This country has produced two presidential candidates who make it very hard to want to vote in this election. As a well-meaning Christian you may well feel that you shouldn’t vote because the choices are so awful.

But, as the British statesman Edmund Burke famously said: ““All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

We truly are in a position to prevent the triumph of evil.

Do I Have to Vote? 

In an election where one of the major candidates is virulently anti-Christian (and specifically anti-Catholic) while the other publicly defends Christian values, surely we cannot refuse to vote because of our personal feelings about the individuals who represent each side?

Here is what Pope Pius XII had to say when Catholics went to the polls in 1948 to vote for or against the Communists in Italy:    (from “The Moral Obligation of Voting” written by the Rev. Titus Cranny, S.A, M.A, S.T.L in 1952 as quoted in All Catholics Have a Moral Obligation To Vote Against Hillary Clinton )

“Everyone has to vote according to the dictates of his own conscience. Now it is evident that the voice of conscience imposes on every sincere Catholic the necessity of giving his own vote to those candidates or to those lists of candidates, which offer them truly adequate guarantees for the protection of the rights of God and of souls, for the true good of individuals, of families, and of society, according to the laws of God and the Church’s moral teaching.”
 
Rev. Cranny writes:

“Thus, Pius XII eloquently points out that it would be a mortal sin for one to abstain from voting under circumstances where a party hostile to the Faith, in this case clearly Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party, wish to gain control of government and harm the Church.”

Remember Christ’s words:

"Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me (Matthew 12:30).”
​
If we don’t vote for Christ we are voting against Him and cannot call ourselves Christians.

​

Jesus versus Prevailing Opinion​

Today’s culture is based on how people feel about issues on a given day: we are urged not to ‘hurt people’s feelings’ or ‘show intolerance.’

If someone wants to flout the laws of God we are told to stand by and let them, rather than upset them by pointing out what they are doing is morally wrong and will lead to perdition, instead of happiness as they mistakenly think.

“My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you (Proverbs 3:11).”

Christ didn’t care about people’s feelings. He cared about their souls and where they were headed when they die. He wanted them to gain everlasting life, not merit the everlasting misery of hell.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)”

Progressivism and power are the antithesis of truth and morals. Doing ‘what feels good’ and looking after number one are the very same things the people did in Noah’s time before the floods came. They laughed at the crazy man building the huge boat – that is, until the heavens opened and God poured His wrath on His wayward people.
​
We can be assured that if this country doesn’t turn back to God, He will turn His back on us.

   Intrinsically Evil Actions Must ALWAYS Be Rejected

Most people agree that evil must be stopped.

But the agreement ends when defining what is and what is not evil.

Abortion 

Selective Outrage

Each year around 35,000 people die in gun violence in this country and there is a huge outcry, as well there should be.

Every year over 1 million babies die in abortions in America, yet this murder of innocent children passes for acceptable behavior.

What is the reason for this selective outrage? Why is it bad for people to be shot to death but O.K. for babies to be butchered to death?

What is the moral difference?

The Right to Choose

A woman may claim to have rights over her own body (even though our bodies were given to us by God, Who is the only Being with any rights over them) but she cannot claim to have rights over another human being.

Just because that human being is growing inside her doesn’t mean that she is morally justified in deciding whether that baby should live or die. God created that baby, and only God has the right to decide.

Why is it considered double homicide if a pregnant woman is murdered with her baby inside her, yet abortion is not considered homicide in this country? Morality aside, where is the logic?

Choosing to murder a baby is still murder. Period.

Remember Christ’s words:

"'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)”

Thus, whatever you do for the least of these our brothers and sisters you do TO Jesus.

We are made in the image of God and when we kill babies we are murdering His Son all over again. It’s that simple.

Christians cannot vote for a party which condones abortion at ANY stage of pregnancy.

Mercy Killing

To make murdering our senior citizens, or those who are terminally ill, acceptable to those of a sensitive nature, the term ‘Mercy Killing’ has been coined for it.

We put our pets ‘to sleep,’ the argument goes, so why not put people ‘to sleep’ when they’re old or in pain? We’re being ‘merciful.’ We’re being 'compassionate.'

