Similar to Basic Training, any Soldier of Christ needs to have a firm foundation of skills to be prepared to go “fight the good fight” in the battle that is going on for your soul. Without that foundation, it makes using the many weapons of spiritual warfare less fruitful than they could be.
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This foundation that I am talking about is centered on a common phrase known by many Catholics. Our goal in life is to Know, Love and Serve God so that we will be happy with Him for ever in Heaven. This phrase was made popular by the Baltimore Catechism, but also received a more expanded version in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see Prologue).
Before we can Love God, we must Know Him. This is a foundational truth of any relationship. A man must know his girlfriend very well before he will venture to ask her to marry him. Before he professes his love for her, he gets to know everything about her.
However, knowing is not the end result. We must always keep this in mind. Satan has a vast knowledge of God, but he does not love, nor serve Him. He knew God and his plan for the world, but decided to rebel against Him anyway. Knowledge of God should always be directed towards loving and serving Him. We must move from Head to Heart.
To do this, here are 5 resources that will give you a firm foundation in the Truth of the Faith so that you may be ready to Love and Serve God and be strengthened enough to do battle against the daily temptations of Satan:
1. Symbolon – The Catholic Faith Explained
This is a profound set of DVDs and workbooks that help deepen the faith and knowledge of anyone beginning to tap the riches of the Truth. I personally use this in RCIA classes, but many “cradle Catholics” also come and are very pleased with the series. Learn from many well-known and respected theologians like Dr. Edward Sri, . It is simple, powerful, and very rich in the traditions of the Church. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a basic foundation.
2. Catholic Courses
Individual courses offered by Tan Books and Saint Benedict Press, the courses range on a variety of topics and help a person go deeper in the rich truths of the Faith. They offer more topical courses, which include Theology, Philosophy, Literature, Saints, History, etc. Learn from a number of solid professors who aim their courses at the common lay man or woman. Recommended to anyone seeking to go deeper.
3. Institute of Catholic Culture
This online resource is a great free way to delve into various topics of the Faith. The Institute accomplishes this by “host[ing] educational seminars specifically designed to build bridges of understanding, teaching authentic Catholic history, philosophy and theology as a way of healing the wounds in the Body of Christ and reaching out to those who seek knowledge of the Truth.” Recommended to anyone seeking to go deeper.
4. Ascension Press Courses
A very popular set of courses designed to be given at the parish level, these courses are on a range of topics, including Jeff Cavins’ Bible Timeline series. Again on a variety of topics, but all seek to give sound theological teaching in a very simple, easy-to-understand way. A great course that they offer is the Oremus course on prayer. Highly recommend to both anyone seeking a basic foundation and anyone seeking to go deeper.
5. Augustine Institute
One of the fastest growing Master of Arts in Theology programs in the US, the Augustine Institute is quickly becoming a well-known name in the Catholic world. They offer both on-site classes in Denver as well as Distance Education classes. You can either enroll to achieve a Master of Arts in Theology or you can enroll at a lower cost for personal enrichment/non-degree seeking. I personally graduated from their Master of Arts in Theology program and can attest of their fidelity to the Truth and their great ability to communicate the Faith in a very practical way. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to go to the next level in their Faith.
There are many other resources out there, but these are the 5 that I personally recommend and highly encourage anyone to investigate. After a firm foundation has been established in knowing the Faith, the next step will be to learn the art of loving the God who created us.
Read the Entire Series
- Want to Save the World? Start with Yourself!
- Introducing the Soldier of Christ Handbook: A Practical Guide to Fighting the Good Fight