffered more than a scratch, and none of them ever experienced any after-effects of radiation. Doctors kept track of them for years and none of the priests ever suffered any ill effects. (To read about more fasting miracles, click here.)

Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea recently revealed his secret weapon for spiritual warfare: prayer and fasting. When he first became an archbishop, Cardinal Sarah made a commitment to do a three-day retreat every two months. During these retreats, he completely fasts from both food and water, and takes with him only the basic supplies for Mass, the Bible, and other spiritual reading. He says this has helped him “to recharge and return to the battle.” (source: https://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/february-5th-2016/meet-the-cardinal-who-recharges-for-battle-by-fasting-from-food-and-water/) Of course, there’s nothing new about prayer and fasting: Jesus fasted and commanded his disciples to do the same. If an elderly cardinal can fast, then we all can fast.

Another high ranking cleric, Bishop Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, has recommended fasting in his exhortation, “Into the Breach.” “Turning away from the passions of the flesh, Jesus rejected Satan’s offering of bread in the desert, and in the Sermon on the Mount, twice He instructs us to fast (Matthew 6:16). Notice that the Lord does not say “if you fast” but rather “when you fast.” Fasting is training in self-knowledge, a key weapon for mastery over oneself. If we do not have dominion over our passions, especially those for food and sex, we cannot possess ourselves and put the interests of others in front of our own.”

There are so many great reasons to fast, but prayer and fasting as tools for spiritual warfare is one of the most important. Lent is an ideal time to begin the regular practice of self-denial. For those who cannot fast from food (like the sick, pregnant and elderly), they can choose to fast from television, social networking and other pleasurable activities on fasting days.

Lent is a time of change and sacrifice. Fasting and prayer together is the solution to the spiritual warfare that is going on in the world and in our own lives. Remember that Satan, the father of lies, hates fasting.

Fasting is not an easy practice with our society’s current tendency to overindulge. However, if you can do penitential acts during Lent, if you can fast during Lent, then you can fast all year round!

For more information on how to get started with fasting, check out our website (https://livethefast.org) Always check with your physician before beginning any fasting routine.

To sign up for our free biweekly fasting newsletter, click here.

Live the Fast is a Roman Catholic Apostolate that is focused on bringing more awareness to the discipline of fasting by offering educational resources on prayer and fasting, a prayer community that will inspire one to live the fast and providing nutritious fasting breads. (Priests and religious receive fasting breads and resources free of charge.)

Saints Who Battled Satan is a heart-thumping read

By Lisa Mladinich

I was asked to review a chapter of Dr. Paul Thigpen’s new book, “Saints Who Battled Satan: Seventeen Holy Warriors Who Can Teach You How to Fight the Good Fight and Vanquish Your Ancient Enemy,” and I’m so glad to have received a copy from the publisher.

It’s just the sort of thing I love: true stories of heroic faith, with good triumphing over evil. And it’s a heart-thumping read.

“Saints Who Battled Satan,” is both inspiring and creepy, but it’s also packed with important information about what spiritual warfare is and what we can do about it. Dr. Thigpen’s book is accessibly written and of great importance for our times.

The narrative loosely spans Salvation History with seventeen stories, from Eve’s humiliating defeat to Padre Pio’s triumphant resistance against the enemy’s vicious attacks. Dr. Thigpen includes a highly entertaining and encouraging chapter called, “Brief Scenes of Saints in Battle,” and a fascinating final section called, “Saintly Wisdom for the Battle,” which the author has packed with insightful commentaries on battling the demonic by many of our greatest saints. It’s almost impossible to stop reading, once you begin. Well before you have finished, you will most certainly be inspired to pray.

The chapter I was asked to review is about St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903). Gemma was a young Italian woman who heard Jesus call out to her, asking for victim souls to make reparation for the sins of the world. She responded with incredible generosity. Here is an excerpt of her diary:

Photo by By Philippe Plet, circa 1900. Public Domain via Wikipedia Commons

I am the victim and Jesus the sacrificing priest. Act quickly, O Jesus! All that Jesus wills, I desire. Everything that Jesus sends me is a gift. (p. 156)

What followed is the stuff of nightmares, but Gemma stood firm, clinging to her belief in the mercy of God, while enduring incredible sufferings of spirit, mind, and body. When the devil could not trick her into despair, lure her away from her spiritual director, or keep her from her prayers, his attacks became physical. She was thrown to the floor, her hair ripped out, her body beaten.

But because even the physical torments could not dissuade her from trusting in the love of Jesus for her soul, the evil one appeared in various disguises to try to confuse her: a priest in the confessional, an angel of light, and an apparition that looked like the suffering Jesus, himself. In order to discern quickly whether the visions were of heavenly or diabolical origin, Jesus told her to ask them to cry out with her, “Blessed be Jesus and Mary!” The apparitions of sinister origin would mumble and avoid the holy names of Jesus and Mary, and Gemma would promptly scorn them.

After her death from tuberculosis, at age 25, miracles began occurring. People plagued by demons would pray to her and be delivered. To this day, incidences continue to be recorded of St. Gemma’s powerful intervention during exorcisms!

Find this amazing book, at TAN.

St. Gemma Galgani, pray for us!