Parati Semper is the motto of the Troops of St. George,  “Being Prepared Always.”  It comes from 1 Peter 3:15.  It has been on my heart this week.

We are all aware of the tragedy that happened in Texas this past Sunday.  It is becoming all too common.  One stat I heard on the radio stated that since 1999, in the U.S., acts of violence at places of worship occur, on average, 52 times a year.  Once a week, an act of violence happens at a church, synagogue or other places of worship.

But Texas was different.   Someone stepped in to intervene.   A gun owner and a former NRA instructor confronted the gunmen.  His story is here.  Well worth your two minutes.

I’m not here to debate gun laws, I think a majority of the Maccabee men would be in agreement.  But I am here to ask, given the recent trend, how do we take Parati Semper to heart?  Below are two radio segments from the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio.

The first link is an interview with Peter Johnson from Archway Defense.  He has worked with employers and dioceses throughout the country to be prepared for emergency situations.  I will not go into detail about the entire interview, but he believes churches should have armed parishioners and ushers ready for action.  The second link is an interview with Doug Barry of www.battlereadystrong.com.   It is a ministry to get men in shape and ready to fight both spiritually and physically.  While I do think he is a bit extreme in some areas and videos on the site, for the most part I really like his ministry.  He too thinks men should be ready to fight at church.

Johnson

Barry

So my question to all Maccabee men is, do we carry at Mass or any time we are at our parishes and churches or is that going to far?  Should we just rely on our strength, wits and trust in God to get us through?  Comment below.