That way we can get rid of all those who place financial burdens on our families and society as a whole. Let’s make old and terminally ill people feel selfish if they don’t agree to be killed so we can have their money.

Old age and suffering are part of God’s plan for humanity. It’s up to God to decide whether we live or die, whatever our circumstances on earth, not the government’s.

Telling an old person that he or she is a drain on society and should therefore, in all good conscience, consent to being murdered, is morally reprehensible.

Would you allow a party that sanctioned such behavior to get into power?

Treatment of the Vulnerable 

Speaking of the then most vulnerable members of society, Mahatma Ghandi  famously said:

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

He cannot possibly have foreseen the moral regression and poverty of spirit of today’s America.
​
I offer a more modern rendering:
​
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its unborn babies, sick and old people are treated.”
​

Same Sex Marriage 

The Moral Argument

Marriage is between a man and a woman, for the purpose of procreation and forming a family unit which mirrors the Holy Family (and by extension the Holy Trinity). A homosexual relationship is against God’s natural law.

This doesn’t mean that Christians are called to reject gays and lesbians. Not at all. We are to love the sinner but not the sin, for we are all sinners.  We are to embrace the person but not his or her immoral acts.

Here's a different example of the this.

Should theft be legalized for people who can’t control their urge to steal?

Are we being hateful when we say it’s wrong for a kleptomaniac to take another’s property?

Are we intolerant if we say that kleptomania is bad? If someone wants to steal your car should you say “Oh, go ahead, that’s fine by me,” rather than (oh, horror!) be intolerant of their behavior?

Of course not, you say. God said ‘thou shalt not steal.’ 

While we should feel compassion for someone with a compulsive urge to steal, we shouldn’t condone their acts of theft!

The same goes for homosexual acts. Here are some Scripture readings to clarify God’s standing on the issue.

Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Leviticus 20:13: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Romans 1:26-27: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."

1 Corinthian 6:9: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind."

God is intolerant of the sin, not the sinner.
​
We all sin and are called to repentance: gays and lesbians are no more excused from indulging in sin than the rest of us. God has no tolerance for any sin.

​The Negative Impact on Children

Catholic adoptive agencies are being forced to close their doors because they are not allowed to place children in adoptive homes only where there is a natural family unit of married mother and father.

Consider how this is affecting children who badly need foster or adoptive families to take them.

Putting aside the psychological damage to children placed in same sex homes, they are being led astray from God’s law and the chance to lead authentic Christian lives.

Here is what is happening in D.C alone, but is being repeated all over the country:

“In Washington, DC, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington—which has provided support to children and families for over eighty years—had a partnership with the District of Columbia for its foster care and public adoption program. However, in 2010, a law redefining legal marriage to include two people of the same sex took effect in the District. The District then informed Catholic Charities that it would no longer be an eligible foster care and adoption partner. Why? Because, as a Catholic organization, Catholic Charities was committed to placing children with married couples so that each child would have the experience of a mother and a father.”  (From Catholics 4 Trump.)
​
We have a duty to confront this evil in our society.

​Don’t Waste your Vote 

Don’t waste your vote on a party that won’t get into power. It’s the same as sitting idly and watching evil triumph.

In Conclusion 

St. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Elsewhere, he exhorts us to:  “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers (Ephesians 6:18).”

Say your rosary, ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us with her Son and stop the rising Godlessness in this country.
 
“The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
                To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
                And delivers them out of all their troubles
                                                     (Psalm 34:16-17).”
 
Be bold and count among the righteous in blocking the power of the evildoers.
 
“O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
            You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
 
“To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
            So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror
                                                     (Psalm 10:17-18).”
 
Be humble that your prayer may pierce the cloud of God’s anger against the hedonism of this country.

​And vote for Christ!

Further Reading 

All Catholics Have a Moral Obligation To Vote Against Hillary Clinton

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality? 12 Scripture Verses About Gay Marriage

​“Seeing is believing” is how we humans operate, since it’s far easier to have faith in visible things than those we can’t see.

Maybe you don’t believe in God because you can’t see Him?

Yet there are many invisible things you do believe in. Why is God not on your list?

