The Interplay of Suffering and Faith: Reflections on Life's Challenges

How do we approach in our own lives the interior struggle for purity of heart, chastity? The battle, as we see in the writings of the fathers can be incredibly fierce. Part of this intense struggle is that that it is the human condition: sexuality and sensuality are part of what it is to be a human being. Furthermore, as we are in a constant state of receptivity through our senses, there are so many things that can stimulate the desires associated with this appetite. 

We also know that we can be lazy about understanding this reality of human life and equally lazy in the spiritual life in seeking the grace  and wisdom of God to order our desires towards that which is holy. Furthermore, our struggle is also with principalities and powers. The fathers teach us that the demons are provoked by envy when they see an individual growing in holiness. Therefore, they will terrorize an individual by placing images and fantasies before them. 

On an emotional and spiritual level, this often gives rise to a terrible sense of shame, casting the soul into despondency and despair. As a person struggles with this passion, the sense of vulnerability is great precisely because it is such a deep part of who we are as human beings. The demons use that sense of shame to their advantage. The mere presence of thoughts tied to this passion frustrate the soul and fragment the mind. The demons will also use the shame to manipulate the way that we respond to the struggle; they will seek to make us a demonize human desire and sexuality in order that we might repress it in such a way that it distorts our perception of reality. They do so to keep our focus off of God and his grace.  If they can keep us in despair and make us believe that God is disappointed with us, then they have won the battle. If we ignore them and turn the mind and the heart to God in prayer and rest in his grace then we are not only freed of their temptations, but experience the peace of the kingdom. 

In an uncanny way, the fathers saw and understood all of this through experience; many after 40 years of struggling came to experience freedom only through their abandonment to God and his mercy. It is then, when humbled in mind and body, that they were consoled. Having received such a gift, it then became their responsibility to console others in this delicate yet fierce struggle.

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Text of chat during the group:

00:15:28 Rachel: Hi

00:15:42 Bob Cihak, AZ: P. 188, Mid-page "From the Same Author"

00:18:05 Bob Cihak, AZ: Thanks. "Fornication" = lust as well as physical actions or interactions. if I understand correctly?

00:41:34 Forrest Cavalier: The first two accounts in this hypothesis are warning to even those who do not struggle with the intensity of this kind of temptation. Those who are unmolested are not safe by their own efforts only. God's grace is at work.

00:41:54 Rachel: I find it interesting that we can be more comfortable with admitting anger, envy, ambition and other forms of pride into the heart yet are filled with shame for temptations against purity. Do you think that other sins such as anger cease with the grace of purity of heart?

00:56:18 Rachel: Thank you. You touched upon how we see each other thank you

00:58:01 Una: I did an article years ago for the National Catholic Register about the dismal record of marriages breaking apart when the couple had been living together. Stats were very bad.

01:00:42 Vanessa: Exactly why I homeschool:)

01:03:35 MOME hermits: You are so right on with all of that Fr. David. We love your balance in it all.

01:03:58 Vanessa: Reacted to "You are so right on ..." with ❤️

01:05:31 MOME hermits: Yes, to help facilitate the person going where they need to, to hear from God within.

01:14:10 Phil: Father, could you kindly attempt to reconcile the type of vexation that a saint like Padre Pio experienced, with the quote form Jesus in the gospels, where he says, "...my yolk is easy, my burdern is light." Thank you!

01:15:12 Rachel: Not just making a fool out of ourselves by defending our own honor but losing our very Life, christ Himself

01:23:07 Rachel: Thank you

01:23:08 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you 🙂 Happy Christmas everyone 🎄

01:23:21 Troy Amaro: Thank You Father