 Heavenly Father, even as we stand before you in the name of Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we thank you for sending your spirit, even as we cry out to you, Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Throughout this workshop and throughout the rest of our lives, we pray, come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on us, fill our hearts, fill our minds, fill our bodies, fill our lives, fill our ministries, come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on us. Even now, Heavenly Father, we ask that you would send your spirit to fall afresh on us in every moment of this workshop, that there would be a supernatural grace that falls on us. Lord, that we would be equipped for the battles, the burdens, the struggles that lie before us. And Lord Jesus, even now we ask that you would open the eyes of our hearts, that we would see the tactics of the enemy, and we would turn to you. Jesus, that our gaze would be upon you as you fight for us. And even now, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we ask that you would arm us in the full armor of God. The helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the readiness of the gospel on our feet, and in the name of Jesus, we take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. We pray this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Alright, who's ready? Excellent. Is anyone here facing a battle in your life? This show of hands? Anyone? Alright, battles, multiple? Yeah, yeah. What happens when we face battles? Just one word. What happens? Fear, challenges? Exhaustion. I missed a few. Prayer. What else happens when we face burdens, struggles, battles? Depression? We fight back. Growth. Woo! Trust! Trust! Woo! Amazing. We're in a room of warriors. I think almost everyone here said, yes, I am facing a battle. And so you have been called to be a warrior. Is anyone here just a show of hands? Anyone here baptized? Excellent. Excellent. So from the moment you are conceived, no matter who you are, until the moment of your death, there is an epic battle being waged. A battle for your soul, a battle for your heart, a battle for your mind, a battle for your attention. There is an epic battle being waged. We see this battle in very personal ways. We see the battle in our families, in our marriages. As a parent, we see the battle. We are called to battle for our children. As a child, we see the battle in our parents. We see their struggle. We see the battle. We see the battle in our personal lives. I think almost everyone here raised their hands, probably all of us, that we had been baptized. Even as baptized believers in Jesus Christ, we see the temporal consequences of sin in our lives. What are these consequences that we battle? Suffering? This could be a broken heart. We could see brokenness in our lives, in our relationships, in our marriages, even in our dreams. Suffering touches our lives. Illness? We can face injury, sickness, pain, even disease. This is a consequence of sin that even the baptized experienced. So suffering and illness. What else do we see? The Catechism tells us in paragraph 1264, we see death. And part of experiencing that consequence of sin is aging. In almost every aspect of life, the Lord is teaching us eternal lessons. So pretty much from the time we begin to experience the effects of aging, the Lord is teaching us the wages of sin is death. We're seeing that reality in our own bodies. That's how much the Lord loves us. That's how much the Lord wants us to know eternal truths. Even written into our bodies is this eternal truth. And this consequence of sin. Not only that, but we also see what we call concupiscence. And this is a tendency towards sin. And we see struggles even within our character. All of these consequences of sin can allow us to feel a heavy, heavy weight in this world. Do we feel that weight as those who are not baptized? Yes, usually. Even those who are not baptized, we're feeling a similar weight. We see in our culture, and I think so many people, when we look at the world around us, when we look at the culture, we see darkness. We see that this self-centered culture is moving in a way that's very pervasive. So in our everyday lives, sometimes we'll hear things like, you be you instead of saying, be who God made you to be. We'll see the world saying, you've got this. Instead of saying, God is in control. So, so subtle, so subtle. The attack is so subtle. St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians that our warfare, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but our battle is against the powers of darkness. You know, I think sometimes for all of us, we can think, my enemy is actually my boss. No, it really is. I have that posture, that thinking of, this is the situation in front of me, this is the battle in front of me, or my family member. If you knew my family member, it could be a husband, a wife, a child. Sometimes we have this posture of thinking, our battle is with the flesh. I remember a time when I was living in the city of Pittsburgh, and we had amazing neighbors, all of them. So, living in the city, there's only on-street parking, and there was this unspoken rule. It was only on, like, the upper half of our street that people held to this rule, and nobody parked in front of anybody else's house. So, it was really, really special. So for years, I experienced this grace that, like, my neighbors down the street or further up the street, they did not have. When we wanted to carry groceries into the house, when we wanted to do the weed-wacking, someone in the household could quickly and easily move their car. Well, one day, our neighbors started parking in front of our house, and I cannot even tell you, I felt like our territory had been invaded. And I thought, Lord, how can we live next to these people? Where is the decency? Why are they parking in front of our house? And anyone from the outside would