​If You Believe These Exist … 

Gravity
If it weren’t for gravity, we'd be floating in space. We believe this, not because we can see gravity, but because we see it in action. It keeps us on the earth. We witness the absence of gravity through images of astronauts in space capsules without gravitational force holding them down. We know gravity exists.

Oxygen
We cannot see oxygen, but cannot live without its function. Oxygen plays an essential part in our breathing processes and metabolism. Without invisible oxygen, we would die. We have no choice but to believe in oxygen!

The Wind
No one sees the wind. But we see it operating all the time. The wind has the power to move things – making the grass and branches sway. In its extreme form it causes trees and power lines to fall. We harness the wind’s energy for our purposes. No one can deny that the wind exists.

Life & Death
We cannot see life.  We cannot see death. But we know what it looks like to possess life and be deprived of it. Without life, we are dead. We cannot ignore the reality of life or death.

Personality Traits & Moods
Some people have sunny dispositions, others are surly. There are sociable people and there are loners. Everyone shows these feelings and characteristics by the way they behave. We cannot see characteristics, but we don’t deny their reality simply because they aren’t tangible.

Evil
You cannot see evil, but you observe its manifestations daily. Hatred, jealousy, cruelty, envy, which lead to war and murder – all these are the workings of evil which none of us can ignore.

(And evil personified is the Devil - an argument for another post!)

… Then You Believe in God 

The above is not an exhaustive list. But it illustrates our willing belief in things we can’t see through our witness of their operation in our lives. Our eyes observe them at work.

The greatest invisible essence of all is Love. Love is God manifesting Himself through His Creation and good works.

Christ said, “believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me (what I say).Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father
(John 10:3 8 )." (My italics.)

If you do not believe in God’s Word, which existed ‘in the beginning’ and ‘was God,’ (John 1:1) then look at His Love operating through selfless acts. When Love is at work, God is at work.


We are being irrational and illogical if we separate the existence of God from the existence of other intangibles (all of which He made!). 

As Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me. (John 20:29).”

Christ suffered Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane not only because of the horrendous suffering He was about to endure. He also sweated beads of blood from anguish over knowing that vast numbers of people would ignore His sacrifice and continue along the wide, easy path to destruction. 

Not All Will Be Saved


“This is the chalice of My Blood….which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Eucharistic Prayer during Mass – my emphasis.)

He didn’t say ‘poured out for all.’ His sacrifice would only benefit those who believe in Him.

It is not sufficient simply to say to ourselves, in private: “I believe in Christ.”

We have to live our lives as followers of Christ: this includes speaking up in His Name and being prepared for ridicule and persecution as a result.

It means standing up to public opinion – or rather, those who purport to represent public opinion, employing loud, bullying tactics to threaten into submission those who don’t agree with their secular agenda.

Sin Is Real                                                                                               
We who have stood by weakly and allowed the removal of God from the public arena and morals will have to answer to Him for our cowardice. Where were we when Christ needed us to fight the good fight?

And those in authority who are leading the population astray will pay the wages of sin, too, together with those pushing their amoral agenda down our throats.

“Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come (Luke 17:1).” (My emphasis.)

As Martin G. Collins writes:  “Anyone who leads others into sin bears great guilt. Only a deep-seated wickedness attempts to confuse and destroy another's potential.”

Lucy of Fatima said: “Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved.”

And So Is Hell

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).”

Is our final aspiration to number among the “souls going down into the abyss as thick and fast as snowflakes falling in the winter mist”? Blessed Benedict Joseph Labre.

St. Padre Pio was asked what he thought about modern people who don’t believe in hell: “They’ll believe in hell when they get there,” he replied.

Unless we repent and change our ways by conforming to God's will, we’re going to discover the truth of that saint’s statement.

He has given us a choice, and if we’re humble enough to recognize God’s authority, we shall be taking the right road.

But those who are ‘too smart’ to believe in God will find out just how smart they really are after they leave this world. They'll meet their Creator, and in that brief moment realize that in Him they have found the Truth.  Then they will yearn to be with Him forever. But it will be too late.

Christ can save them while they're here on earth, but not afterwards. They’ll be cast out of His Presence for all eternity.

