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(Continuing yesterday's theme.)
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
- Samuel Chadwick
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1 COR 1:17-25; PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
MT 22:34-40
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“Let no one seduce you, no matter how.” —2 Thessalonians 2:3
Many kinds of lies deceive people into believing the wrong thing or not believing the right thing. Some believe “an oracular utterance, or rumor, or a letter” (2 Thes 2:2) without testing the Spirit (1 Jn 4:1). Some don’t hold fast to the traditions we’ve received in the Bible (2 Thes 2:15). Others don’t hold fast to the traditions we’ve received by word or letter through the Church (2 Thes 2:15). If we don’t go by the
Bible, we’ll be deceived, for “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 133, St. Jerome). If we only go by the Bible, we can still be deceived. We need the Church, “the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Tm 3:15).
To avoid being seduced “no matter how” (2 Thes 2:3), we need to know Jesus personally and give Him our lives. We need the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, Who guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13) and protects us from deception (1 Jn 2:26-27). We also need to know and live the Bible. God’s Word is truth (Jn 17:17). Finally, we need the Church. Many Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christians disagree on important truths. We need the Church to protect us from our human weakness. We need Jesus the
Truth (Jn 14:6), the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13), the Word of truth (Jn 17:17), and the pillar and bulwark of truth (1 Tm 3:15), the Church.
Prayer: Father, may I accept everything You provide to prevent me from being seduced and deceived.
Promise: “First cleanse the inside of the cup so that its outside may be clean.” —Mt 23:26
Presentation Ministries
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Abandonment to Divine Providence
- by Jean-Pierre de Caussade
BOOK II,
CHAPTER III. THE TRIALS CONNECTED WITH THE STATE OF ABANDONMENT
SECTION V. Distrust of self
The fruit of these trials. The conduct of the submissive soul.
It results from all that has just been described that, in the path of pure faith, all that takes place spiritually, physically, and temporarily, has the aspect of death. This is not to be wondered at. What else could be expected? It is natural to this state. God has His plans for souls, and under this disguise He carries them out very successfully. Under the name of "disguise‚" I include ill-success, corporal
infirmities, and spiritual weakness. All succeeds, and turns to good in the hands of God. It is by those things that are a trouble to nature that He prepares for the accomplishment of His greatest designs. "Omnia cooperantur in bonum iis qui secundum propositum vocati sunt sancti.‚" "All things work together unto good to such as according to His purpose are called to be saints.‚" (Rom. viii, 28). He brings life out of the shadow of death; therefore, when nature is afraid, faith, which takes
everything in a good sense, is full of courage and confidence. To live by faith is to live by joy, confidence, and certainty about all that has to be done or suffered at each moment according to the designs of God. It is in order to animate and to maintain this life of faith that God allows the soul to be plunged into and carried away by the rough waters of so many pains, troubles, difficulties, fatigues and overthrows; for it requires faith to find God in all these things. The divine life is
given at every moment in a hidden but very sure manner, under different appearances such as, the death of the body, the supposed loss of the soul, and the confusion of all earthly affairs.
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