Instead of sitting at the Feet of my Beloved, I am rushing around fiddling with a million distractions.
It can be a frightening world in this world.
My second son is often afraid of things. He has a very active imagination and constantly considers that there are things that could harm him in the world. He sometimes worries that a bad person is hiding in the bushes ready to cause him some harm.
And while this may seem like an unreasonable concern, it is in fact a very realistic and reasonable thing for him to assume. After all, bad things happen to good people all the time. Children are harmed by dangerous strangers all the time. And yet, the fears that my son has are fears that should not be at the top of his mind. There are other far more serious dangers for my son – and for me – and for you too…
There is a great spiritual battle that began at the dawn of time, when Lucifer rebelled against the Holy Will of God and was cast into Hell. And he has spent the ensuing eons there trying to drag as many of us into Hell with him. And how does he do this? Quite simply, by inspiring us to doubt. He wants us to doubt God’s word and His message. He sends us a little niggle that perhaps God did not mean that to apply in such a black and white way. Perhaps instead God wanted us to follow along with the general gist of the thing rather than the thing itself. He uses that doubt to turn us on ourselves. Then we fail to recognise the voice of Truth within our souls, because instead of hearing His Holy Words inside my mind, I hear my own voice rattling around with my own opinions – as fickle as the wind… And then he stirs me to doubt my God. Instead of running to Him to ask for forgiveness, I try to hide my sins in my own shame. I try to delude myself as to His Holy Power…
And I have been reflecting on this today as I have been reflecting on the words of Saint Bernard, who said, “If the winds of temptations arise, if you run into the rocks of tribulations, look at the star, invoke Mary. If you are tossed about by the waves of pride, look at the star, invoke Mary. If anger or avarice or the seductions of the flesh shake the little boat of your soul, look at Mary. If, troubled by the enormity of your crimes, confounded by the uncleanliness of your conscience, frozen with fright at the thought of judgement, you start to be swallowed up by the gulf of sadness and the abyss of despair, think about Mary. In perils, in anguish, in doubt, think about Mary, invoke Mary. If you follow her, you do not go astray. If you pray to her, you do not despair. If you consult her, you are not wrong. If she supports you, you do not fall. If she protects you, you fear nothing. If she leads you, you do not tire. If she is favourable to you, you reach your aim.”
And with that in mind today, I invoke the Blessed Virgin, my Mother, for she is the enemy of Satan and will help to carry me home…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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