Latest / The Manly Catholic: Training Soldiers for Christ / Ep 194 - Battle on the Homefront: Step Into Your Authority
Transcript
- James Caldwell: This is the Manly Catholic, the podcast that calls you out of the shadows and into the fight. Here we forge men into warriors for Christ, husbands, fathers and leaders who refuse to kneel to the modern world's lies. No more passivity, no more excuses, no more lukewarm faith. This is your battle cry, your call to arms. The time for weakness is over. It's time to fight. Welcome to the Manly Catholic. Let's get to work. Hello all, welcome back to another episode of the Manly Catholic. This is James, your host, and welcome to part five of our spiritual warfare series. And today, gentlemen, we are talking about the home front, the battle for the home front. And what if one of the most important battlefields in spiritual warfare isn't some faraway place, but like I said, it's inside your own home? What if the enemy strategy isn't always dramatic or obvious, but quiet and slow? working through division, distraction, and spiritual apathy within families. Sister Lucia, who is one of the three children involved with Our Lady Fatima, has been quoted by saying that the final battle will be between Satan and the family. More recently, Father Ripaker on the Sean Ryan podcast has known that the demons seem to ramp up their attacks against the family as well. Scripture shows that from the very beginning the enemy has targeted the family. In the Garden of Eden, always goes back to the garden, the serpent didn't attack an army or nation, but he attacked a household. And ever since then, the home has remained one of the primary battlefields in the spiritual world. The question is, who is standing guard? Because God has given a particular responsibility within the home. Fathers, husbands, and men are called to stand in the rightful authority, not as tyrants. but as protectors, guardians, and spiritual leaders in service to their wives and their children. Today we're talking about the battle for the home front. But before we dive in, let us begin with the St. Michael prayer. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do though prince of the heavenly host by the power of God, cast in hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. ⁓ Genesis 2, God placed Adam in the garden to till and to keep. The Hebrew word used for keep, shamar, carries the sense of guarding or protecting. Adam's first vocation was not only cultivation but protection. When the serpent enters the garden in Genesis 3, Adam fails to protect what was entrusted to him. The enemy targets the family structure and the fall enters the world. And that is where we get original sin. From the very beginning, scripture shows us something important. The enemy is already attacking the home and God calls men to defend it according to their God given dignity. Remember the first homicide gentlemen was seen Cain and his brother Abel. The idea of spiritual authority is not something invented later by the church. It's been found in scripture and rooted. Christ himself. In Ephesians 5 23, St. Paul writes, for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. Now this passage is often misunderstood in modern culture. St. Paul is not talking about domination. He immediately clarifies that the model for male leadership is Christ himself. And how did he lead? Two verses later, St. Paul writes in Ephesians, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Sacrifice. authority given to man is the authority of sacrificial protection. As St. Thomas Aquinas describes the spouse role as aristocratic, the husband must govern matters pertaining to his dignity and trusting to his wife what pertains to her, not oligarchic or overreach or wealth-based power. A man's role is not control, but it is responsibility. And that responsibility includes the spiritual protection of the home in domestic and moral matters. Another thing too in the phrasing of Ephesians that St. Paul talks about, I forget the Greek word that is used, talks about wives be submissive to their husbands. The word to submit is basically, as Dr. Dan Schneider told me, the word to submit is basically like a ⁓ general and the people under him. So it's like a help of mate in order to strive for a common goal. And what is the goal of the family? What is the man striving for, right? It's to get his family to heaven, right? So his wife is responsible to help him do that. But the man has to be the author. He has to be the driver in order to do that because that is rightful authority. You can disagree with that all you want, but that is how Christ set it up. And that is the rightful authority that is given by God. Throughout church history, the saints have also spoken about the home as a domestic church. The catechism even uses that phrase directly. The family is the ecclesia domestica, a center of living faith for parents of the first heralds to their children, which means something very practical. If the home is a church, then it must also