“If you wish to imitate the multitude, then you shall not be among the few who shall enter in by the narrow gate,” warns St. Augustine.

Is it really worth throwing away Jesus' sacrifice for us and risking our souls and those of our children?

Further Reading

SR. LUCIA of FATIMA GIVES WARNING: "MANY WILL BE LOST"

The Third Secret of Fatima

The Fathers and Saints on the Fewness of the Saved

Have you ever thought about how the way we drive on the roads is a great indicator of our humility level?

We want the annoyingly slow person in front of us to get out of our way. In our own estimation we're very important and have places to be NOW—and that vehicle needs to move over to make way for us!

But that slow driver has as much validity God’s eyes as we do. Who are we to say that our needs are more urgent than theirs? Perhaps that slowpoke had a bad accident two weeks ago and this is his or her first time back on the road? Maybe he’s very old and just being careful not to have or cause an accident? Maybe the driver is a nervous teen who’s just got her license?

If we knew any of these scenarios to be true, we would be more caring (I hope!).

Hey! Why Should I Be Humble?

In his terrific new book,  Love Awakened by Love: The Liberating Ascent of Saint John of the Cross*  Father Mark O’Keefe writes that “To walk in…..faith….. requires abiding attitudes of trust, docility, and humility. God is at work in us. …. (and) wants union with us more than we ourselves could possibly desire it.”

God wants to work in our lives, but He can’t if our free will won’t let Him in. There’s no room for God in us if we’re too full of ourselves. We need to empty ourselves of the ‘me’ to make 100% of our souls available for Him.

It’s a difficult task, and one which requires God’s help to achieve. We’re always going to fail in our own eyes (a sure sign of our pride). But if we trust and hope in God to keep us going, He will lift us up every time and make good our deficiencies.

As Father O’Keefe writes: “Hope calls us to place all things in God’s hands, pick oneself up, and get back on course to the future that God makes possible through the divine mercy and help. Christian hope, then, must always walk hand in hand with humility.”

Developing a Healthy pH Level

This all sounds very nice, but how do we achieve our proper pH (personal Humility) level?

My father used to quote from the Automobile Association manual in the United Kingdom, as he was racing another driver (and knew he shouldn’t be): “You must not drive in the spirit of competition.” 


The way we drive is an extremely good indicator of our humility level.

I’ve come up with a few useful ways of keeping my own competitiveness under control (after all, I am a competition rider – that attitude comes naturally to me!).


1. If a driver is cutting in front of me and/or other drivers, blatantly breaking the speed limit or driving in any other infuriatingly bad way, I tell myself: “I used to drive like that—before I knew better,” or, on my more sarcastic days, “before I grew up.”


2. If a person is doddering in front of me and my impulse is to tailgate them (as if this will somehow make them speed up) I remind myself that one day I shall be very old and doddery, too, and will want other drivers to be considerate of my frailty. What goes around comes around.

3. I have a big “Jesus” sign on the back of my vehicle. One way for me to 'evangelize by deed' is to let other drivers come in front of me. Or I move over to the outside lane, to let in a car waiting to come onto the two lane highway. Even if those drivers don’t see the sign on my ancient Expedition, drivers behind me will, and hopefully I shall have led by example.

4. As I’ve written before, saying my rosary while driving is a great way not to need to rush anywhere

Driving is an excellent opportunity for us to gauge our true humility level and perceive any cracks in our charity towards others on the many occasions to be courteous to other road users.

Every journey is an opportunity to increase our humility and make more space for God’s work in our lives.

This has been an amazing week! The Holy Spirit has worked through me (with the aid of others) to directly benefit two persons' lives.

Guided to an Oasis

We often go through long periods when it feels as if we’re not doing anything useful for the world. Our financial donations to various causes are important, but we don’t see the benefits of this activity close-up.

That feeling of dryness completely changed this week. I was led to a spiritual oasis, a wonderful gift from God for Lent.

Using me, the Holy Spirit led two people to bring two people closer to God and in line with His loving wishes for their lives.

I feel privileged and deeply grateful to God.  He’s been hearing “Thank you” much more often from me than just the regular petitions this week!

