Catholics are called to be vigilant and combative in a spiritual sense

    I have recently finished reading about a very great Catholic layman who died a little over one year ago.  He was a decorated Vietnam War hero of great distinction.

    I read something recently that he stated near the end of his military career.  He defined combat.  His definition of combat is that it "is an overt, aggressive act."  He was of course speaking about military combat on the battlefield.

    I began to reflect on these words and applied them to our spiritual lives as members of the Church militant. Sadly, today the term Church militant is not often used.  I think that is because our society does not like conflict.  Many are uncomfortable with such notions.  Yet as Catholics we know that the first great battle in history took place in heaven between St. Michael and the good angels vs. Lucifer and the bad angels. 

    If angels can and should have engaged in combat over good and evil, how much more should men.  Our lives are a daily struggle between seeking the good which is God through Our Lady and the Church and being tempted by the devils to submit to evil.  The only way we can be victorious over evil is by fighting it.  As we learn in the lives of all saints, fighting the temptations of the devil must be as the Catholic hero would state, "overt and aggressive."

    In our personal lives we have to aggressively fight temptations and occasions of sin.  In society at large we have to fight the assaults of evil.  We have to be overt and aggressive towards the evils that exist.  How so?  By publicly opposing these evils.  The public square rosary immediately comes to mind.  I just learned of a group of Catholics in California who have a public rosary every week in front of their local city hall.  That is combat.  Instead of waiting until bad laws are passed and then reacting, these militant Catholics are taking the fight to the front lines. 

    We can also be aware of and participate in actions that oppose the promoters of sacrilege and blasphemy, same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, and anything that attempts to attack Our Lord, Our Lady and the Faith.  Let us be vigilant and combative in the spiritual sense, but with the same vigor as a military hero.