be defended like one. The enemy does not want prayer in the home. He does not want fathers leading their families toward God. He does not want peace between spouses. He does not want children raised in the faith. So the attacks often show up in familiar ways. Division, discouragement, disobedience, addiction, impurity, anger, apathy. If no one stands guard, the enemy quietly gains ground. If there's no pushback, gentlemen, they're going to keep going. Demons go where they are not resisted. There's a story often told by St. Padre Pio that illustrates how seriously the saints view the spiritual protection of the family. While anecdotal, it echoes the church's call to family prayer. One day a man came to St. Padre Pio asking for help. His home had become filled with conflict. His children were struggling, his marriage was strained, and he felt like peace had completely disappeared from his household. Padre Pio asked the man a simple question, do you pray with your family? The man said he did not. He then told him something very direct, bring prayer back into your home and you will bring Christ back into your home. He instructed the man to begin praying the rosary with his family regularly. The man followed the advice and over time the atmosphere of the house began to change. Peace slowly to return where there once had been tension. and division. Padre Pio understood something that many saints have always emphasized, the enemy fear is a family that prays together. As we have heard the old adage, the family that prays together stays together. Another story of St. Benedict. This is according to the dialogues of Pope Gregory the Great, which was written the sixth century. St. Benedict once encountered a monastery played by spiritual disturbances. The monks believed demonic forces were stirring chaos and conflict within their community. There was disorder. Makes sense. Benedict responded in a very simple but powerful way. He prayed, blessed the monastery and established a rule of discipline, prayer and spiritual order. According to Gregory's account, peace returned and the disturbances ceased altogether. The lesson again is very simple but profound guys. Order, prayer, and spiritual authority drives out chaos. The enemy thrives in disorder. He retreats in a household becomes a place of prayer. Guys, this is not rocket science. There's not a magnificent prayer that we must pray. You don't have to be fluent in Latin to do this. You don't even have to be fluent in English to do this. But are you instituting order into your life, into your own life, into the order of your family? Because as multiple exorcists, Dan Schneider, Jesse Romero, all of these guys have said repeatedly, order drives demons away. We know this battle is real. We know we are in it, so what are we doing about it? Are we disciplined? As the great philosopher Jocko Willink says, discipline equals freedom. And it's discipline in all aspects of our life. Not just one, all of them. Modern exodus also have witnessed the power of father stepping into spiritual leadership. Father Rippegger has spoken in multiple conferences about situations where demonic oppression in the household lessened significantly when the father began exercising his spiritual authority. In one case in particular, he described a family was experiencing intense spiritual disturbances, night terrors with the children, oppressive feelings in the home like they're always being watched. In constant conflict, they're always at people's throats. The situation began to change not when someone sought dramatic spiritual interventions, but when the father began doing something very simple. He began praying over his home every night. He blessed his children. He led the family in prayer. He placed the crucifix prominently in the home and began using holy water regularly. And then the disturbances gradually went away. Why? Because the man of the household stepped into the authority that God had given him. There's another great prayer too. It's called the perimeter prayer. In the book I referenced last episode, the deliverance prayers by use by the laity, I pray it once a day, sometimes twice a day while I'm at home. A perimeter prayer of protection around my family. coffee and prayer. It's the perfect blend. Mystic Monk Coffee isn't just another cup of coffee. It's handcrafted by the Carmelite monks of Wyoming, roasted with care and infused with prayer. Whether you're starting your morning or fueling your day, Mystic Monk Coffee has you covered. It offers rich, bold flavors that are as divine as their mission. By choosing Mystic Monk, you're not just enjoying exceptional coffee, but you're supporting a community of monks dedicated to their work, to prayer, and to the church. is coffee with a cause. So what are you waiting for? Visit mysticmonkcoffee.com and experience the brew that's feeling faith and flavor. Father Gabriel Morth recommends this practice too. Lead family prayer, bless their children, keep sacramentals in the home, ensure the home is centered on Christ. These