The Parish As a Center For Spiritual Warfare.

         I cannot remember the exact quote, but Satan once remarked to St. Anthony the Great, something to the effect, that he was once at peace in the desert. Now Anthony has filled it with monks! To understand the Devil's complaint, you would need to know that the monk's very purpose for being there was combat. Those monks were aggressors traveling into the desert to battle the Devil. Of course, "Aggressor" should be the disposition of all Christians against the kingdom of darkness.

        This anecdote has me wondering what the Devil thinks about Catholic parishes dotting the surface of the globe. Does the Devil bemoan the founding of a parish and rejoice at the closing of a church? Of course. Could parishes do more to be centers of spiritual warfare? Of course, again!

Here are seven powerful and easy ways a parish could become an effective aggressor in spiritual warfare and drive the Devil away:

1.         Intentional and Strategic Marian Consecration. One of the things I have done and earnestly encourage parishes to do is put a Marian Consecration on the main parish calendar. Choose a feast day and try to get the whole parish to join in the 33 days of preparation and consecration. When I am at a parish, I use a particular format which I will post soon. (Basically: Talks, Mass, Scapular investiture, sacramentals, etc.) Marian consecration is one of the most powerful things you can do to combat Satan. If the clergy becomes intentional about leading and guiding it, then the Devil better watch out.
2.          Teach people how to repent and go to Confession. I would formalize a schedule of "non-holiday" based penance services. One difference from a standard penance service is that I would try to make it more of a "big tent revival" type event. Find a great preacher on repentance and an even more excellent teacher on how to go to Confession. Give them each 15 minutes. Then have as many Priests as possible on hand to administer the sacrament. Teach people how to repent and go to Confession often and then plan these events throughout the year. 
3.          Have a formalized program for pornography addiction. Trust me on this. I have been watching the Devil work, studying his ways more closely than almost anyone for the past twenty years. Pornography is destroying your parish, whether you know it or not. There are ways to combat it anonymously and effectively. (If you can't find a program, email me and I will help you)
4.          Dust off the Relics, Statues, and Shrines. Start acknowledging the Saints and devotions already enshrined in your parish. Have homilies and events teaching the people and lead devotions that are present within the physical building. I cannot tell you how many parishes I have spoken at where I see reliquaries tucked away and dusty in a sacristy. God desires to communicate grace through these powerful sacramentals. Start blessing people with them, and displaying them for devotional purposes. If you have statues and shrines, make sure to include them in the Church's devotional life. God, very often, uses sacramentals and the intercession of Saints to give us victory in our battle with evil. 
5.          Have an annual Angelic campaign at your parish. Start reintroducing the concept, devotions, and theology of Angels to your parish.  Take a few weeks each year, teach and preach about the Angels, have devotional materials available, and have some communal devotional events. 
6.          Teach people how to pray the "Our Father."  A Christian who understands and enters fully into the Our Father is a spiritual force to be reckoned with. It is an ideal prayer for spiritual warfare. 
7.          Institute the praying of the short form St. Michael prayer at the end of Mass. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to engage your parish in more intentional spiritual warfare. You will find it incredibly pedagogical as well. Parishioners will be wondering why and you will have a chance to tell them.

Want more information on engaging your parish in spiritual warfare? A more detailed “Step by Step Guide to Engaging your Parish in Spiritual Warfare” will be on my patreon account soon! To become on of my patreon supporters and get full access to all the demonology content go to the link below:

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