28 July 2011: Falling back into sin

Magdalene, on being delivered from the seven devils who possessed her, never gave them entry again. Sadly, many do not imitate her. Jesus warns us and reveals the devil’s actions: “When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through arid wastelands seeking rest; but finds none.” (cf Mt 12:43)
The insult of the devil’s expulsion moves him to avidly explore how to regain what he has lost, determined to overcome every obstacle. “Then he said, ‘I will return to my house from where I came’.” (Mt 12:44)
Are we as keen to keep ourselves in grace and fervor as the devil does to rob us of them? Soon after we reconciled with God by a good confession, or regained fervor by a good retreat, we lose our inspiration.
We do not fear the enemy who is bent on a surprise attack. How often have we fallen back into sin? How many means of sanctification did we lose but could have been avoided if we had been on guard, praying?
The devil is not content with plans and resolutions. He takes the most violent means, bringing against us, if necessary, an infernal legion. Coming, “he finds it”, says our Lord, “empty, swept and put in order” (by grace). “Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself.” (Mt 12:44-5)
This means many others more crafty, more wily than itself, who attack us on all sides, in all ways. By joy and sorrow, by pleasure and pain, by prosperity and adversity, by love and by hate, by presumption and by despondency or despair.
The devil carefully watches us and the dispositions of our hearts, while we neglect to examine ourselves, or do it very superficially. The devil does not rely on its own strength, but seeks for help. While we, confiding too much in ourselves, do not, even in the most violent temptations, run for aid to God and to the saints.
Pride prevents us from presenting ourselves to our spiritual directors to seek their aid and counsel. Pride separates us from God, and deprives us of the grace we need to sustain us. We unwittingly help our greatest enemy.
When by presumption, negligence, or weakness, we have opened our hearts to the devil: “It enters in and dwells there”, says our Lord, “and the last state of that man is made worse than the first” (Mt 12:45).
Why so? By repetition, sin loses its horror. The withdrawal of so much grace weakens the soul. Light and faith are darkened. Bad habits are formed, and become, St Augustine said, speaking from experience, a second nature. ‘It is the greatest misery that can befall us.’
Let us try to understand this misery and have a lively fear of a habit even of venial sin, especially of a state of tepidity. It is so hard to get out of it. When such a thing happens, says St Bernard, “I look upon a change as more wonderful than the raising of the dead to life”.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp475-7

Christ Came to Bring Joy
I came to you as a servant of Jesus Christ, and I want to speak about him. Christ came to bring joy: joy to children, joy to parents, joy to families and to friends, joy to workers and to scholars, joy to the sick and to the elderly, joy to all humanity. In a true sense, joy is the keynote of the Christmas message and the recurring motif of the Gospels.
Recall the Angel’s words to Mary: “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter, the Lord is with you.” (Lk 1:28) And at the birth of Jesus, the angel announced to the shepherds: “I come to proclaim good news to you, tidings of great joy to be shared by the whole people.” (Lk 2:10).
Years later as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a colt, “the entire crowd of disciples began to rejoice and praise God loudly. ‘Blessed is He who comes as King in the name of the Lord!’” (Lk 19:37-8)
We are told that some Pharisees in the crowd complained, saying, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples”. But Jesus answered: “If they were to keep silence, I tell you the very stones would cry out” (Lk 19:39-40).
Are not those words still true today? If we are silent about the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, the very stones of our cities will cry out! We are an Easter people. ‘Alleluia’ is our song. With St Paul I exhort you: “Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4) And rejoice because he is the master of our life!
Ref: Cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, p272-3

Spiritual Communion: Our desire to receive Christ
All the conditions for receiving sacramental Communion fruitfully come down to just one -- “hunger for the Holy Eucharist”. (cf R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Three Ages of the Interior Life”, Vol I) We should not allow anything to take precedence over this hunger and thirst for Christ.
Saint Catherine of Siena compares this desire to several people each carrying a candle of different weight and size. When the candles are lighted, one with the heaviest candle gives the most light. (St Catherine of Siena, “Dialogue”)
This intense desire to receive Communion -- a sure sign of faith and love -- will lead us to make many ‘spiritual communions’. We can make them before receiving him sacramentally and throughout the day, wherever we may be, or whatever we are engaged in.
“A spiritual communion consists of an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, and a loving embrace as though we had already received him. ... It can be made without anyone noticing us, without our having to fast, and it can be made at any time.” (cf St Alphonsus Liguori, “Visits to the Blessed Sacrament”) We can express this desire in simple words such as -- “I wish Lord to receive you with the purity, humility and devotion with which your most holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints.” (cf A Vazquez de Prada, “The Founder of Opus Dei”)
Our Lady will help us to prepare our souls ‘with the purity, humility and devotion’ with which she received him after the announcement made by the Angel.
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:188-92

• Our Lady of Foye, at Gravelines. This image is very much celebrated in the country. — History of Our Lady of Foye, at Gravelines. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of Faith (at Gravelines, Northwest of France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Victory over the Turks by the Knights of Rhodes in 1480 through Our Lady’s intercession. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)