About ARMOR

Purpose: Respond to the universal call to holiness.

Mission: Help people grow in virtue to be holy and happy.

Vision: Be a leader in faith-based behavioral change.

ARMOR is a response to the universal call to holiness, which St. Peter encouraged in 1 Peter 1:15-16, "As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, 'Be holy because I [am] holy." It is also a Catholic teaching that is explained in the Church's Second Vatican Council document, Lumen Gentium (LG), from which the following excerpts are taken:

LG 39. "Therefore in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: 'This is the will of God, your sanctification [i.e. holiness].'" (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

LG 40 §1. "The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life: 'Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.'" (Matthew 5:48)

LG 41 §1. "The classes and duties of life are many, but holiness is one—that sanctity which is cultivated by all who are moved by the Spirit of God, and who obey the voice of the Father and worship God the Father in spirit and in truth."

LG 41 §5. "Married couples and Christian parents should follow their own proper path (to holiness) by faithful love. They should sustain one another in grace throughout the entire length of their lives. They should embue their offspring, lovingly welcomed as God's gift, with Christian doctrine and the evangelical virtues. In this manner, they offer all men the example of unwearying and generous love; in this way they build up the brotherhood of charity; in so doing, they stand as the witnesses and cooperators in the fruitfulness of Holy Mother Church; by such lives, they are a sign and a participation in that very love, with which Christ loved His Bride and for which He delivered Himself up for her. A like example, but one given in a different way, is that offered by widows and single people, who are able to make great contributions toward holiness and apostolic endeavor in the Church. Finally, those who engage in labor—and frequently it is of a heavy nature—should better themselves by their human labors. They should be of aid to their fellow citizens. They should raise all of society, and even creation itself, to a better mode of existence. Indeed, they should imitate by their lively charity, in their joyous hope and by their voluntary sharing of each others' burdens, the very Christ who plied His hands with carpenter's tools and Who in union with His Father, is continually working for the salvation of all men. In this, then, their daily work they should climb to the heights of holiness and apostolic activity."

LG 41 §7. "All Christ's faithful, whatever be the conditions, duties and circumstances of their lives—and indeed through all these, will daily increase in holiness, if they receive all things with faith from the hand of their heavenly Father and if they cooperate with the divine will. In this temporal service, they will manifest to all men the love with which God loved the world."

LG 42, §1. "Each one of the faithful must willingly hear the Word of God and accept His Will, and must complete what God has begun by their own actions with the help of God's grace. These actions consist in the use of the sacraments and in a special way the Eucharist, frequent participation in the sacred action of the Liturgy, application of oneself to prayer, self-abnegation, lively fraternal service and the constant exercise of all the virtues. For charity, as the bond of perfection and the fullness of the law, rules over all the means of attaining holiness and gives life to these same means. It is charity which guides us to our final end. It is the love of God and the love of one's neighbor which points out the true disciple of Christ.

LG 42, §3. "The holiness of the Church is fostered in a special way by the observance of the counsels proposed in the Gospel by Our Lord to His disciples. An eminent position among these is held by virginity or the celibate state. This is a precious gift of divine grace given by the Father to certain souls, whereby they may devote themselves to God alone the more easily, due to an undivided heart. This perfect continency, out of desire for the kingdom of heaven, has always been held in particular honor in the Church. The reason for this was and is that perfect continency for the love of God is an incentive to charity, and is certainly a particular source of spiritual fecundity in the world."

#42, §5. "All the faithful of Christ are invited to strive for the holiness and perfection of their own proper state [in life]. Indeed they have an obligation to so strive. Let all then have care that they guide aright their own deepest sentiments of soul. Let neither the use of the things of this world nor attachment to riches, which is against the spirit of evangelical poverty, hinder them in their quest for perfect love. Let them heed the admonition of the Apostle to those who use this world; let them not come to terms with this world; for this world, as we see it, is passing away." (1 Corinthians 7:31)

"Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil."
-Ephesians 6:11

ARMOR's name was inspired by Ephesians 6:11, where we read that the "armor of God" enables us to withstand the "tactics of the devil". These tactics include the habits that are hindering progress in fulfilling our universal call to holiness.

"Our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.”
-Ephesians 6:12-13

The military stencil font style of the name and motto represents the spiritual warfare that St. Paul suggests in Ephesians 6:12-13, and ARMOR is an active engagement in spiritual warfare against the devil's tactics as a response to the universal call to holiness.

