Daily Thought For May 4, 2014

-
Resisting The Enemy

1 Peter 5:9: "Resist him [the devil], steadfast in your faith .... " 

 But how can I resist evil when it stalks and tempts me? 

 Padre Pio's assurance: "Drive away [resist] what the enemy is whispering loudly in your ear when he wants you to believe you are almost on the point of being lost. Despise these evil insinuations and live in peace, for the Lord is with you as never before in your tribulations .... Take heart, then, and don't be afraid, for it is quite certain that the one who fears to be lost will not be lost, and that the one who fights with his eyes fixed on God will cry victory and intone the triumphal hymn. There is nothing to fear, for the heavenly Father has promised us the necessary help to prevent us from being overcome by temptations."

 "Always despise him (the enemy] and arm yourself against him with increasing steadfastness of faith, as it is written, 'Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith." Don't let the many snares of this infernal beast frighten you. Jesus, who is always with you and who will fight with and for you, will never permit you to be tricked and overcome." 

 Lord, arm me with faith so that, even when the enemy roars and tries to lure me into his evil ways, I will listen to and obey only you. Amen. 

from Padre Pio's Words of Hope edited by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti p.137

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Thought For October 23, 2022

-
  Powerful Reflection from The Word Among Us Let’s not get off on the wrong foot with the Pharisee in this parable. He seemed to be doing pretty well spiritually. He was not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous. He fasted twice a week and went so far as to pay tithes on all his income. He prayed at the Temple regularly. That was better than most people. So why did Jesus say he didn’t go home justified? Because the Temple was a place of encounter with God. A holy location where God and his children came together. This Pharisee seemed to be missing that connection with the Lord. Instead of speaking his prayer to God, he prayed “to himself” (Luke 18:11) and itemized his accomplishments. By focusing on his righteous acts, he was not really making himself present to God. He wasn’t inviting God to be present to him either. So he missed the chance to encounter God and receive his mercy and grace. In that sense, the Pharisee left the Temple basically the same way he had entered. The tax collector,
Read more

Daily Thought For May 12, 2016

-
With God Setbacks Become Opportunities EVERY TIME something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good. This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.  Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life. It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence. When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost. It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way. But it is possible to attain the perspective of the apostle Paul, who wrote:  Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider eve
Read more