think, how trivial, Alicia. Really, this is, you know, this is small. This is minor. Look at the rest of their neighbors. They're all facing the same thing you are right now. You just didn't face it before. But I was experiencing, in that moment, an epic struggle with saying, no, my neighbor is the enemy. It's a full-on war. Anytime they leave, we take out the cone the chair or just pull our car right away to try to reclaim that territory. And let me tell you, it was an epic, epic battle. I struggled to pray for my neighbors, to pray for blessing for them, even as they presented themselves as an enemy. So we want to be aware, whether it's a husband, wife, daughter, son, sister, brother, your mother-in-law, your father-in-law, be aware of who the enemy is. Who is the enemy? Yes. Yes, it is not flesh and blood. We know who the enemy is. As we enter into what is a spiritual battle, and as we take our eyes off of what is directly in front of us, and we look with an eternal perspective, we can see that Satan doesn't want us to know that we have any authority. When we face battles, it's so easy. Just like some people shared, it's easy to feel like a victim. It's easy to feel like we have no power in that situation. It's easy to think, this battle is going to last for the rest of my life. It's easy for us to think that there is not some specific, special weapon that we can access. And sometimes we're even tempted to think that our inheritance and our victory in Christ is not our own. So let's take a look at where does this temptation, where does this mindset come from, and how do we fight the battle with an awareness of the tactics of the enemy? So, number one, we see in the world the tactics of the enemy in a very self-centered culture. Just as we shared before, there's this very subtle shift of the focus and the centrality of the messaging and the words that are coming through from live your best life. Does that sound good to anyone? Sounds great to me. Live your best life. There's a shift when we come into an eternal, heavenly mindset to give God the glory. Suddenly there's a shift from me and my life to glory to God. I was made to glorify the Lord. That's a massive shift. I just went from self-centered to looking to the Lord. Looking to how the Lord will be magnified. You know, sometimes I think even for us when we are working in ministry, even in our own families, we can be tempted to say just as the world would say, you're so strong. You're so strong. What's happening there? Yes, pride and that self-centered culture is coming through even as we try to comfort someone else. What should we be saying as the body of Christ? Christ makes you strong. Yes, yes. When we see weakness, what happens? When we say instead of you are so strong, what if instead we said God is strength in your weakness. God is strength in your weakness. What happens for that person? Suddenly, like our Lord Jesus Christ, there's a shift that takes place and suddenly there's an invitation to embrace the weakness like Jesus in his passion, death and resurrection and to come through whatever challenge, whatever weakness that is to come through and really embracing the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. When that happens, when we receive that word of God is strength in your weakness, we're embracing the Lord and we're saying yes, I am weak and you are strength in my weakness. We're embracing the truth when the world would just say you're so strong, it's all you. You've got this. So we want to be aware of that very, very subtle message that we hear from the world. The tactics of the enemy. So we see this in a profoundly personal way in the flesh. So we see the tactics of the world and we see in a profound way the tactics of the enemy in our own flesh. Galatians chapter 5 verse 19 says, the acts of the flesh are obvious, sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. That is the flesh. And what's incredible, Saint Paul is telling us that this isn't even a complete list. And the like, he's saying that the acts of the flesh are obvious. He goes on to say, I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. He is making us aware that this is a tactic, this is part of the battle, and he's speaking truth into that. What's really, really beautiful about this passage is just before Saint Paul shares this heart-piercing truth. I'm just going to pause right there. On a very personal note, every time I read that verse that we just read together about the flesh, I think, oh lord, that's me. That's me. I've done that. I don't, I'm not worthy for the kingdom of heaven. So we need to be aware of, we need to be aware of the understanding of God's grace covering us. So, so just before Saint Paul says that, and this is, even as we share the acts of the flesh and we're aware of the acts of the flesh, we need to be even more aware of what Saint Paul says, what it is to walk by this spirit. No one in this life can live apart from the flesh without the Holy Spirit doing that mighty work in us. So here's what Saint Paul says, so I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the spirit you are not under the law. What just happened there? The weight of the condemnation the wages of sin or death, that is true. The weight of that condemnation is lifted from us and listen to this. When we say yes to walking by the spirit and the grace of our baptism what does life look like? In verse 22 it says but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is what Satan wants to keep us from. And so this tactic of the enemy is to say think the way the world thinks pursue what the world pursues believe about yourself what you see and your flesh and don't look to the Lord don't look to the reality that you are a beloved son and daughter of the king. You have been adopted by our heavenly Father and our heavenly Father if you look at the beginning of Ephesians there are promises there are graces that St. Paul is pointing out