The Donkey’s Lot

My previous parish priest used to say that the life of a good Christian is often like that of a donkey walking round and round on the treadmill's path, so the millstones will grind the flour. The activity is not glamorous, but it produces unseen benefits for others.

When God sometimes lets us see how He's utilizing us to participate in His miracles, I think He’s giving us encouragement on that path and telling us not be discouraged when we don’t always see the good results of our work.

He’s helping me recognize that all our lives are of value if we let God work in us. He also reminds me that only through Him can good works happen, and thus prevents me from becoming proud and pleased with myself.

So I conclude by saying this was a great week!

Christmas is a great time to examine our feelings towards our enemies.

Advent, preparing for the coming of God in human form at Christmas, is the perfect time for examining our attitude towards our enemies.  Christ calls us to forgive them and to love our neighbor (which includes our enemies) as ourselves.

But it’s hard!

So how about trying this first step: praying for those who hate you?

Choose specific prayers - for example, a decade of the Rosary. If you set aside a few minutes each day to pray for the person (or persons) who hate you, for at least one month, you’ll gradually find yourself enjoying the following unexpected blessings.

What Makes Praying For Your Enemies So Powerful?

 1.      It gives you benevolent power

By doing something good for your enemies, you diminish their ability to hurt you.
Sending ‘good vibes’ their way blocks the ‘bad vibes’ they’re sending your way.
Love conquers hate: it’s that simple.

2.     It reduces their negative power

By praying for individuals who intensely dislike you, you allow them to occupy only a tiny time-slot during your day. Then you’re done with them: they no longer dominate your thoughts for hours on end.

No one likes anybody to hate them, and praying for enemies eliminates their power to upset you.

3.      You gain peace

The angels didn’t say “peace on earth and goodwill to all men”, as is commonly misquoted. They actually said: “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14 New Living Translation.

God is pleased with us if we let go of resentment and do something good for those who hate us. That is the path to peace.

4.      You’ll feel good about yourself

I’m not talking about being a ‘goody-two-shoes’ here. I’m talking about the good and faithful servant who has done his duty, and can sleep at night because he has a clean conscience and wishes no one ill will.

5.      You’ll discover a hidden strength in yourself

As you experience the above benefits, you’ll learn that you are much stronger than you thought and see yourself in a new light.

It’s not just the saints who can overcome their animosity to those who hurt them. You, too, have the strength to start out on the path to holiness.

Avoiding a Potential Pitfall

When we begin praying for those who hate us, there is the danger of feeling superior to them.

A good way to avoid this is to examine the reasons for their dislike. The answers keep us humble and prevent us from thinking of them as ‘bad people’ and ourselves as ‘good people.’

Perhaps their circumstances are not as good as ours, and they are jealous of us? If so, we need to feel empathy, rather than animosity.

Maybe we’ve done something to hurt them – intentionally or unintentionally? Do we need to ask them for forgiveness? Even if we’re not yet ready to do this, being aware of the need to do so will keep us from feeling ‘holier than thou.’
 

Praying for our enemies brings many blessings. By exercising our benevolent power over them, we reduce their negative power over us.  We gain peace and feel good about ourselves in a humble way.

With the discovery that we do have the strength to become holier, we’ll approach baby Jesus on the day of His birth with confident trust that He will help us fulfill His commandments of love and forgiveness - towards those who love us and those who don’t.

 

 

Have you ever tried to do the right thing but run into unexpected and infuriating obstacles?

How did you react? Maybe by raising your fist heavenwards and complaining to God, “Why are you making this so impossible?!”

There you are, attempting to do His will ─ usually something you don’t want to ─ and He blocks your progress.

Does Being Good Have to Be So Difficult?

Why, Lord, should I bother carrying out Your will when you make it way harder than necessary?  I’m not asking for a pat on the back ─ just no impediments. Is that too much to ask?

Then an insidious thought creeps in: maybe, just maybe, this isn’t what God wants? A naughty hope begins to flicker: is this my ‘out,’ and I don’t have to do it after all? As if visiting your sick mother, or weeding your wheelchair-bound uncle’s garden or ─ name your obviously good deed ─ could possibly be against God’s wishes!

