BY MICHELLE FORTUNATO
STAFF WRITER
The Rev. Daniel Pattee, TOR, gave a speech Sept. 29 in the Gentile Gallery on spiritual warfare emphasizing that archangels are in full submission to the will of God.
“Christ has total power over all spirits, good and evil,” Pattee said at the “St. Michael Celebration & Talk.” “Under the Crucified, you are safe. Don’t focus on the devils; keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.”
He illustrated this with a story about St. Pio of Pietrelcina, a fellow Franciscan friar, who was physically beaten by evil spirits. Pattee said St. Pio saw his guardian angel standing by watching, and he asked, “Why aren’t you doing anything to help me?” It was because God was permitting these evils; angels get all their power from God, said Pattee.
Pattee also talked about good angels and bad angels.
“Good angels want to lead you to Christ,” he said. “Bad angels want to lead you to themselves.”
St. Pio was allowed to be attacked by bad angels in order to bring glory to God, said Pattee.
Pattee encouraged students by telling them how they can avoid Satan in their own lives through the grace of their baptism. He also expressed that the best way to avoid the snares of the devil is to seek holiness.
“It is utterly torturous for demons to be around holiness,” he said. He told students that the best way for them to renounce the devil is through devotions, daily prayer and the sacraments – especially the Eucharist.
Pattee encouraged students to pray specifically for priests.
“I’m attacked regularly, constantly, as a Catholic priest,” he said. “That’s why you’ve got to pray for priests.”
The “St. Michael Celebration & Talk” was sponsored by men’s household Soldiers Under Command for the Feast of the Archangels.