I. Introduction: This four-part presentation is based on the US Army Survival Manual (FM 21-76), The Ranger Handbook, and the Special Forces Handbook. It is simply presenting spiritual realities through analogies using the natural order.
This series includes four presentations, approximately one hour each.
1. Spiritual Survival Part One
2. Spiritual Survival Part Two
3. Spiritual Survival Part Three
4. Spiritual Survival Part Four
- One of the most dangerous traps man can fall into is the denial of reality. I don't have time to debate things the Church knows are real, so I won't. First of all, there is Spiritual Reality. There is grace and sin, there is good and evil, truth and lies. There is life and death. This is a life and death struggle, a war.
- Spiritual Warfare is not a new topic for the Church or for me. I'll read to you from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter Six.
- Life is a war. It is about survival in a basically hostile environment - the world. If you don't fight so as to win as St. Paul says, you won't.
II. I'll begin by using an acronym that the US Army has used for decades in talking about survival.
1. S -- Size up the situation
"Reality Check": You are part of creation, rational creation. This is a test and a war. If you are not sizing up the situation in this manner, you are at a fatal disadvantage. "Our battle is not against flesh and blood;" "The Devil is like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour;" "Don't shadow box. This is a real war. Fight so as to win..."
2. U -- Undue haste makes waste
We spend an incredible amount of time running around doing largely useless things from the point of view of survival. The constant barrage of noise is part of the enemy's tactics. The rapid succession of sounds and images speeds up the entire body and mind, making it difficult to "Be still, and know that I am God." Constant frenetic activity is the kiss of death to the spiritual life.
3. R -- Remember where you are
You are on a battlefield. You have real enemies and this is a real war, the consequences of which are eternal life or eternal death. Most human beings are wandering around lost. They don't know where they came from They don't know where they are going. They don't really know where they are.
4. V -- Vanquish fear and panic
"Fear is useless. What is needed is trust," Jesus says. Don't panic when you see that everything is the world is against you and your spiritual survival, and that of your loved ones. The state of the country and the world is helpful or not toward the goal of surviving and attaining your eternal salvation, but God judges the state of your soul, not the world. The problem is interior, not external.
5. I -- Improvise
You have to adapt and improvise relative to the environment around you. We live in perilous times in that the culture and mood of society is not helpful. It is in many respects harmful. We live in a morally toxic environment. You have to adapt to that. This is not the Golden Age of Catholicism. Your behavior and life have to be adapted and improvised in order to intelligently handle the present circumstances.
6. V -- Value living
Do you value living? St. Paul called hell the second death. Do you in fact value living forever? If so, you have to do what is necessary to protect that life. Here and now that means protecting the life of grace in the soul. Live in a state of grace. You must pray. You must receive the sacraments. You must exercise virtue. If you value living (forever) you will do what is necessary to preserve your life. Attitude is huge. The will to survive is of paramount importance.
7. A -- Act like the natives
This, for our purposes, means act like the saints. They are the ones who knew how to live in order to live (forever). You should read the lives of the saints and glean the essence of their lives -- not the exact things they did necessarily -- in order to have a clue as to how to survive.
8. L -- Learn basic skills
This means learn your faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is of great help.
Creed, Sacraments, Moral Life, Prayer.
III. STAY HEALTHY: Food, Water, Shelter
Food - Eucharist
Water - Holy Spirit: Waters that well up to eternal life
Shelter - Immaculate Heart of Mary
Fire - Holy Spirit: Personified Love
Nature and Kind of Enemy (snakes, spiders, etc.) - Demons
Navigation - Jesus points toward Father like a compass points north.
IV. 21ST CENTURY SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL: SPECIAL OPERATIONS FOR SPECIAL TIMES
These are not ordinary times and we can learn things from the old Special Forces Handbook. The mission of the Special Forces is basically as follows:
1. To plan and conduct unconventional warare operations in areas not under friendly control (THE WORLD).
2. To organize, equip, train, and direct indigenous forces in the conduct of guerilla warfare (FORCE MULTIPLIER).
3. To train, advise, and assist indigenous forces in the conduct of counter-insurgency and counter-guerilla operations.
4. To perform such other special forces missions as may be directed or as may be inherent in the primary mission (REDEMPTION).
UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE IS COMPOSED OF THE INTERRELATED FIELDS OF:
a. Guerrilla warfare
b. Evasion and escape
c. Subversion against hostile states