to us the world and the flesh in particular when we see those battles coming through there is a glorious, glorious reality that the Lord is pointing out to us. So I just want to invite you for just a moment to close your eyes and to receive this praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace which he has freely given us in the one he loves in him we have given through his blood the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us St. Paul goes on to say and I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people and his incomparable great power for us who believe that power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms for above all rule and authority power and dominion and every name not only in the present age but also in the one to come amen amen that is the truth that is the reality that we have that is our inheritance that we walk in you know years ago a friend, a Franciscan friar shared with me that he was making a retreat and he said at his very first meeting with a priest who was directing his retreat he said I came into the retreat and I made a confession just as I typically would and he said to the priest you know I keep sinning and I keep struggling with a sin and he said the priest very boldly said stop doing that when you fall stay down and allow Christ to rise within you it is not you who lives Christ who lives within you and I thought oh my that was a bold exhortation but he was being taught about the reality that it is Christ who lives within him and he said he basically this priest basically preached to him an entire retreat about what it is to walk through this world and the identity and authority in Christ so Satan does not want you to be aware that that is what you have the baptized believer of Jesus Christ you have that inheritance and now finally the tactics of the enemy we see the devil at work and there is an exorcist who Father Vincent Lambert he is an exorcist but he very much evangelizes through his gift of fulfilling that role as an exorcist and so he will do with all of these secular TV stations radio stations also very much so in the Catholic world he will provide interviews but so interesting what he shares he said you know people often times will have this unhealthy curiosity about what is evil or they will have this almost understanding that Satan doesn't exist and he he shared that often times what he sees is that the extraordinary attack of the evil one is not even necessary because the ordinary attack of Satan works so here's the attack and he shares this and he very much points back to the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve are tempted and he said you know every single time the attack is the same the ordinary attack of Satan begins with number one deception number one deception often times when we hear a lie or deception it can maybe even sound good but we want to be aware of deception is this a lie interestingly when Satan speaks to Eve throughout creation you see Lord God Lord God when Satan speaks to Eve in the garden he takes out the Lord he just says God so you'll see even when you hear a lie there is a disrespect for the living God coming forth as that lie is being shared so number one he said deception and then he said number two distraction our eyes are suddenly mixed on something someone other than the Lord so distraction discouragement discouragement diversion so we've moved from deception to distraction to discouragement to diversion this means we are physically stepping off the path and at that point comes a decision we can either despair or have hope in the Lord and that's typically in that moment when we have we see the height of the battle again all of us said we had battles when you look at the battle that you were thinking of when you first shared I'm in a battle look for those things the attack is always the same deception distraction discouragement diversion alright so now we want to take a look at we looked at the battle we looked at the enemy now how do we fight how do we fight has anyone here ever gone on a road trip without a map or a GPS or a working phone yeah okay so it's a little bit terrifying and when we have that experience of not having the tool so the map the GPS or maybe the phone with the GPS on it we can feel lost we can feel not only lost but unequipped we can feel almost confounded which way do we go especially if it's a long road trip yes we can see the signs but it's critical it's so critical to have the proper tool to be equipped with the tools that we need especially in spiritual warfare we know the battle is not against flesh and blood but how are we equipped in a way that is super natural I want to ask you all here does anyone have a favorite superhero favorite superhero Wonder Woman Jesus I think I heard a spider-man anyone else Mother Mary beautiful beautiful so you know the Marvel comics movies are so popular right now and if you look at any one of those superheroes often times there's this moment where they go from walking through life as an ordinary person to having this awareness of ah I'm not of this world in the case of Superman ah I can lift heavy objects I can see through walls I can even fly and there's this time of like discovering and unpacking this supernatural gifts that the superhero has usually someone's there to walk with them train them teach them and then what happens they do awesome things usually they're saving people what happens in our own spiritual lives in our everyday lives when we discover the spiritual tools and gifts that we have been given not only do we defeat the enemy in the battles that we face but what happens the work of Jesus Christ to deliver others is made manifest in us and through us there is a holy holy grace that we can take up by praying for supernatural gifts and graces to be received and activated in our daily lives you can actually pursue them again show of hands of who is baptized excellent invite everyone