INTERNAL ENEMIES

  “We no longer face adversaries ‘in sheep’s clothing’ within our own house, but rather declared and brazen enemies who, having struck a pact with the Church’s principal foes, are determined to destroy the Faith (…) They wish to renew it, as if it were consumed by decrepitude; they wish to expand and adapt it to the World and its progress and comforts, as if it stood opposed not merely to the frivolity of some, but to the well-being of society.” 

 Saint Pius X. *Sacrorum Antistitum*

PRAYER

 

 

PURIFY THE INNER SELF FIRST – by Saint Augustine

"Consider what John recommends to us: 'By this we shall know that we belong to the truth'—when we love through deeds and in truth, and not merely in word and with the tongue—'and we shall have a quiet conscience before God.' What does 'before God' mean? It means where God sees. That is why the Lord Himself says in the Gospel: 'Do not do good so that men may see you, for then your heavenly Father will not reward you.' What is the meaning of the precept 'do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing' (Mt 6:1, 3), if not that the right hand represents a pure conscience while the left represents greed? Many people do many admirable things out of the lust of the eyes; in that case, the left hand is acting, not the right. It is the right hand that ought to act, yet without the left hand knowing, so that the lust of the eyes does not interfere in the slightest when we do something good out of love. And how do we know this? Stand before God and question your heart; look at what you have done and ask whether your aim was your own salvation or mere human vainglory. Look within, for a man cannot judge what he cannot see. If we are to quiet our hearts, let us quiet them before God. For 'if our conscience condemns us'—that is, if it accuses us inwardly because we are not doing things as we ought—'God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.' You, who are able to hide the depths of your heart from others, try doing the same with God—see if you can. How could you hide it from Him of whom a sinner, filled with fear and repentance, once said: 'Where can I go far from Your spirit? Where can I flee from Your gaze?' He sought a place to flee to escape God's judgment, yet found none; for is there any place where God is not? 'If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I lie down in the abyss, there I find You' (Ps..." 138:7–8). Where will you go? Where will you flee? Do you want some advice? If you wish to flee from Him, flee *to* Him. Flee to Him by confessing to Him—not by hiding from Him, for you cannot hide from Him, but you *can* confess all your sins to Him. Say to Him: "You are my refuge" (Ps 31:7), and nourish love within yourself—the only thing that leads to life. 

 Commentary on the First Letter of Saint John, VI, 3; SC 75.

The Sacrilege of Receiving Communion in Mortal Sin (Without Confession)

 

THE TABERNACLE AND THE PULPIT

 

Bossuet says: “The tabernacle and the pulpit are the two august places in the temple of God; at the one, petitions are made, and from the other, commands are issued; at the one, men speak of God, while at the other, it is God who speaks; at the one, Jesus Christ receives adoration in the reality of His Body, while at the other, He makes Himself known in the truth of His doctrine. They are the two places from which heavenly nourishment is distributed: at the former, the Word is preached in silence, and at the latter, it is taught by the living voice; at the former, the Holy Spirit, through mystical words, transforms the bread into the divine Body, and here, the same power transforms the faithful into members of Christ. Saint Augustine said: ‘Which do you consider more important: the Word of God or the Body of Christ? If you wish to answer truthfully, you will be compelled to reply that the word of Jesus Christ is no less precious than His Body; therefore, we must exercise the same care to ensure that the word of Christ preached to us does not fall from our hearts as we do to ensure that the Lord’s Body does not fall to the ground when it is given to us. For he who listens negligently to the holy word is no less culpable than he who, through his own fault, lets the Lord’s Body fall.’”

SAINT JOHN BOSCO WITNESSED A GATHERING OF DEMONS AND DISCOVERED SOMETHING TERRIFYING

In 1885, Saint John Bosco had a dream that left a deep impression on him.

What he saw appeared to be a terrifying scene...

He found himself in a vast hall where a multitude of demons were holding a congress.

The objective?

To find a way to destroy the Salesian Congregation.

And so, they began to propose their strategies...

FIRST PROPOSAL: GLUTTONY

One demon proposed using gluttony to incite:

Lethargy in doing good

Corruption of morals

Scandal

A lack of the spirit of sacrifice

Neglect of the youth

But another demon replied that such a strategy would not be enough.

SECOND PROPOSAL: THE LOVE OF RICHES

The demon explained that if the love of money took hold, the following would also enter in:

A desire for creature comforts

A breakdown of charity

Neglect of the poor

A preoccupation with living a more comfortable life

But this, too, failed to convince everyone.

THIRD PROPOSAL: MISUNDERSTOOD FREEDOM

The strategy would be to get the Salesians to start:

Disregarding the rules

Shunning difficult tasks

Creating divisions among superiors

Seeking excuses to abandon their obligations

But then, another demon appeared...

And he presented what he considered the most dangerous weapon of all.

FOURTH PROPOSAL: TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO AN END IN ITSELF

The idea was to make the Salesians study solely to gain fame and recognition.

Much knowledge...

But little service.

The goal was to make them look down on the poor and the uneducated, and to cast aside the very things for which they had been called:

Catechism for children.

Education of the poor.

The confessional.

Service to souls.

And something more: that the priests would devote less and less attention to their sacred ministry.

No more festive oratories.

No more catechism for children. No more classes to instruct the poor and abandoned.

No more long hours in the confessional.

Instead, they would devote themselves only to occasional and fruitless preaching, seeking not the salvation of souls, but the praise of men.

This proposal was met with applause by the demons.

Don Bosco then understood the danger:

Knowledge can turn into pride when it ceases to be at the service of God and one's neighbor.

And then...

One of the demons discovered that Don Bosco was there, watching everything.

He shouted and pointed at the Saint.

All the demons rushed toward him!

Don Bosco cried out:

"Leave me alone! Help!"

Finally, he woke up, exhausted from all the shouting.

The next day, he understood the message he had received:

The danger does not always lie in suddenly abandoning what is good.

Sometimes it begins when the means become the ends.

Knowledge ceases to serve one's neighbor and begins to serve pride.

Material goods cease to be a means and become an objective.

Freedom ceases to seek the good and turns into rebellion.

And rules cease to be an aid to the spiritual life.

This dream of Don Bosco remains a powerful warning:

It is not enough to know a great deal.

It is not enough to have resources.

It is not enough to be free.

Everything must be directed toward God and the service of others.

Dream 131 — Year 1885

Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, Volume XVII, pp. 385-387.

Saint John Bosco, pray for us.

DO NOT FEAR IF YOU SERVE CHRIST

"The Christian life is not for cowards—not for those who wish to strike a bargain with their enemies to gain a false peace, the peace of the defeated and the enslaved. Armed with faith, with prayer, and by shunning occasions of sin—remaining in a state of constant spiritual warfare—we shall triumph under the banner of our supreme King and Captain, Jesus Christ. He told us: 'Do not fear; I have overcome the world.' Let us all join the fight behind Jesus Christ, waging the great battle of faithfulness to Him until the very end!"

Father José Mª Alba Cereceda, S.J.