After making the critical decision to follow Christ, it becomes clear to many men that the Christian life is a lot like sports: there’s a lot more that goes into perfecting one’s game than appears at first.  When a toddler is holding a football, his one task is just to get it into the hands of his dad standing a few feet away; however that hap...

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. . . “ From the pages of the New Testament we see Michael as the leader of the armies of the Lord of Hosts. It is he who fights the great battle in heaven against Lucifer, and who casts him and his followers into the pit of hell (Rev 12:7). From the very beginning the struggle against t...

Being the members of a minority group, the early Christians were focused on evangelization and the salvation of souls. It took generations for the Church to meditate on the proper relation of Christians in various states of life to the broader world. In the first flush of the early Church one would expect to see evidence of a radical living out of ...

“Do not resist one who is evil. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Mt 5:39). Constantly we hear about Christ as the Prince of Peace, but how often do we hear about Him as the God of Battles? We should remember that both are titles taken from the Old Testament. Today we often experience the overemphasis th...

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (Ps 144:1). The story of the chosen people was one of near constant conflict, usually against stronger neighbors. Constantly menaced by large empires, the Hebrews struggled and endured. It seemed they were always a target, for their promised land was situated...