Something to think about as we head into Holy Week and
the Glorious Feast and Season of Easter.
Have we prepared well? Not so well? It is never too late.
Thank you, fellow HFI-er, Tony, for bringing the
following to our attention. It is well worth reading and meditating on.
25 Secrets of
spiritual struggle that Jesus revealed to St. Faustina
Never trust in yourself but abandon yourself totally to
My will.
Trust is a spiritual weapon. Trust is part of the shield
of faith that St. Paul mentions in chapter six of Ephesians: the armor of God.
Abandonment to God’s will is an act of trust; faith in action dispels evil
spirits.
In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse
to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in my name.
In times of spiritual warfare, immediately pray to Jesus.
Invoke His Holy Name that is feared in the netherworld. Bring darkness into the
light by telling a spiritual director or confessor and follow his instruction.
Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself
immediately in My Heart.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve bargained with the devil and
lost. We have recourse to the refuge of the Sacred Heart. In running to Christ,
we turn our backs on the demonic.
At the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the
confessor.
A good confession, a good confessor, and a good penitent
are a recipe for victory over temptation and demonic oppression—without fail.
Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not
taint your deeds.
Self-love is natural but it should be ordered, free of
pride. Humility defeats the devil that is perfect pride. Satan tempts us to
disordered self-love to lead us into his pool of pride.
Bear with yourself with great patience.
Patience is a secret weapon that helps us to keep our
peace of soul even in the great storms of life. Bearing with oneself is part of
humility and trust. The devil tempts us to impatience, to turn against our
selves so we become angry. See yourself from God’s view. He is infinitely
patient.
Do not neglect interior mortifications.
Scripture teaches that some demons can only be evicted by
prayer and fasting. Interior mortifications are weapons of warfare. They can be
small sacrifices offered with great love. The power of sacrificial love evicts
the enemy.
Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors
and of your confessor.
Christ is speaking to St. Faustina who lives in a
convent. But we all have people in authority over us. The devil aims to divide
and conquer so humble obedience to authentic authority is a spiritual weapon.
Shun murmurs like a plague.
The tongue is a powerful vessel that can do great harm.
Murmuring, gossiping, is never of God. The devil is a liar who stirs up false
accusations and gossip that can kill a person’s reputation. Shun murmurs!
Let all act as they like; you are to act, as I want you
to.
To mind one’s own business is key in spiritual warfare.
The devil is a busybody attempting to drag everyone down. Please God and let
the opinions of others go by the wayside.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can.
Jesus is referring to the rule of a Religious Order here.
Most of us have made some vow before God and Church and we should be faithful
our promises—i.e. Marriage vows and baptismal vows. (We also have our Vows in
the Institute). Satan tempts to infidelity, lawlessness and disobedience.
Fidelity is a weapon for victory.
If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do
for the person who caused you to suffer.
Being a vessel of divine mercy is a weapon for good and
for defeating evil. The devil is about hatred, rage, revenge, and
unforgiveness. Others have hurt us all at some time. What good can we do in
return? Returning a blessing breaks curses.
Do not pour out your feelings.
A talkative soul will more easily be attacked by the
devil. Pour out your feelings to the Lord only. Remember, the good and evil
spirits hear what you say aloud. Feelings are fleeting. Truth is the compass.
Interior recollection is a spiritual armor.
Be silent when you are rebuked.
Most of us have been rebuked at some time. We have no
control over that but we can control our response. The need to be right all the
time can lead into demonic traps. God knows the truth. Let it go. Silence is a
protection. The devil can use self-righteousness to trip us up also.
Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of
your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him.
Simplicity of life can drive out demons. Honesty is a
weapon to defeat Satan, the Liar. When we lie we put a foot in his camp and he
will try to seduce us all the more.
Do not become discouraged by ingratitude.
No one likes to be taken for granted. But when we are met
with ingratitude or insensitivity, the spirit of discouragement can weigh us
down. Resist all discouragement for it is never of God. It is one of the
devil’s most effective temptations. Gratitude in all things wins the day.
Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead
you.
The need to know, and curiosity about the future is a
temptation that has led too many people into the backrooms of psychics,
witches, etc. Choose to walk in faith. Decide to trust in God who leads you on
the path to heaven. Resist the spirit of curiosity always.
When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart,
run away from yourself and hide in My heart.
Jesus delivers the same message a second time. Now He
refers to boredom. Earlier in the Diary he told St. Faustina that the devil
most easily tempts idle souls. Beware of boredom, a spirit of lethargy, or
acedia—the noonday devil. Idle souls are easy prey for demons. Be about the
business of God.
Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates
temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Fear is the second most common tactic of the devil (pride
is the first). Courage intimidates the devil—he will flee in the face of
persevering courage that stands on Jesus, the rock. All people struggle, God is
our provision.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you.
Jesus instructs a Sister in a convent to “fight” with
conviction. She can do so because Christ accompanies her. Christians are called
to fight with conviction against all demonic tactics. The devil tries to
terrorize souls, demonic terrorism—resist! Invoke the Holy Sprit throughout the
day.
Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always
under your control; but all merit lies in the will.
All merit lies in the will because love is an act of the
will. We are completely free in Christ. We must make a choice, a decision for
good or evil. What camp do we live in?
Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest
things.
Christ is instructing a Religious here. But, we all have
the Lord as our Superior. Dependence upon God is a weapon of spiritual warfare
because we cannot win on our own. Proclaiming Christ’s victory over evil is
part of intentional discipleship. Christ came to defeat death & evil.
Proclaim Him!
I will not delude you with prospects of peace and
consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles.
St. Faustina suffered physically and spiritually. She was
prepared for great battles by the grace of God who upheld her. Christ clearly
instructs us in scripture to be prepared for great battles, to put on God’s
armor and resist the devil. Be vigilant and discerning always.
Know that you are on a great stage where all heaven and
earth are watching you.
We are all on a great stage where heaven and earth are
watching. What message is our life giving? What radiates from us—shades of
light, darkness or grey? The way we live attracts more light or more darkness.
If the devil does not succeed in pulling us into darkness, he tries to keep us
in the category of the lukewarm, which is not pleasing to God.
Fight like a knight, so I can reward you. Do not be
unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
The Lord’s words to St. Faustina can become our mantra:
Fight like a knight! A knight for Christ knows well the cause that he fights
for, the nobility of his mission, the King who he serves, and with blessed
assuredness of the victory, he fights to the end, even at the cost of his life.
If a young, uneducated, simple Polish nun, united to Christ, can fight like a
knight, every Christian can do the same. Trust is victoriou
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