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Chapter 3: Know your cause

Christ with the Woman Taken in Adultery, by Guercino, 1621. Christ saves us, like this woman, even though we are deserving of punishment.

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. (Psalm 78:38 KJV)

Psalms is one of my favourite books of the Bible. At first glance, this particular verse seems out of place. The Old Testament is a pragmatic, blood-and-guts collection of books. That is, if someone hurts you, you hurt them back. In the mystery of the Catholic faith, however, this verse demonstrates compassion in a time of war. It talks about God being compassionate at a time when he would have been justified in destroying the wicked. He turned his anger and indignation away from those who deserved the severest punishment. This is very New-Testament-like. It’s about forgiveness; about staying execution in the hope of change rather than instantly reacting to the demands of justice. The New Testament is a collection of accounts in which the central theme is forgiveness and mercy. It is both different different from the Old Testament yet also a fulfillment of it.

We Catholics are a strange bunch. We seem to gravitate towards the "turn the other cheek" verse in times of injustice against us. I’ve seen it in front of me. I’ve read about it. I’ve even heard it being preached that at all costs, even to the point of martyrdom, the doctrine of nonviolence needs to be adhered to. So if the faithful are getting punched in the face, they shouldn’t fight back. According to that doctrine anyway. I couldn’t disagree more with this view. I think when everything else in our faith is ignored, and this particular concept is taken out of context, then it is something that’s wrong. I don’t believe that God wants us to be blind to the reality of the world. We need not give up our right to self-protection and become a target for bullets, arrows, punches or knives. Look at

Consider the definition of martyrdom. It means to die on account of one’s adherence to a cause. If you hadn’t noticed, these days we Australians are actually doing this daily. For most of us, the cause is financial. We do soul-destroying work, day in and day out, just to keep the money coming in. Some of us have mortgages. We’re held hostage to a corrupt system of banking that means we must “die” in a job for 30-40 years just to pay off a loan. That is our cause. In fact, look at the word, “mortgage”. I’d go as far to say it’s two words combined, which are “mort” meaning death or dying, and “gage” as in engage. We are engaged till death. While this type of martyrdom isn’t divine, and the death is metaphorical, it’s still martyrdom. We’re yet to rebel against this control mechanism, and we’re yet to overturn our corrupt wall-less prison. This is martyrdom without violence. We’re pacified.

Are we martyrs to a financial burden, or do we work ourselves to the bone to ensure our family has a roof over their heads?. While our cause may be noble (we want to pay our bills for the sake of our family’s comfort) it is not divine. We’re not St Joan of Arc at the frontline of battle. Nor are we afraid of the barbarian with the battle axe. We’re just afraid of what may happen if we try to escape the control we’re under. We’re afraid that if the electricity bill isn’t paid, we won’t be able to keep our food cool in a fridge. If we don’t pay for water, we can’t shower and bathe. If we don’t pay for groceries, we can’t eat.

Compartmentalisation means that even the banking staff don’t have much input into what goes on in this “mort-gage.” My advice is to have a good look at your situation of “martyrdom” and then do something about it. If you’re not happy about life, then you are not to be a victim of your circumstances. Your life is worth far more than for it to be wasted in the service of a make believe debt. Don’t settle for being pacified or being enslaved to lies. Your life matters because you have a family looking to you for leadership. Under no circumstances, even when your life seems utterly dark, should you show your impressionable children that you are a slave to the machine and not a fighter. Knowing how to throw a punch will not help in this type of fight. You need a proper mindset and a fighting attitude.

I think this is one of the ways in which "religion" can twist faith. Pacifism isn't forgiveness, and turning the other cheek isn't the godly thing to do if we’re pressed into desparation. We aren’t door mats. My belief is that if we are truly made in God’s image, and if we are truly a part of Him, then He is part of us. Catechism of the Catholic Church 364 states that The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:

Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.

We are taught through this catechism, that we are to honour our bodily condition. To me, honouring means treating something with the utmost respect and care and loving it. In my mind, this translates to men and women adhering to specific regime of training which enables them to make the most out of what they have. Is it sinful to go to the gym and build muscle? No way. Do I consider it sinful to have an operation for non essential cosmetic surgery. I can’t say. I think it is when the reason for that surgery is attention seeking.

It also means that men, especially, in their capacity as a man made in the image of God, and as a husband, a father, a brother, a son, and a friend, take his body to the limit of his own ability to train it for the purposes of protection of themselves and others. I believe that men fulfill their duty in this way.

The church isn’t responsible for our physical protection. But the church as well also is well aware that in this world, physical protection is needed. Why else would the Vatican have the Swiss Guard? The Swiss Guard aren’t a group of men that are unarmed. They’re very well armed, and very well trained in all things protection. None of us are ready for Christ's call to arms, but we do what we can with what we have, to the best of our ability. No more is required from us. Remember, we are human beings. We are not bulletproof, but we can do great things if we believe.

You don’t want to be embarrassed, thinking of yourself as a soldier but fighting the fight like a civilian. That would be a shame. It would be like the sporting fighter who knows nothing but a controlled environment, confronting a guy who’s trained in bloody, dirty tactics.

Just like in holistic self-protection education, you are training for a single time in your life when seconds count. You need to fight as if you were fighting for your last breath, because you literally are. Protecting your own life is serious business. It takes much training of the body and the mind, and much courage to deploy it.

Is being a Catholic so different? Throughout our lives we train to practise love, forgiveness, and mercy. We practice the ability to not accept pacifism. We practise through and under the guidance of Rome’s authoritative and apostolic teaching, “fighting” for our place in heaven. We don’t use fists, guns or sticks to do this. Rather, we use the sacraments, giving and living as we ought. That is the only way to fight this fight.

Action plan for Catholic Conquerors: Meditate on Mark 12:17 and...

1 Look at your life and see what things are controlling you. Debt? Substances? Food? Is someone in your life trying to micromanage you? Make a list of these things. When you are done, work out how to circumvent or end the control that has you pacified. Always talk to someone about these problems—even a priest—and take practical steps to develop win-win solutions. It may require professional help, and that’s ok. You can do it. No matter how bad the scenario, you can always find a solution

2 If you feel you have no voice or ability to do something about being hurt, or if you feel you are being oppressed, start your journey to freedom with a Novena to St Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the oppressed. Devote nine days of prayer and contemplation to him. Ask for intercession before acting. A clear mind will make clear decisions which will lead to clear actions that you don’t regret.

3 If you’re in constant or immediate physical danger, remember this: you are not a doormat. Your God-given purpose for this life is not to be treated like a punching bag. You may need to physically fight to save yourself from harm. When you’re backed into a corner, just close your eyes and swing your fists like crazy. At some point, your punch will lead to a kick which will lead to something else. This is variable expansion. If you’re not trained, this is the best action you can take. Don’t comply with your attacker’s demands. You are worth more than two sparrows sold for a penny.