Pray Constantly for Ourselves and our Enemies

“Our enemy who plots against us plucks up courage when dealing with the weak, but when anyone takes up a weapon and faces him, he becomes a coward.” St. Padre Pio

I remember when I had to learn how to ride a bike. My chain got tangled in the training wheels and I was at a loss for what to do. I went to my dad almost in tears at that tender age and asked for help. He took off the training wheels, put the chain in place and then sat me on the bike. I looked at him and welled up again. I wondered how I would ride this bike without any support. He smiled, balanced me on the bike and sent me on my way. I never forgot that day as I rode my bike around the neighbourhood like I conquered the world. I still ride a bike often to this day. It was a scary time then and as an adult now, I still become afraid. I have been in places where others around me were not friends but worse, they tried to sabotage everything I tried to do. I went ahead with what needed to be done and moved on when I needed to.

“The enemy surrounds us, and we shall perish unless we fight. If we really fight, we are given assurance of victory.” St. Francis de Sales

We need to be strong. I read recently about a young Brazilian girl, St. Albertina Berkenbrock. She was martyred for chastity. She was so young, and a colleague of her father attacked her. Once he realized he wouldn’t be successful, he killed her so as not to be identified. She died but what she did for Christ is never forgotten. We need to stand firm in our faith. It is Christ who sustains us – always. Sometimes I look for signs in my daily life, but I was reminded recently that we cannot simply reduce Christ’s love for us to signs. It is a relationship that we must work towards. Christ loved us first. We need to be reminded of this every day. God is not some astrological sign, but He is our Father, and He loves us very much.

“God will not allow you to be lost if you persist in your determination not to lose Him.” St. Padre Pio

Recently, speaking with my Carmelite friends in the convent, I recounted various events in my life. They smiled at me in their faithful way they always do and told me how Moses had the Egyptians chasing after himself and the Hebrews. He was stopped at the Red Sea, and he must have felt defeated. He asked the Lord what to do and God said to continue. Moses must have wondered – continue to go where? The sea opened and the Hebrews were saved.

“We must show love for those who do evil to us and pray for them. Nothing is dearer or more pleasing to God than this.” St. Bridget of Sweden

It is so important to remember how much our Father loves us. The Italians have a saying that goes, ‘when one pope dies, there will be another.’ It is not being cynical or indifferent, but it is a reminder that God will never leave us alone. He loves us and His Church. We can be overwhelmed by so many events in our lives. The future's not ours to plan. The mystery of the future is left up to God. I can cite example after example of the need to be steadfast in faith. I read about Blessed Franz Jagerstatter. He was another example of someone who refused to give up his Catholic faith during the turbulent years of World War II. He was declared a martyr by the Church. Such courage!

“Let us love our enemies, bless those who curse us, pray for those who persecute us. For love will conquer and will endure for all eternity. And happy are they who live and die in God’s love.” Blessed Franz Jagerstatter