"He that is in us is greater...."

"He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world...."
https://www.reverbnation.com/livingwaters/song/5618290-he-that-is-in-us-live

The recording we have for "He That is In Us" is very primitive and early, but it is full of meaning for Father's Day, for one. CLICK the pic to read how Mark's father inspired the song: 

It also has deep meaning right at this moment as it might look, in some ways, like 'the prince of this world' has won. But let us stand, through the Eucharist, with Mary and John at the foot of the Cross, and remember: Though it may look like total defeat at the moment? He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world!

As for the song itself, it's a simple I-IV-V pattern for most of it, but the bridge has a very cool descending transition: F#m F Em7 A F#m C#m C B7 E that leads us back to the chorus. There was also a very cool dance the dancers did for this in our early days.

Chuck Trella likes to tell the story of how this song saved him from the enemy's oppression; it's quite a story!:  Chuck's Story

HE THAT IS IN US
by Mark A. Lajoie
Copyright 2011, RN SR 679-889

CHORUS
He that is in us is great-er than he that is in the world (echo)
He that is in us is great-er than he that is in the world (echo)
That is in the world

Wake up! (Wake up!)
Get read-y! (Get ready!)
We are not fight-ing with men
Stand up! (Stand up!)
Be count-ed! (Be counted!)
Be sure of Him in whom we stand! 'Cause

CHORUS

Keep my words and fol-low me
Then you'll know the truth and you'll be free
O yes, yes, I know and I ne-ver want to let you go
I'm the Rock a-mid your strife
I'm the One Who's gonna give you life
O yes, yes, I know, re-sist the de-vil and he will go

The thief has come on-ly to rob, kill and de-stroy
But I have come that you might have life and life to the full-est

CHORUS

Wake up! (Wake up!)
Get read-y! (Get ready!)
Put on the ar-mor of God
Stand up! (Stand up!)
Take Cour-age! (Take Cour-age!)
We'll see his vic-t'ry be-fore long! 'Cause

CHORUS 

Mark's Story about "He That is In Us"

CLICK for a live version of "He That is in Us"

I want to honor my father, Raymond Joseph Lajoie, who died about 20 years ago. He was one of the greatest men I've known from the "greatest generation". He had to run the potato farm up in Van Buren, Maine at 10 years old because his father was an alcoholic. He worked many different kinds of hard labor: lumberjack, builder, mechanic, millwright at 75. I discovered only at his funeral that his compatriots on Guadalcanal considered him a hero. He had trained them in hand-to-hand combat and led them well. His faith and religion meant everything to him.
He had just one enormous problem: like his father, he, too, was an alcoholic. When she first married him, my mother discovered that PTSD and this addiction plagued him. After my 2 brothers were born, she divorced him. He went to the Church and "took the pledge" as they did in those days, they remarried, and he was sober for eight years. In that time, my sister and I were born. We had an idyllic life living on a lake - until I was three. Then we moved to the city and Dad broke out. The next five years were really bad. Finally, the priest told my mother you can't live with such a bad alcoholic. We moved in a small place and I didn't see him for ten years.

After my conversion, I was at St. Paul's Center and I went into a room and started bawling from the pain of missing my father. Mr. Tondreau saw and came to talk with me and others came. One single thing changed my life. Someone said, "Do you pray for him every day?" I had to admit I didn't. "Do that and mean it."

I did. I reached out to him, too, and sent him "My Daily Bread". I went to go see him. I didn't talk or preach at all. I was there, that's all; and I prayed. A little while later, I found out he had gone to Confession and was going to Mass every day and had moved out from the woman he had been with. The transformation was total. For the rest of his life, working for Lajoie Brothers, he became the pillar of the whole extended family and someone all my cousins could go to.

After I had moved to Massachusetts, I went up to see him one time. It was an amazing experience to FEEL the depth and power of his confidence and faith. He was walking with God and I could feel the Holy Spirit POWER.

I walked out of there singing "He That Is In Us" at the top of my lungs. It was his confidence now living in me.
Later I worked at a detox for alcoholics for many years and saw a LOT of things, but what I experience over and over through the 12 Steps is that turning to God was the answer not just to alcoholism but the ultimately natural and sane act of human beings. And, besides being a "dry drunk", it's the ONLY way to be free of it.

"He That Is In Us" became a song we did many, many times in the late 70's and the dancers had a cool dance to it. It's an early and simple song, but I sure like it; and, of course, because of my father, it has a deeper meaning for me.

I sometimes told my friends in detox that they were lucky. "What'd'ya mean??!?!" they'd say. "You know you need God! Everyone does, but most don't know it; you do."
Thank you for reading and listening, if you did.

May the Lord deliver you just like He did for Raymond Lajoie.
Mark L

My father, Raymond, top row, second from the left with his brothers and sisters.