here to pray for the graces of your baptism to be made a reality in your everyday life what are those graces one your original and personal sins are forgiven two you are sealed you receive the seal of eternal life baptism is the seal of eternal life number three you have been born again into the body of Christ you are the bride of Christ by that grace of rebirth you have now entered into divine life and divine union with the father the son and the holy spirit that trinitarian life that divine life is yours it's in your hands through the grace of baptism and you know sometimes we walk through life not realizing that we can take up our identity and our authority in Christ and so Saint Paul gives to us this beautiful beautiful grace of instructions on how to do this in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10 we see Saint Paul writing and saying be strong in the Lord and his mighty power be strong in the Lord and his mighty power not yours his mighty power for years I taught CCD so faith formation I almost always had the 6th or 7th grade class and at some point during the year I would always ask the kids who is the strongest person you know and maybe it's different these days I don't know what it looks like but almost every single child in these classes would say my dad my dad there is an innate understanding in little ones of the strength of our heavenly Father who created the heavens and the earth who is all knowing all powerful the little ones know as we get older sometimes we we forget that our heavenly Father he's the strongest he is the strongest so take hold of that reality even as Saint Paul gives us that he's exhorting us that means we have to respond with action be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power how do we do that Saint Paul is about to tell us put on the full armor of God put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand sometimes we feel like we're failing or falling and so this invitation to stand it's a beautiful picture so that you can take your stand you know often times when you think about battle or when I think about battle there were incredible battles throughout the Old Testament in Scripture and one of those battles anyone let's just get a anyone who took place excuse me anyone who took part in a battle in the Old Testament any Old Testament battles Joshua, Abraham David, Moses Gideon yes yes so imagine you are David you've been taking care of the sheep in the field you're just going to take some food to your brothers you're not even part of the battle you're not a seasoned warrior and you see the enemy and you see all the warriors who should be fighting on the side of the living God cowering standing back in a posture of fear and you're little David what do you do you get your sling yes you get your sling why do you get your sling just in case you have seen the power of the living God against lions and bears when they come to take the sheep because you're a shepherd now everyone else in the Israelite army wear their eyes what are they looking at that giant they're looking at Goliath he is huge he's so strong we can't fight we can't fight him we don't have anyone to send to fight him where is David's focus guys on the living God not only does David fight even after I mean you can imagine this you're David in this whole picture you're little David the king has given you his own armor what happens it's too heavy it's too heavy that's how little you are that is how little you are the armor is too heavy you can't fight in the king's armor what does David do he goes out running at the giant proclaiming that he is fighting for the living God and his trust is in the Lord he actually runs at the enemy how many of us run at the enemy in our battles who runs at the enemy anyone yeah I don't usually either oh we had one, glory to God the temptation is always to run away to stand back to maybe see what happens maybe someone else will go and fight that giant sometimes even like the apostles we are tempted or we have run away and hidden because we are that afraid what does Jesus do with the apostles he sends his spirit to fall on them to go from a place of fear and hiding to going out in the love and the power of the Holy Spirit as missionaries and martyrs that is what the Lord is calling us to that kind of courage to be like little David another example that was shared the battle of Gideon when we enter into battle there is almost always a temptation to be afraid at that time the time of Gideon the Israelites were so under attack that Gideon is inside trying to thresh grain it doesn't even make sense but he's that afraid and he is addressed by the Lord as a courageous one so he's called into his identity and the first thing the Lord asked him to do is to tear down the idols of his father his neighbors what happens when he does that all the neighbors want to kill him his father stands up for him but there is this radical obedience to tear down idols if there is anything in your life where you say Lord this looks like a losing battle I'm struggling know that the Lord will always address you in your identity in Christ and know that oftentimes there is a change to grow to become more Christ-like and the Lord is inviting you just like Gideon to tear down the idols in your life this could be something as simple as like Lord social media distracts me this could be something huge that you and everyone else in your life knows Lord this is a struggle the Lord will give you the grace to tear down the idol he will always give you the grace ask family and friends to pray for you go to confession often turn to the Lord run to the Lord as you tear down that idol what happens when we tear down the idols in that place throughout the Old Testament the Israelites would erect altars to the living God suddenly that place that had been a high place elevated to the enemy now has become a high place of honor and worship to the Lord and oftentimes in our most