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Whit Tuesday

 

Ezekiel, Chapter 12, Verse 18-19

18 Son of man eat your bread trembling and drink your water shaking with FEAR. 19 And say to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord GOD about the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: they shall eat their bread in FEAR and drink their water in horror, because the land will be emptied of what fills it—the lawlessness of all its inhabitants.

 We become lawless when we lack leaders that had a leader’s heart. God measures the greatness of a leader’s heart not his intelligence or his wealth. Ezekiel message is that God punishes evil leaders and those who follow them. No nation rises above its leadership. God desires that leaders first develop the following characteristics of the heart:

 1) Healthy personal security

2) Strong biblical identity

3) Growing intimacy with Him

4) Consistent personal disciplines

5) Pure motives and ambitions

6) Biblical values and priorities

7) Humble servant’s heart

8) Healthy community relationships

9) Principle-centered decisions

10) Compassionate love for people.

 Also, Ezekiel was warning the Israelites that this type of fear is a result of being a lawless nation. Israel had become a nation without respect for God or man and suffered exile. If we as a nation, follow the same path what could be the result for our nation? No nation rises above its leadership.[1]

 

·         Who is the prince of darkness? Does America really have a “Dark State”? Does our leadership have any of these characteristics?

 

Spiritual Warfare: 25 Secrets[2]



In Cracow-Pradnik, June 2, 1938, the Lord Jesus directed a young Polish Sister of Mercy on a three-day retreat. Faustina Kowalska painstakingly recorded Christs instruction in her diary that is a mystical manual on prayer and Divine Mercy. Having read the Diary a few times in the past 20 years, I had forgotten about the unique retreat that Christ gave on the subject of spiritual warfare. Then, recently, I was invited to lead a retreat in Trinidad based on Christs Conference on Spiritual Warfare as presented in the Diary. The Sanctuary of the Holy Family, an amazing group of lay leaders in service to the Archbishop and priests, sponsored the retreat in the Archdiocese of Trinidad and we filled the Seminary of St. John Vianney to ponder this teaching.

Here are the secret whispers of Jesus to his little bride Faustina on how to protect herself from the attacks of the devil. These instructions became Faustinas weapon in fighting the good fight.

Jesus began, My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare (1760).

1.      Never trust in yourself but abandon yourself totally to My will.  Trust is a spiritual weapon. Trust is part of the shield of faith that St. Paul mentions in chapter six of Ephesians: the armor of God. Abandonment to Gods will is an act of trust; faith in action dispels evil spirits.

2.      In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in my name. In times of spiritual warfare, immediately pray to Jesus. Invoke His Holy Name that is feared in the netherworld. Bring darkness into the light by telling a spiritual director or confessor and follow his instruction.

3.      Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart. In the Garden of Eden, Eve bargained with the devil and lost. We have recourse to the refuge of the Sacred Heart. In running to Christ, we turn our backs on the demonic.

4.      At the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. A good confession, a good confessor, and a good penitent are a recipe for victory over temptation and demonic oppressionwithout fail.

5.      Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Self-love is natural but it should be ordered, free of pride. Humility defeats the devil that is perfect pride. Satan tempts us to disordered self-love to lead us into his pool of pride.

6.      Bear with yourself with great patience. Patience is a secret weapon that helps us to keep our peace of soul even in the great storms of life. Bearing with oneself is part of humility and trust. The devil tempts us to impatience, to turn against our selves so we become angry. See yourself from Gods view. He is infinitely patient.

7.      Do not neglect interior mortifications. Scripture teaches that some demons can only be evicted by prayer and fasting. Interior mortifications are weapons of warfare. They can be small sacrifices offered with great love. The power of sacrificial love evicts the enemy.

8.      Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Christ is speaking to St. Faustina who lives in a convent. But we all have people in authority over us. The devil aims to divide and conquer so humble obedience to authentic authority is a spiritual weapon.

9.      Shun murmurs like a plague. The tongue is a powerful vessel that can-do great harm. Murmuring, gossiping, is never of God. The devil is a liar who stirs up false accusations and gossip that can kill a persons reputation. Shun murmurs!

10.  Let all act as they like; you are to act, as I want you to. To mind ones own business is key in spiritual warfare. The devil is a busybody attempting to drag everyone down. Please God and let the opinions of others go by the wayside.

11.  Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. Jesus is referring to the rule of a Religious Order here. Most of us have made some vow before God and Church and we should be faithful our promisesi.e. Marriage vows and baptismal vows. Satan tempts to infidelity, lawlessness and disobedience. Fidelity is a weapon for victory.

12.  If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Being a vessel of divine mercy is a weapon for good and for defeating evil. The devil is about hatred, rage, revenge, and unforgiveness. Others have hurt us all at some time. What good can we do in return? Returning a blessing breaks curses.

13.  Do not pour out your feelings. A talkative soul will more easily be attacked by the devil. Pour out your feelings to the Lord only. Remember, the good and evil spirits hear what you say aloud. Feelings are fleeting. Truth is the compass. Interior recollection is a spiritual armor.

14.  Be silent when you are rebuked. Most of us have been rebuked at some time. We have no control over that, but we can control our response. The need to be right all the time can lead into demonic traps. God knows the truth. Let it go. Silence is a protection. The devil can use self-righteousness to trip us up also.

