Like so many ordinary everyday Catholics, I have been told about sin and the Devil (Satan). But, like so many of us, I did not fully realise that the Devil exist and can make use of us, or uses others, to draw us away from God. Until early this morning, having been woken from a religious dream, as I lay awake on bed, within a split second, God's grace made me realise how the Devil had used ordinary Catholics, priests and religious to draw me away from responding to God's Vocation. Both the dream and revelation were not in relation.
After that instant work of Grace, I now believe to my very bones that the Devil has been the one keeping me over the years from responding to my vocation. As I write this, I still feel the coldness running down my bones as Satan does not want me to spread this fact of his existance.
Catholics told me how Satan can use catholics, christians, priest and religious to bring us away from God. Unfortunately, like so many Catholics, I did not take this understanding of Satan to heart; though it is possible for Satan to do that, I thought, at the same time, that it cannot be true for Satan to make use of ordinary Catholics. Like so many people, I never realised that the Devil can be so cunning! I have read articles and sermons, on how the Devil works to bring down God's Kingdom by corrupting priests and religious; once again I knew this is possible, but never took this understanding of Satan to heart.
After the instant revelation this morning, I realized that the Devil had made use of the priests, religious and ordinary Catholics that I came in contact with over the years to prevent me from coming into the Loving presence of God; preventing me from responding to God's Call. At the very instant of God's Grace working in me this morning, I realized now why the Catholic Church constantly reminds us on the importance of Prayer, Penance, Mass and to have a relationship with Jesus.
For those of you who are reading this, my advice is the same as that given by Jesus in Scripture and taught by Mother Church. My advice is "BE ON GUARD", be on the watch, be observant. Like God who mysteriously uses us without us knowing, the unfortunate fact is the Devil too uses us unknowingly. But, as the Bible calls the Devil a "thief", the Devil makes use of the cracks and tiny bits of our loives to destroy the good that others has. The Devil makes use of our little doubts and our luke-warmness towards God to bring about great destruction of God's Chosen ones and of His church.
My dear people, if you are luke-warm , half-hearted, in your Catholic Faith then you do need to take extra care to arm yourself so that you will not be used by Satan to destroy your own Faith (foundation) and the Faith of others like you. Make efforts to clarify your doubts by reading good Catholic books and seeking good resources from good web-sites. Make sure you keep to your daily practices of Prayer, Rosary, the Sacraments, Scripture and the practice of Virtue. These are the basic weapons to prevent the work of the Devil in our lives. These weapons will see that Satan will perish and God's Love will reign victorious!
This day, God chose to reveal to me the foolishness of Satan. This day, God showed me some means that Satan uses to trap others and seeks to bring down the good God's Church is doing. Satan, today in the name of Jesus Christ, and through the intercession of St Michael, Satan you shall have no victory in my life!
'Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.'
PSALMS 86:11
In Christ, St Francis and St Clare,
Br Kenneth Mary Gan- of Our Mother of Perpetual Help