"So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
-Ephesians 6:14-17

The "Grow in Virtue" motto is rooted in Ephesians 6:14-17, which Pope Paul VI alluded to in the last section of his address to a General Audience in 1972, where he recalled “how often the apostolic method of teaching used the armor of a soldier as a symbol for the virtues that can make a Christian invulnerable. The Christian must be a militant; he must be vigilant and strong; and he must at times make use of special ascetical practices to escape from certain diabolical attacks. Jesus teaches us this by pointing to ‘prayer and fasting’ as the remedy. And the Apostle [St. Paul] suggests the main line we should follow: ‘Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’” (Romans 12:21, emphasis added) 

"The virtues provide our defensive armor... [and] are our best defense against [the devil’s] attacks, for they guard our minds and hearts against his deceptions and temptations. A lapse in virtue is in fact a chink in our armor that makes us vulnerable."
-Manual for Spiritual Warfare

The motto is shaped further by the above statement, which inspires ARMOR to overcome evil with good by replacing habits hindering holiness (ie. vices) with habits helping holiness (ie. virtues). To practice these habits helping holiness every day is to grow in virtue. As we grow in virtue, we fulfill our universal call to holiness. And as we fulfill our universal call to holiness, we align ourselves with God's will and find true happiness that comes from living as God intended.

ARMOR uses this black dog tag as a reminder to grow in virtue, and it is packed with symbolism:

• Spiritual Warfare - Elite U.S. military special operations teams use black dog tags for stealth in combat, and ARMOR uses it to symbolize the spiritual combat we actively engage against an enemy more powerful than any earthly enemy. Jesus alluded to this truth in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."

• Memento Mori - The purpose of using dog tags in the military is to identify the body of one who was killed in battle. ARMOR uses it to symbolize the "memento mori" (remember death) mindset, which reminds us that physical death is inevitable (Genesis 3:19) and that dying to self is necessary to grow in virtue and be holy. (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)

• Faith - The cross in the center symbolizes the theological virtue of faith, which is also represented by the dog tag's shape that is the same shape as a Roman shield. Ephesians 6:16 says to "hold faith as a shield to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one" so that we believe in God and all the truths He has revealed to us instead of the lies that the devil would have us believe.

• Hope - The anchor integrated with the cross symbolizes the theological virtue of hope, such that being anchored in Christ helps to keep from discouragement and to stay joyful in trials. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:17, where the "helmet of salvation" protects the mind from temptation to despair.

• Charity - The heart integrated with the cross symbolizes the theological virtue of charity, since the heart is a symbol of our will that makes choices for or against God. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:14 to be "clothed with righteousness as a breastplate", where the breastplate is symbolic of protecting our heart.

• Prudence - The open book in the top-left quadrant of the cross symbolizes the cardinal virtue of prudence. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:14 to be "clothed with righteousness as a breastplate", where righteousness is being rightly related to God and others by loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind and by loving others as we love ourselves. Love consists in choosing and doing what is right and good, and knowing what is right and good requires learning.

• Justice - The scale in the top-right quadrant of the cross symbolizes the cardinal virtue of justice. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:15 to have "your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace", where we demonstrate peace with God and others by fairness to both.

• Fortitude - The lion in the bottom-left quadrant of the cross symbolizes the cardinal virtue of fortitude. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:15 to have "your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace", where a lion's courage is required to demonstrate peace.

• Temperance - The cup pouring liquid into another cup in the bottom-right quadrant of the cross symbolizes the cardinal virtue of temperance. This virtue is also symbolized in Ephesians 6:14 to "stand fast with your loins girded in truth", where we must seek and live the truth about what it means to love God, others, and ourself rightly with respect to all pleasures of the flesh as represented by the "loins".  Pouring liquid from one cup into another cup represents diluting wine with water to achieve balance, moderation, and harmony of fleshly pleasures.

Do I need to be Catholic to join ARMOR?

While ARMOR uses Catholic prayers in a faith-based approach to behavioral change, people of any faith or no faith are invited to join.

How is ARMOR different from other approaches to behavioral change?

Other approaches to behavioral change focus on avoiding specific undesirable behaviors that hurt and weaken relationships with God, others, or self. In contrast, ARMOR is a faith-based approach that focuses on practicing specific desirable behaviors that heal and strengthen those relationships and replace the undesirable behaviors.

What else can I do in addition to ARMOR?

While ARMOR helps people grow in virtue to be holy and happy, all are encouraged to consider additional ways to facilitate behavioral change:

• Participate in a program of recovery from a specific substance or behavioral addiction.

• Work with a certified spiritual director for guidance on the spiritual journey.

• Get professional counseling from a licensed therapist to address psychological pain and trauma.

• Work with a life coach who can facilitate identifying and practicing new habits to grow in virtue.