Remember ...

 

All saints were sinners.

 

(For us, that means) ... 

 

All sinners can be saints ...

Guardian Angels

 

What kind of relationship do you have with your guardian angels? Are you aware that you might have more than one angel working for you, according to your needs and prayer requests? Do you realize that even the archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, know who you are and that they want to be involved in God's plans for you?

 

Angels are popular even among non-Christians, but most of the attention given to angels lack one very important piece of the picture. Jesus says, "You shall see heaven open up and the angels of God ascend and descend on the Son of Man."

 

The word "you" in the original Greek is plural; it's meant for all of Christ's disciples. He wants us to realize that angels travel between between heaven and earth to work for our benefit, but their ministry depends upon Him. Angels deliver God's messages to us, angels help us every day, angels love us, angels enjoy being in a relationship with us - but it is always through Jesus.

 

When the archangel Michael battled against the dragon, he defeated Satan and his minions because of the future victory Jesus would win on the cross. The holy angels defeated the evil ones "by the blood of the Lamb" that would be shed millennia later on our behalf. Their victory depended on Jesus.

 

The responsorial Psalm is a song with the angels. Whenever we praise God, angels join us. If we praise God in the midst of difficulties, angels surround us in a chorus that fills the air with their trust in God and their love for us and their holiness. Evil spirits won't stick around. Why not? Because this trust and love and holiness come to earth through Jesus. He is always in the midst of our praise.

 

No concern of yours is too small -- nor too big -- for your angels. Have you lost something? Ask the ministering angels to lead you to it. Are you waiting to get through the red tape of bureaucratic paperwork? Send an angel to put your papers on the top of the pile. Are you going on a long drive? As the angels to clear the way before you. Ever need a parking space near the store on a stormy day? Ask an angel to go save a spot for you.

 

Angels listen to us. They learn how they can minister to us when we ask out loud. One day, while on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, a group was climbing a steep hill and there was a man who was running out of breath and energy. He said, " Ministering Angels, push me!" Immediately, the man was able to move faster and easier to the top of the hill. What a great witness to the exhausted people who heard him and saw the results!

I have had sooooo many write and tell me about their children leaving the church and how they want to pray to their children's saints for their redemption ... this is a beautiful prayer for all of you ... know that I am praying for them too.

 

PRAYER FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE LEFT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

Watchful Father, You gave me the responsibility to bring up my children in the Catholic Faith, which has the fullness of Your Son's teaching and the riches of His seven Sacraments. I pray for my child(ren) and any person who has left the Church founded by Your Son, Jesus. May they return to the one true Church in which all are one in You. With Your Son's death, I unite my prayers, works, joys and sufferings in reparation for any of my sins which may have led anyone away from you and Your Son's Church. Through the merits of Your Son's sacrifice on the cross, may they be brought back to Jesus and His Bride, the Church. I ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Monica, pray for us.

 

(keep in mind that St. Monica prayed for 30 years for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine! Never give up hope!)

UNSUSPECTED 'TOEHOLDS' OF DEVIL INCLUDE COMPULSIONS TOWARD EITHER DISORDER OR OBSESSIVE CLEANLINESS

When you see those shows on "hoarding," and you get a strange feeling, maybe it's because there's a spirit attached. It is very strange, even eerie. Hoarding in this sense means those who are addicted to keeping things -- filling their homes with junk and even garbage. They can't throw anything away, including worthless, unsanitary items.

While we don't usually think of clutter as a "toehold" for the devil, it can be just that, argues author John LaBriola in Onward Catholic Solider. "God is a God of order, not of clutter or chaos," he says. "The spirit of disorder or chaos is a subtle, yet reliable toehold.

"If your bedroom is buried underneath a pile of dirty clothes, if your family room is strewn with empty pizza boxes and old newspapers, if your desk is submerged under piles of paper, then Satan has an opening.

"Clutter and chaos do not come from God. Clutter and chaos are a derivative of sin and therefore, where there is chaos there you will find a potential home for evil spirits.

"Whether it is money, shoes, purses, tools, religious articles, golf clubs, music, books, etcetera, excess accumulation of goods lends itself to spirits of greed, gluttony, and self-reliance," says the author (whose book we highly recommend). ""If you seem absolutely compelled to have the latest model or version of an item, then that is a potential entry point for evil spirits. If you financially strain yourself to keep up appearances, then that is a potential entry point.

"If you hoard money, seeking earthly security above eternal security, then that is a potential entry point. If you have a wardrobe that is sufficient to clothe a small army, then that is a potential entry point. The amassing of earthly honors and rewards can also become a point of entry."

The solution? A life of discipline and simplicity. It's how saints conducted themselves.

However: a compulsion toward cleanliness or order can also be an entry point for Satan, states LaBriola. Anything obsessive is suspect. The key word: balance. "To demand sterility and spotlessness, to be obsessed with cleanliness, can be an opening," he claims. "Don't let Satan use good virtues like cleanliness or orderliness to draw you away from God. Proper order usually includes cleanliness, but proper order always puts God first. The spirits of chaos, disorder, perfectionism, compulsion, sloth, anxiety, and so forth operate here."

Is it a virtue to keep something and not waste? Yes. As long as the item is useful. Is it a virtue to be clean? Absolutely. As the saying goes, cleanliness is next to Godliness.

But remember that the devil is a spirit of extremes, compulsions, and obsessions (hear the hiss?).

[resources: Onward Catholic Soliderand No More Orphans!]

(thank you to www.spiritdaily.com for their wonderful articles!)