Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Defeat Bolshevism
Saturday, April 30, 2022
Fighter Jets
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Vade Retro Satana
It's been a little busy at the Compound with one thing or another, including a visiting seminarian. He's a good guy and we discussed the iniquity of the present age over delicious bean and brisket burritos from Karen's on the porch, and agreed that Satan was waxing strong.
To the point, I was struck by this, via Adrienne:
Lucifer has placed his stamp upon the present age. Open and secret revolt against God and His Church, the spirit of criticism, unbelief and immorality are spreading. The arrogant boast of Lucifer, "I will be like the Most High!" re-echoes everywhere. Puffed up with their discoveries and the progress in material science, men loudly proclaim their self-sufficiency and deny the existence of a Supreme Being. Governments and secret societies, plotting against God and striving to blot out from homes and schools, from offices and factories, all traces of Christianity, show plainly whose standard they follow. Never before in the world's history were God's rights so blasphemously mocked and denied, or the rights of man so arrogantly asserted, as they are today.
These frightful evils must convince us that we must turn to St. Michael, the Archangel, that glorious prince of Heaven who rendered all glory to God, conquering Lucifer and casting him into the abyss.
Already three centuries ago, St. Francis de Sales wrote: "Veneration of St. Michael is the great remedy against despising the rights of God, against insubordination, skepticism and infidelity" - vices which are perhaps more prevalent now than ever before.
Surely, it is time for Christians to "rise from sleep" and to offer vigorous resistance to the enemies of salvation. The weapons in this conflict are not the arms of civil warfare, but the spiritual weapons of prayer and penance, increased fidelity to the Commandments of God, and frequent reception of the Sacraments. And surely we can choose no better leader in this conflict than the powerful captain who led the faithful Angels to victory.
Let us, then, with confident trust invoke the aid and protection of this mighty Archangel whose shield bears the inscription: MICHAEL -- "Quis ut Deus" -- Who is like unto God?
Rise from sleep and enlist the aid of the heavenly host and its archangelic prince, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12)
We are in a war, ultimately a spiritual one, of good v. evil, light v. dark. And victory is assured, in fact it's won, though the fight's ongoing. St. Benedict, the founder of Western monasticism, gives us a weapon to add to our spiritual armory with this powerfully short prayer:
Dragon, ipse venena bibas, drink your own poison.
Yes indeed,
LSP
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
You Racist!
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
The Rage Of The Left
Monday, September 30, 2013
Michaelmas
airborne |
the ole samothrace |
rich old margarine demon |
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Angels
Archangel Michaelerkirche, Vienna |
O'Hair, not an angel |
Again, Tradition assigns each person and place an angel, from heavenly bodies to Airborne units.
Archangel Michael, Airborne Patron |
And, if you want to learn more about angelic natures it's probably best to check out the Medieval schoolmen who devoted great mental energy to the thing. I find it interesting and suspect that the subjects of the inquiry served as vehicles for broader metaphysical speculation - but my preference aside, it seems abstruse and fantastical to most people today.
So, granted belief, what are we to make of the angels?
On the one hand, it seems comforting to think that we have supernatural guardians, but when we reflect on their implacable goodness perhaps an element of healthy respect and awe is also in order.
Remember the Cherubim in Genesis 3:24 - they were possessed of a flaming sword. Not to be conjured with lightly.
God bless,
LSP