Spiritual Warriors

Evangelizing Catholic Culture with Father David Tickerhoof

Spiritual Warriors Episode 26

Warriors are focused and ready for battle. The same with spiritual warriors. In the midst, of difficulty in life, the Lord looks for generous individuals who are “spiritual warriors” who are willing to do penance in order that the Lord will more quickly show his healing mercy. We hesitate at this invitation because we are well-aware of our sin, imperfection, and our character weaknesses. Yet the truth is that the Lord loves to do good and perfect things with imperfect and weak people. We are also aware that we are living in a secular culture that is filled with secular humanism promoting itself as the new popular religion.

This inspiring book by Father David Tickerhoof, Third Order Regular (TOR), on the role of Merciful Penitents in the Renewal and Reform of the Church

Father David’s book is available! “Evangelizing Catholic Culture,” get your copy today.

Secular humanism can be generally defined as a system of faithlessness which really does not need God any longer, and conveniently pushes him out of one’s life and beyond the margins of human society. This reality is compounded by many who feel that they are victims and develop a negative pessimistic attitude about life and society. As a result, they tend to struggle with hopelessness and powerlessness, which makes them very hesitant to stand for truth. There are some who have retained a nominal identity as Christian, while practically practicing in their attitudes, choices, and decisions characteristics of the religion of secular humanism.

Spiritual Warriors

When the Lord gives individuals a beautiful gift of knowing him and a clarion call to change their lives, they wonder what is the best way that I can do this. There are a number of ways, however, one of the best and most effective is to accept the invitation to become a merciful penitent, and experience the transforming love of God, which leads to a tremendous amount of spiritual freedom, peace, and joy in one’s heart. The question that one may ask is what then are the fruits worthy of being a merciful penitent? “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” (1 Jn. 2: 15-17)

The early Church Fathers called this struggle to change “spiritual warfare” The converse to this is spiritual warriors! This challenging struggle in Christian history is one that practically takes place in our daily life against the world (in a negative sense), the flesh (the sinful part of our human nature), and the devil or Satan. We all experience this reality in our trials and tribulations daily. The first spiritual gift we all should pray for is the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. This gift is the ability to know what temptations of darkness are coming from our weak human nature, the work and lure of sensual attraction in the world, and the direct interference of the devil in our lives. This gift and others serve the purpose of strengthening our hearts to be and practice being merciful penitents.

To support this way of life we grow in the fruits worthy of penance. What are some of them in addition to the spiritual gift of discernment of spirits? The first fruit of being a penitent is to renounce and receive healing from resentments against any person, principles, or institutions we experience in our mind or heart. The second is the renunciation of our deep-seated fears of worthlessness, powerlessness, or experience of the non-acceptance of ourselves. And in joy and peace embracing ourselves as the person God created us to be. The third is setting aside any personal relationship that is seriously sinful or dysfunctional. And relying on the powerful grace of the Lord to gradually bring these gifts about in one’s life. There are others, however, this is enough for now. Therefore, we may ask what is the process that enables us to change as a merciful penitent? Pray daily! Pope Francis recently remarked that if a person does not pray, one has no room for the Holy Spirit in one’s life. A merciful penitent grows in compassionate love by offering their patient sufferings to the cross of Jesus, and thus reap a rich harvest of love, goodness, peace, joy, and degrees of spiritual freedom. Put on the armor of Christ and become Spiritual warriors today.

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