FOCUS: Fighting as the Church Militant

don Elvir Tabaković, Can. Reg. PHOTO CREDIT: Church Militant FIGHTING AS THE

We are the Church Militant. But, as with any army, the soldiers must understand certain things and follow certain rules in order to do their duty, excel in their individual service and, more importantly, win the battle.

Firstly, they need to recognise that they are in a fight; that they are soldiers and that they are on a battlefield. The image of a soldier, who in the midst of a battle, ignores reality and refuses to join the fight is striking but this is essentially the position of baptised Catholics who refuse to engage in the perennial battle against our ancient enemy or even reject the idea that there is a fight at all. True, we all have different roles in this battle: some are generals, some their advisors, some soldiers on the frontline, some take care of the camp, and some are called to console and care for the wounded. While we do not all fight in the same way, we are all in the same battle.

Secondly, as members of the Church Militant, we need to know what it is we are fighting for: the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Having accepted these points, there are other key principles that all the soldiers of the Church Militant need to bear in mind. Three of these principles are featured in the FOCUS section of this issue.

• The spirit of our fight needs to reflect the purpose of the fight. The soul of our apostolate determines the nature and eventual success of our fight.

• Our spiritual warfare is for each and every soul. Only if they understand the full extent of the war will our soldiers fight well.

• If we want the Church Militant to grow in numbers and in strength, we must continually mobilise new soldiers. This is why each year Voice of the Family brings a group of young Catholics to Rome for a week long programme of prayer and formation.

In the fight today, we are largely on our own. We must pray that God will send us more generals - good cardinals and bishops to lead us in battle. We are foot soldiers on the field, the little children of Our Lady, the most insignificant part of the Church Militant. But it is the most insignificant part of her body, the heel - calx Mariae - that will crush the head of the devil. At this time of trial, let Our Lady be our Commander-in-Chief. In the end, the Immaculate Heart will triumph but only if we share in the fight, shall we share in the joy of her triumph.