15.  Do not ask everyones opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Simplicity of life can drive out demons. Honesty is a weapon to defeat Satan, the Liar. When we lie, we put a foot in his camp and he will try to seduce us all the more.

16.  Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. No one likes to be taken for granted. But when we are met with ingratitude or insensitivity, the spirit of discouragement can weigh us down. Resist all discouragement for it is never of God. It is one of the devils most effective temptations. Gratitude in all things wins the day.

17.  Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. The need to know, and curiosity about the future is a temptation that has led too many people into the backrooms of psychics, witches, etc. Choose to walk in faith. Decide to trust in God who leads you on the path to heaven. Resist the spirit of curiosity always.

18.  When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Jesus delivers the same message a second time. Now He refers to boredom. Earlier in the Diary he told St. Faustina that the devil most easily tempts idle souls. Beware of boredom, a spirit of lethargy, or acediathe noonday devil. Idle souls are easy prey for demons. Be about the business of God.

19.  Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us. Fear is the second most common tactic of the devil (pride is the first). Courage intimidates the devilhe will flee in the face of persevering courage that stands on Jesus, the rock. All people struggle, God is our provision.

20.  Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Jesus instructs a Sister in a convent to fight with conviction. She can do so because Christ accompanies her. Christians are called to fight with conviction against all demonic tactics. The devil tries to terrorize souls, demonic terrorismresist! Invoke the Holy Sprit throughout the day.

21.  Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. All merit lies in the will because love is an act of the will. We are completely free in Christ. We must make a choice, a decision for good or evil. What camp do we live in?

22.  Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. Christ is instructing a Religious here. But, we all have the Lord as our Superior. Dependence upon God is a weapon of spiritual warfare because we cannot win on our own. Proclaiming Christs victory over evil is part of intentional discipleship. Christ came to defeat death & evil. Proclaim Him!

23.  I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. St. Faustina suffered physically and spiritually. She was prepared for great battles by the grace of God who upheld her. Christ clearly instructs us in scripture to be prepared for great battles, to put on Gods armor and resist the devil. Be vigilant and discerning always.

24.  Know that you are on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. What message is our life giving? What radiates from usshades of light, darkness or grey? The way we live attracts more light or more darkness. If the devil does not succeed in pulling us into darkness, he tries to keep us in the category of the lukewarm, which is not pleasing to God.

25.  Fight like a knight, so I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone. The Lords words to St. Faustina can become our mantra: Fight like a knight! A knight for Christ knows well the cause that he fights for, the nobility of his mission, the King who he serves, and with blessed assuredness of the victory, he fights to the end, even at the cost of his life. If a young, uneducated, simple Polish nun, united to Christ, can fight like a knight, every Christian can do the same. Trust is victorious.

On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.

Whit Tuesday[3]

Introit of the Mass is again a song of joy: “Receive the joy of your glory, alleluia; giving thanks to God, alleluia; Who hath called you to a heavenly kingdom. Attend, O My people, to My law, incline your ears to the words of My mouth.”

Prayer. May the power of the Holy Ghost be with us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, which may mercifully purify our hearts and de fend them from all adversities.

EPISTLE. Acts viii. 14-17.

In those days: When the apostles who were in Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God; they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For He was not as yet come upon any of them: but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Explanation.

The Samaritans had been converted and baptized by Philip the Deacon. Peter and John administered to them, by the imposition of hands and prayer, the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Is Confirmation a sacrament? Yes, for Jesus Christ has promised the Holy Ghost not only to the apostles, but also to all the faithful, to confirm them fully in faith and charity.

What is the outward sign of this sacrament? The imposition of the bishop’s hands, the anointing with the chrism, and the words of the bishop.

What grace is conveyed through this sacrament? Through holy Confirmation, God confirms and completes in the Christian the grace of Baptism, and strengthens him for the combat with his spiritual enemies. Confirmation, like Baptism, cannot be received more than once, because the grace received in these sacraments is always efficacious if we only cooperate with it; and because in these sacraments we receive also an indelible character, which forever distinguishes the souls of those who have been baptized and confirmed from those who have not.

GOSPEL. John x. 1-10.

At that time Jesus said to the Pharisees: Amen, amen, I say to you: he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers. This proverb Jesus spoke to them. But they understood not what He spoke to them. Jesus there fore said to them again: Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers: and the sheep heard them not. I am the door. By Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.

How is this parable to be understood? The sheepfold is the Church, or congregation of the faithful; the door for the flock is Baptism; for the pastors, lawful vocation and mission from God, through their spiritual superiors; the chief pastor is Christ; the sheep are the faithful; the invisible door-keeper is the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as He prepares hearts for Jesus; the visible door-keeper is the bishop or his representatives. The thieves and robbers are the Pharisees and heretics of all ages, who lead astray the sheep of Christ, and destroy their spiritual life by false doctrines. If we would not become the prey of thieves and murderers, we must follow the doctrines of the teachers and pastors whom Christ has appointed for His Church.

Daily Devotions/Practices

 

·         Never trust in yourself but abandon yourself totally to My will.

·          Make reparations to the Holy Face-Tuesday Devotion

·         Pray Day 7 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Universal Man Plan

·         Pray for our nation.

·         Rosary





[1] John Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible.

[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.

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