Questing Supplies (09-23-2007)

I am sure that I do not really need to remind any of you, either junior or senior high, that our theme last week . One of the things that we discussed was the need to be properly prepared for a quest. Our quest for the kingdom of God is no different. Included below is a quote from Eph 6:13-18 talking about the armor of God.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

While a knight needs armor to protect his physical body, it is even more important for us as Catholics to put on the armor of God to protect our souls. While most of us will never go off and slay dragons or evil ninja-wizards, the armor of God still gives us the protection we need. As young Catholics in high school and middle school, we need the armor of God to help protect us from temptation. This passage from Ephesians tells us that we are in a battle, whether we want to be or not. It also tells us how to be prepared. Truth, righteousness, readiness in the gospel and faith are not things that we just wake up with one morning. We must cultivate and practice them every day. This is why prayer is so important. I encourage all of you to set aside 15 minutes a day just for prayer. It might be difficult at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will get. If you don’t know what to do for those 15 minutes I will give you a few suggestions: Reading Scripture,
Praying the Rosary,
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
If you still need ideas or just want to talk feel free to email me or stop by my office.