are not superstitious guys. These are acts of spiritual leadership. And when a father steps in that role, it creates a spiritual covering for the household under Christ's headship. I remember the story that Jesse Romero told Father Dom and me probably three years ago now, where he used to be involved in exorcist case and And cases and they were meeting for a session. The priest was running late for whatever reason. And, ⁓ I guess the demon decided to start manifesting anyways, even though the session hadn't technically started. The priest wasn't there, but at the whole team was there. The father was there and everything. So the, so Jesse started calling, called the priest. He's like, I'm so sorry. I'm running late. ⁓ and Jeff's like, Hey, the demon is like, he's manifesting. Like, what do want us to do? And the priest is like, okay, I'll be there in like 10 minutes. Okay. But is the father there? And he said, yes, he is like, okay, I'm going to have him do these specific prayers and I'll stay on the phone with you and, do that. So Jesse told the guy, ⁓ who I think he, he only spoke Spanish or Jesse was like, explained them in Spanish. He's like, you are, you know, you need to do these prayers. And the dad was like freaking out. like, no, no, no. Like I'm not an exorcist. I can't do this. And he said, no, put your hand on his head. start doing these prayers. So he started doing these prayers and the priest got there like 10 minutes later. The father had finished in the prayers and the priest came up and he started, basically started the session and after like five or ten minutes nothing was really happening and he started like doing, I think put holy water on the individual and because usually ⁓ demons they have a very intolerance for holy objects. I think the priest put like this stole on his neck which usually caused a reaction, do anything, and basically the priest is like, congratulations you you've exorcised the demon. And which is crazy to me, but if you if you think about it we again even in the in the context of an exorcism the bishop is the rightful authority to exorcise demons within his diocese. So every bishop around the world is an exorcist, technically, but he can delegate that task to another priest. So like Father Rippaker, who we talk about all the time, he is not a bishop, but in his Diocese of Denver, he has the permission to do so. In some dioceses, the exorcist is more prominent, and in some dioceses, We don't know who it is. Like in Grand Rapids, where I'm in Dice's Grand Rapids, we have no idea who the exorcist is. It could be the bishop itself. Again, so it's all up to them. But anyways, the whole point is that demons, again, are literally lawyers from hell, right? So who has the proper authority? If someone comes in and tries to exorcise demons, they don't have the rightful authority, the demons recognize that and basically start laughing in their face. Like, you don't have the authority to be here. I know you didn't get permission from the bishop. Actually, just go on YouTube and you can look at it and they say if their rightful authority has not been given, then they can't do anything. And actually, actually you'll do more harm than good because they can retaliate against you because you don't have that protection. Right? So if you have a rightful authority, like parents have rightful authority over their children and even husbands over wives and wives over husbands just by natural law. Right? So especially men, cannot neglect your duty, especially when it comes to your children, in order to pray for them, to sacrifice them, to fast for them. know, we're in the time of Lent right now when these episodes are being released of prayer, fasting, almsgiving. This is a perfect time to do that, gaining indulgences, things like that. So a very powerful story and a reminder of how we as men, as the spiritual authorities of our homes, need to exercise the authority as much as we possibly can. Because one of the greatest tragedies of our time is that many men have been told that spiritual leadership is not their responsibility. But scripture says just the opposite. Joshua famously declared in Joshua 24 15, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He doesn't say everyone's going to decide for themselves. He speaks as the spiritual leader of the house. Not by force, but by conviction. He says my family belongs to the Lord. So how can we defend it? How can we defend our home, right? What does that look like in real life? Practically, what can we do? It doesn't require these extraordinary spiritual gifts, it just begins with ordinary faithfulness. Are you living a faithful, ordered life? Men can defend their homes by doing simple things. Lead prayer in the home. Even something as simple as a nightly Our Father. Parents together foster vocations through word and example. Blessing your children tracing the sign of the cross on the child's Keep sacraments in the home. Holy water bless salt crucifixes blessing metals Catholic art Christian art These remind