by Carrie Gress
Behold us here in affliction and anguish. Deign to show us thy true love. We beg thee to ask the Holy Trinity most fervently to grant us the grace ever to conquer the devil, and the world and our evil passions; the efficacious grace that sanctifies the just, converts sinners, destroys heresies, enlightens infidels and brings all men to the true faith.
Obtain for us this great gift that all the world may form but one people united in the One True Church.
Mary, Mother of Holy Hope, pray for us.2
St. Patrick’s Lorica
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
St. Patrick (ca. 377)
St. Michael Prayer
This prayer originated from Pope Leo XIII after he was given a devastating vision of the future. He asked that it be prayed after every Mass to defeat the devil and all of his efforts to corrupt the world.
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
____________________
2Larry Peterson, “A Laywoman’s Prayer to Our Lady for the grace to Conquer the Devil,” Aleteia, August 22, 2018, https://aleteia.org/2018/08/22/a-laywomans-prayer-to-our-lady-for-the-grace-to-conquer-the-devil/.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
“Most writers,” Gloria Steinem once wrote, “don’t like writing, they like having written.”1 This might be the only thing she said that I can agree with. Book writing is never a project done in isolation, but involves the encouragement, love, and input from so many which makes it tolerable and sometimes even enjoyable. This book was vastly improved by the input and experiences of Sue Ellen Browder, Leah Darrow, and Sandra Miesel. In 1969, Mallory Millett helped her sister Kate come up with the name Sexual Politics for her book that brought so much damage to the world. Fifty years later, she helped me name this book. This book, for so many reasons, owes a lot to Mallory’s faith, courage, pluck, and wisdom.
I’m also grateful for the encouragement from Msgr. Arthur B. Calkins, Fr. Donald Calloway, David Clayton, Scott Hahn, and Mark Miravalle for this project. And I’m indebted to Fr. Peter Fegan, Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, Fr. Michael Kelly, and Fr. Stefan Starzynski for the invaluable spiritual support and guidance and for the prayers of the Boldy children. The continued friendship, listening ears, and insights from Marilisa Carney, Becky Carter, Noelle Mering, Peggy Nicely, and Megan Schrieber also helped me tremendously to see this book to the finish.
I continue to be so grateful to the fine folks at TAN Books for their professionalism, vision, support, promotion, and trust in my work, particularly Brian Kennelly, Chris Cona, Christian Tappe, Robert and Conor Gallagher, Nick Vari, Caroline Green, Mara Persic, Paul Grabowski, and Katie DeMoss.
Special thanks to Kevin Knight at The National Catholic Register and New Advent, Carl Olson at Catholic World Report, Joy Pullman at The Federalist, and Robert Royal at The Catholic Thing for publishing several of my pieces that partially made their way into this book.
This book would never have come about without the patience, love, and sacrifices of my children and husband, Joseph. They are the ones that truly bear the brunt of the long hours required for book writing.
And finally, special thanks to my sisters, Mary, Jill, Michelle, and Danielle, to whom this book is dedicated. I marvel at their unconditional love and remain forever grateful for their gift of true sisterhood.
Excerpts from this book previously appeared in:
Catholic World Report
The Fashion of Abortion, Oct. 2, 2015
Fatima, Ideology, and the Vatican’s Homosexual Crisis, Sept. 7, 2018
The Catholic Thing
A Theology of Home, Sept. 22, 2018
The Federalist
How Acting Like a Feminist Can Ruin Your Marriage, July 28, 2017
The Patriarchy Has Been Replaced by a Stifling Matriarchy, Sept. 7, 2017
National Catholic Register
If There Is an Antichrist, What about an Antimary?, June 1, 2017
Beware of the Poisoned Apple of Feminist Ideology, Dec. 17, 2017
Are We Witnessing the Battle Between an Antimary and an Antichrist?, Jan. 27, 2017
The Beauty of Women Will Save the World, March 23, 2017.
While Millennials look to Adulting, We Can’t forget Spiritual Adulthood, Dec. 20, 2016
Women Don’t Need to Look Far to Know God’s Will, Sept. 8, 2017
Why the Women You Love H
ave Left the Faith, Nov. 17, 2017
A Powerful Evangelical Force Is Right Under Our Noses, May 3, 2018
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1Joan LaLiberte, “Pocatellan captures flavor of Stanley Basin’s history,” Idaho State Journal, Page C-8, Column 3, November 19, 1976, https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/10/18/on-writing/.