wounded sinful most epic battles the Lord is inviting us to make those scars and those wounds places of vulnerability that others can see just as others saw the wounds of Christ they were able to touch to see and to experience the glorified wounds of Jesus Christ the Lord is inviting us to that today he's inviting us to tear down the idols and offer to the Lord a holy sacrifice in those places that others might come to faith and that we might worship the Lord in those places that were filled with struggle that were epic battles the next thing that happens with Gideon he goes into battle and he has a whole army with him there are about 30,000 warriors with him can you imagine that many people with you again you're getting in the story so that's you you're going into battle with you you're not alone you know they're with you what's the first thing that happens the Lord tells Gideon tell everyone who is afraid to go home okay Lord everyone who is afraid to go home about 20,000 people leave that's two thirds of your army leaving how do you feel there is an act of trust in Gideon that is epic one that he was obedient two that he continues on what's the next thing that happens yes the Lord tells Gideon to observe how the warriors are drinking the water those who drink the water who are battle ready so some of the warriors who remain some actually got down onto the ground to drink and others remained upright and drank it's laps like dogs the Lord told Gideon again send those who are not battle ready home guess how many Gideon was left with 300 people can you imagine an army of 300,000 to 300 in your walk with God in the battles that you face in your family in the battles that you face in your workplace in the battles you face in your school in the battles you face within your own flesh do you ever feel like Lord this is a small army we can't do this impossible anyone ever felt that way in the face of a battle yes so what happens the Lord encourages Gideon and his army his tiny army of 300 the Lord encourages him through a prophetic word that actually comes through the enemy and Gideon and the 300 as they praise the Lord encircling the enemy the enemy is thrown into confusion and Gideon and his men finish off the enemy as they're battling the rest of the troops come and join them so in your in your battles in your everyday spiritual warfare be aware of the Lord saying to you one addressing you as who you really are number two saying to you tear down that idol number three saying be not afraid renounce that fear reject that fear you're going into battle leave that fear behind number four be battle ready be ready to fight be ready to run at the enemy like David and number five when you go into battle praise the Lord because it is the Lord who fights for you he will always fight for you he will always fight for you he loves you he adores you he gave his life for you he will always fight for you Jesus is the Lamb of God who is slain even as we enter into battle trusting in the Lord there is an invitation for more and that invitation is not only to put on this full armor of God but each piece of armor is listed by St. Paul so number one stand firm wearing the belt of truth that belt of truth holds all of your armor on it's the first thing you put on and it is a proclamation of who you are and who God is Jesus is the way the truth in the life and even Jesus sometimes we think Lord I'm being tempted am I still a saint no even Jesus was tempted we have to have that awareness so we put on the belt of truth and we not only put on the belt of truth and a way of praying on that truth we proclaim it with our lips just as Jesus did Jesus was quoting the word of God quoting Scripture when he faced temptation the next piece of armor that we're putting on is the breastplate of righteousness this righteousness covers our hearts and anytime Satan comes with that attack of hey the wages of sin is death we can immediately speak the truth and face that battle with but the blood of the Lamb covers over me and I am covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ who is my Lord and my deliverer often times Satan will speak that word of deception with a lot of truth and a slight twisting so we need to be aware of that and we need to put on that breastplate of righteousness the breastplate of righteousness also allows us from turning in sin always always leads us to turning in to looking at ourselves to suddenly standing upright with the breastplate of righteousness this allows us to have a posture of looking to the Lord and looking to those he's placed in our lives our next piece of of armor that we are exhorted to put on is feet fitted with a readiness that comes from the gospel of peace feet that is feet fitted with a readiness that comes from the gospel of peace when you face a battle there will always be a temptation to attack to accuse to fight as the world fights to fight as the flesh fights to fight as Satan fights there will always be that temptation but what happens when we put on the gospel of peace suddenly we are fighting from a place of love and mercy so put on the gospel of peace that also gives us the grace of running at the enemy because we're moved by God's love we're moved by His mercy not only in our own hearts in our own lives but for the people around us Saint Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith telling us that it will squelch the fiery darts of the evil one and we know from Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see again in your battles place yourself in the shoes of David place yourself in the shoes of Gideon and think even as you put on as you take up that shield of faith that there is a holy holy grace and posture of faith in the Lord your eyes have shifted when you take up the shield of faith to the living God Saint Paul says finally take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God I want to ask you this is just as you're inspired to share