Who's Got Your Card?

Bataille
When I was a little kid, I would sit with my Maw Maw for hours on end playing "Battle" with a deck of cards. It is one of my many fond memories of time with my maw. Two cards at a time. One wins, one loses. The winner gets both cards. When there is a tie, four more cards decide the players' fate...it's like calling in the cavalry. And this goes on until one player has won the entire deck. Maw Maw was a serious "Bataille" player (of course, she always said it in French). If something came up to interrupt our game, we would put our stacks on the side and start up again as soon as we had the chance. A Battle was never abandoned!

I thought about these games this morning after reading my daily devotionals. One in particular, the meditation of the day in Magnificat, really spoke to me and led me to my computer to write (even before fixing my coffee! Yikes!) It begins by saying the devil makes us think our prayer is not "good enough" for God. It goes on to say:

 "The devil does this so that we'll give up the physical and spiritual practice of holy prayer, both vocal and mental. Why Because once we have lost the weapon with which God's servants defend themselves against the blows of the devil, the flesh, and the world, he would have what he wants from us. Then the city of our soul would be surrendered to him and he would enter it as lord. That's the only way it can go once we have lost the weapon and the power of prayer." (St. Catherine of Siena)

The devil is playing a simple game of "Bataille", winning some souls, losing some souls, all the while fighting to gain all the souls in the deck. He does this especially in our moments of weakness...those moments when we aren't sure where we are in our spiritual life.

Let Your Sufferings be your Armor
When you are in the midst of a trial is when the devil will try to make his presence known. He will tempt you, just as he did Jesus! (Matthew 4:1-11)  It has surely  happened to me.

Part of my illness has required lots of needles. Infusions, injections, dry needling and Botox treatments for muscle spasms. Needless to say, these are incredibly uncomfortable at best and torturous at worst. A very dear friend of mine would always say "you're a soldier!" My response was always "No way. Not me!" In my mind, I have always been too weak to be a soldier. But you know what, I AM A SOLDIER! AND YOU ARE TOO!

We all have our fair share of trials and sufferings. Some of them are physical. Others are emotional, mental, or circumstantial. Some of them are obvious and public, while others are kept quiet and private. But the truth is this: NO ONE has a perfect life. Everyone will have a trial and suffer in some way at some point. And this is when the devil tries to swoop in and put their card in his stack. So let those sufferings be your armor! By simply being aware of your vulnerability, you can build your armor and make it impenetrable by doing one very simple thing... PRAYING.

"Prayer in turn gives us the weapons of true humility and blazing charity, because holy prayer gives us perfect knowledge of ourselves and our own weakness and of God's infinite charity and goodness. And we come to know both ourselves and God better in times of struggle and when our spirit is all dried up. We learn more perfect humility and conscientiousness from these [experiences]." (St. Catherine of Siena in today's Magnificat Meditation)


St. Michael's Army
When I was in 8th grade, I won the "Religion Award" at the end of the year. I didn't get a plaque or a medal like all the other awards. I got a statue of St. Michael. I thought it was beautiful, and I always kept it on a shelf someplace, but it never held any significance to me other than it having been a very special award. Until I started my battle. Then I saw first hand how easily the devil can sway our spirit without us even realizing it. Now, St. Michael sits on my mantle, right next to the Our Lady of the Streets (my favorite image of Mary), reminding me that we are always in St. Michael's army.

Just last week, the Vatican was consecrated to St. Michael and the Pope called for us all to pray for his protection. Let us all remember that we are in battle for our souls and our families all the time. Pray to St. Michael and ask for his assistance.

Be steadfast like my Maw Maw and NEVER stop your game of Battle. Just remember that God is dealing the cards. Make sure YOUR card ends up in God's stack!

PRAYER FOR TODAY: PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O' Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of Almighty God, cast into hell Satan and all his evil spirits, who wander the earth seeking the ruin of souls. Amen