the household of who reigns there who is in charge. It's Christ the King Protect what enters into the home? We talked about this last week what we watch listen to Inviting to our homes what people we invite into our homes shapes the environment Bring the family to the sacraments. The Eucharist confession among the greatest weapons in spiritual warfare as we have talked throughout this series. None of these have to be super dramatic and effective bazookas that we're bringing into the battle, but they're deeply, deeply powerful. Because guys, all of this happens quietly, right? Praying as a family at the dinner table. Deciding to forgive, deciding to say sorry. leading your family, driving them to church every Sunday. The home is the first place where faith is lived, taught, and protected. And when the home becomes strong, the church becomes strong. I remember listening again to Father Ripaker on the Sean Ryan podcast, and after four hours of conversation, Sean Ryan's like, what do we even do? All this evil is prominent and very obvious of what's going on. can we even do? And Father Rupakar responds like, all you can do really is to live holy lives. Because at the end of the day, if you lead your family in holiness and you teach them, teach your children, that is the greatest thing you can do. Because again, the final frontier man is not in space, as Star Trek would say, but it is the family, the domestic church. And how are we fighting that fight? How are we defending them? Are we even aware that it's happening? This whole series has not meant, gentlemen, to sensationalize it or to give credence to the devil. But we need to wake up, especially when it comes to the home. Because people always ask, what can I do? What can I do? What can I do? This is what you can do. And what we do in the home matters. cannot emphasize that enough. you get nothing else out of this spiritual warfare series, what we do matters, especially in the home. What we do in the home with our prayers, with our sacrifices matters in the spiritual realm. Another, I keep referencing the podcast, but it was such a good image. know, it's, Sean Ryan talks about like good is water and evil is oil. And you know, it's like they don't they don't come together, they just, they don't mix, right? So they're always separate. But like, does the oil overtake the good, overtake the evil, and the evil overtake the good? And talk about it's this constant back and forth. Right now, probably, the oil's overtaking the water. But that doesn't mean we can't push back, right? The church, the gates of hell will never prevail against us. Will never prevail against the church. We need to go on the offensive, gentlemen. We need to pray, we need to sacrifice. we need to exercise our rightful authority that God gave us as husbands, as fathers, as priests, as bishops, as the pope. We need to exercise this authority because with Christ at our helm we can defeat evil. So today's challenge, guys, is simple. Ask yourself, am I guarding what God has entrusted to me? Because spiritual leadership does not require perfection. It requires willingness. willingness to pray, to lead, to stand between your family and the forces that would harm them in mutual love with your wife. And you say, as the great Gandalf the Grey would say, you shall not pass. You must go through me, a man of God. And it is one of the most important battles in the entire spiritual war, is what goes on at home. Until next time, gentlemen. ⁓ I can't leave you. We got to do the we got to do the tear of demons. Hold on. Hold on. Back it up. Name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. St. Joseph, tear of demons. Cast your solemn gaze upon the devil and all his minions and protect us with your mightiest staff. You fled through the night to avoid the devil's wicked designs. Now with the power of God, smite the demons as they flee from you. Great special protection. We pray for children, fathers, families in the dying. By God's grace, no demon dare approach where you're near. So we beg of you, always be near us. Amen. In the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you all so much for listening. Until next time, go out there and be a saint. Brothers, thank you for listening, but do not let this end here. If this episode stirred something inside of you, do not keep it to yourself. Share it with a brother who needs to hear it, a man who is tired, a man who's drifting, a man who's under attack and does not even know it. This podcast exists because the battle is real and souls are at stake. This work has helped you. Please support the channel so we can keep fighting. Your support will help ignite the mission to keep us going. We need your help, brothers. I know you will come through for us. Pray for us because we need as well. The enemy does not rest and neither can we. Now go and live this. Be a saint. Not tomorrow, but today. Choose the hard thing. Reject sin. Get back up. Go to confession. Pray your rosary. Love your family. Carry your cross without complaining.