how do you take up the sword of the Spirit how do you take up the word of God in your everyday life and this is for everyone so even as you answer and even as you share I want to invite us to be in a posture of receiving because there could be a way with the sword of the Spirit the word of God that is new to you so anyone beautiful so taking up the word not only being armed but also purged even as we read scripture even as we read our Bibles beautiful thank you beautiful entering into the divine liturgy meditating on the gospel for the day and really praying with that and receiving that the gospel in your heart beautiful thank you memorizing scripture to have it ready you know sometimes I'll share this with you I was just starting undergraduate and studying and the Lord would convict me Alicia I know you're busy but don't go into the battle of everyday life without your sword and I had this picture of me going into battle without a sword kind of question from the Lord like what are you going to do throw yourself at people yes you're protected but you're a soldier you're there to fight so when we memorize scripture what is happening the sword is in our hand and we are battle ready it's not on a shelf we didn't leave it behind it is right there anything else praying for the enemy whoever presents themself as an enemy praying for that person beautiful beautiful so asking the Lord for words that will cut to the heart literally asking the Lord for the word of God to do the work beautiful absolutely beautiful so you know as we take up the sword of the spirit there are some very practical ways that I want to invite you almost every word that we pray in the divine liturgy in the mass is scripture so if you don't know all the references go look them up find them the whole first part of mass is the liturgy of the word which opens our heart to receive the liturgy of the Eucharist so stay close to the sacraments if you're able to go to daily mass go to daily mass the Lord will arm you and equip you with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God if you are able start a bible study join a bible study you do not have to be a theologian to study the bible we are all invited we are all exhorted to take up the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and whether it's within a family or a community there's an invitation for you to train you know I think always with professional athletes we can think they're just gifted they train they do strength training they study and they learn and they grow we want to do that with the sword of the spirit we want to train we want to not just read the word we want to pray the word we want to grow an understanding Jesus is the word made flesh and finally an invitation you maybe have never heard of the spiritual exercises before but if you want to take up the armor of God the full armor of God I highly recommend making the spiritual exercises so this is a 30 or 40 day retreat it's an ignition grace of praying with the scripture with the life of Jesus and typically you're praying for five holy hours going to daily mass and you are meeting with a spiritual director who's walking with you through the life of Jesus I made the spiritual exercises some years ago and I thought my life in Christ was full, rich deep but what happened when I made the spiritual exercises was this soaking in the word of God washing in the word of God I was praying meditating and receiving for 30 days straight and all of a sudden I was having an experience in every moment an awareness of the word of God almost everyone who made the spiritual exercises together it was priests, seminarians, single married a beautiful group of people from all different walks of life almost everyone by the end of the retreat was carrying their bible and a journal because they were aware in any moment that they could receive so just invite you if you have the opportunity make a weekend silent retreat with direction make an eight day retreat and if you're able to make that that Ignatian spiritual exercises retreat alright I want to invite us now to bring to mind and heart a specific battle the most epic battle that we are currently facing as you bring that to mind and heart I want to invite you to stand and we as children of God invite you to an act of humility you can raise both of your hands up just as maybe you did as a small child when you said mom dad pick me up we're going to do that together heavenly father we come before you in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit standing in a posture of humility father we need you to pick us up Lord Jesus we need you to deliver us Holy Spirit we need you to fill us even now as we come before you father son and Holy Spirit we ask in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit that you would give us the grace to put on the full armor of God you'll pray after me in the name of Jesus I put on the helmet of salvation in the name of Jesus I put on the breastplate of righteousness and in the name of Jesus I put on the belt of truth in the name of Jesus I put on the readiness of the gospel of peace and in the name of Jesus I take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Heavenly Father, even as we yield ourselves to you, even as we receive an outpouring of supernatural gifts and graces, even as we take up the armor of God, Father, we ask that every single day for the rest of our lives that you would open the eyes of our hearts, that we would see the spiritual battles, that we would see the eternal realities, and Father, that we would have the courage to look to you, the living God, and we ask Holy Spirit that we would walk in the Spirit, that we would walk in peace, that we'd walk in joy, that we'd walk in humility. We pray this in your name, Lord Jesus, even as we pray, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come as we forgive those who trespass against us. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.