979-8-88911-026-2

Spiritual Desolation
laziness may not serve as excuses for some to say: “God
must help me; I can do only so much for myself.”
Nevertheless, when we do fall into some fault, we
should not lose our peace of soul and union with the
will of God, which permits our fall; nor should we lose
our courage. Let us rise at once from this fall, penitently
humbling ourselves, and by seeking greater help from
God, let us continue to march resolutely on the highway
of the spiritual life.
The enemy of our souls tempts us to sin. Then
he berates us for our sin, seeking to amplify our
shame. We must never fall into the trap of self-pity,
anger, or any kind of self-focus when we sin. Our
shame and self-focus prohibit us from turning to
the One who can and will heal and restore us, and
so we find no remedy for sin. When we fall, we
should say, “I thank You, Lord, that I know my sin.
I thank You that I know my Redeemer. Forgive me.
Help me never to sin against You again. Help me
to rise and focus on loving and serving You and
those You have placed in my care.”
Likewise, we may well desire to be among the seraphs
in Heaven, not for our own glory but for God’s, and to
love Him more; still, we should be resigned to His will
and be content with that degree of glory that, in His
mercy, He intends for us. It would be a serious defect
to desire the gifts of supernatural prayer — specifically,
89