I’ve noticed that sometimes God does let me off the hook when I’ve proved wholeheartedly committed to doing His will. But His MO in those cases isn’t to make it hard to carry out the task: suddenly it doesn’t need doing any more. This is not at all the same as trying to duck out of an unpleasant task because we think sudden difficulties prove that it’s against God’s plan for us.

What Is Evil?

O.K., Miz Know-It-All, you may ask, then what’s the deal when the job clearly needs doing, but events conspire against us when we attempt to perform it?

The answer is: Beware, Satan at work! God isn’t throwing rocks in our path – the Opposer is.

I’d never looked up the word ‘Satan’ until our parish priest happened to mention it in a sermon. Previously I’d assumed it was just a name, without any specific meaning.

‘Satan’ is Hebrew for ‘the opposer,’ ─ in the sense of ‘the one who opposes God’s will.’ He is also the great deceiver, who rejoices every time he tricks us into believing it’s not God’s will, and stops us carrying it out.

This knowledge is enormously helpful. Understanding that the devil is working hard to prevent my salvation, by throwing deterrents at me every time I try to do a good deed, has completely changed my viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a saint: my knee-jerk reaction is still to get annoyed! But now I take a few deep breaths and conclude:  “Wait a minute, if Satan making such an effort to put me off, I must be on the right path!” 

It is enormously liberating to view obstacles in this light.

Can you imagine how frustrating it is for the Devil when his attempts to take us down end up helping us do God’s will instead?

The Devil Hates the Rosary

Because the Rosary is a powerful weapon against hell, the Devil loathes it. Now that I’m praying mine regularly, he has it in for my beads.

First he had our English Bulldog chew the decades old one I had from Lourdes - and my Catechism, for good measure.
 
Then he lost my replacement Rosary when I went to drop off some things at church.

A kind friend gave me a new one, and as usual I picked it up to pray in the car on my way to Mass. But in my hand was a tangled mess. ‘Somehow’ the chain links had become stuck and the beads were forming an extra little loop. I was already driving, so couldn’t do anything about it.

I thought, ‘Aha! The Devil doesn’t want the Virgin Mary to hear my 54 day novena!”

I prayed anyway, skirting around the new loop, and untangled the links with some difficulty when I arrived at church.

This made the Devil angry.

In church I pulled the Rosary out of my purse: it had come apart. One of the chain links had opened and separated from its neighbor. Mass was just beginning, so I had to wait until afterwards to connect the links again.

Since then my Rosary has been left alone. For the time being.

Dealing With the Devil’s Head Games

Sometimes inappropriate thoughts enter my head during Mass, and I wonder where they came from.

For a moment I feel really guilty. But then I remember who put them there (another name for Satan is the ‘accuser’) and recall that the saints were often assailed by him that way. Invoking their help dispels the thoughts and the guilt.

The more we advance in our spiritual life, the more attacks we can expect from the Devil. We can take comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t bother harassing us if we weren’t on the path to salvation.

I’m sure Satan must be thrilled he’s of such use to us on our road to Heaven!

P.S. He's trying to stop me publishing this post by bringing up 'authentication errors' :)

The Fear

I get very scared when flying. Small planes, in particular, make me feel terribly vulnerable.
 
Twenty years ago, I was on a tiny ten seater flying from St Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico. The turbulence was terrifying: I really thought my last moments had come. And I had done nothing I could truly call useful for mankind during my life!
 
Bargain Making and Breaking 
 
So I promised God that if he allowed me to land safely, I would sponsor a child, since I couldn’t have children of my own.
 
We landed safely. I forgot to thank God and did nothing about sponsoring a child.
 
A New Bargain
 
A few months later, on my very next flight – you’ve guessed it – the turbulence was even worse! I apologized to God for not keeping my promise last time, and told him that if he allowed me to live through this flight, I really, really would sponsor a child.
 
As soon as we landed, I thanked God and set to sponsoring not one but two children, as I felt so ashamed of my previous behavior.
 
Give and You Shall Receive
 
I mentioned earlier that I was unable to have children.
 
Shortly after I sponsored those children, I became pregnant with my
son.
 
Have you ever had an experience where you did the right thing and were ‘over-compensated’ for it? If so, I'd love to hear about it :)