Why did I become a Catholic? The Longer Version Part 4 Becoming a closet Catholic while being a practising Methodist. Cont'd

What I discovered as I talked with devout Catholics online and started reading the Catechism, using the prayer cards with pictures on them, looking through and using some of the vast wealth of the devotional materials and prayer aids was a whole new world and way of living the Christian life.

And I needed a different approach.  You see, as the Desperation Band's song goes, "I'm in a fight not physical, I'm in a war but not with this world...".  I needed a Christianity for the trenches for Monday through Saturday, when there aren't any teachings or any praise bands, when I am going toe to toe with "The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world..., the accuser of our brothers...who accuses them before our God day and night."

If you have seen the movie, Hook, when Captain Hook and a middle-aged attorney Peter Pan (Banning) are having a sword fight to the death.  And Hook pins Peter Pan next to a spinning grinding wheel that Hook sharpens his hook on while he recites a litany of Peter's failures in his real world life, "You know who you really are, don't you?  You're these failures, sins and weaknesses!"  And the fight starts to go out of Peter Pan... 

Satan does that to me a lot.  He pins me, begins reciting the litany.  It is hard to concentrate and I can't think, but now I have weapons to fight back with, memorized or written prayers when I have no words of my own.  Pictures worth a thousand words to remind me of God's love for me and that I am not alone.  The host of heaven is around me.  They have my back.  And Jesus is there on his white horse, leading them.  Kind of like in the Lord of the Rings, when Théoden is mounting a last charge at Hornburg and Gandalf with Eomer and hundreds of the Riders of Rohan come over the ridge to the surprise, horror and dismay of the orc horde that seemed to have victory in their grasp.

I know, Howard has a vivid imagination, but it is true, just unseen.

I mentioned the Jesus Prayer, there was about a month or so where the battle was so intense I couldn't concentrate to read or think, just kept praying the Jesus Prayer.  "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner."  And Jesus brought me out the other side.

Revelation 12 I think covers the whole sweep of history of the war between God and Satan, and you know how the accused brothers overcame the Accuser?

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

love for life did not deter them from death.  Revelation 12:11 NABRE

 

Good night.  More later.