GOD’S PROTECTIVE LOVE
I know a woman who has been struggling for some time with what I would call demonic harassment. She is not possessed. At least, that is my untrained opinion, based on a modicum of study and experiences over the years in work and apostolate. Several recognizable things emerge that are clear marks of activity not from God. But there is one noticeable thing that consistently appears in the fray: discouragement and a loss of hope that things will be different.
A very simple tendency in us allows that kind of spirit to take root. In the simplest terms, it is taking our eyes off Christ and trying to understand and defeat the enemy on our own. We are easily overwhelmed by a superior intelligence that knows how to capture our attention and keep it locked on distractions so that we even come sometimes to completely focus on everything but God. We may even come to think God doesn’t care when His intervention doesn’t seem apparent.
Our response instead should be one of drawing even closer to Christ in faith and deepening our reliance on Him. The mere thought of Him, the sound of His Name, and His prevailing presence are enough to make even the most malicious spirits leave and tenacious attacks dissipate. Beyond that, the Church provides additional formal help if the situation warrants it.
But the simple answer is to be like St. Peter walking on the water in the midst of a wild storm. So long as he kept his eyes on Jesus and not on the waves, he stood above even the laws of nature. But only in Jesus.
The enemy likes to remain hidden, but if he knows we are on to him, he will work to keep us fearful, bewildered, and separated from God. He will distract us from developing and relying on our relationship with God by confusing our thoughts and creating various ruckus around us. All of that can pull us away from turning to and trusting in God.
The truth is we should be far more interested in a real relationship with Our Lord than curious about the dark forces that manifest around us at times. This was the strength of the Apostles. They encountered the Kingdom of Darkness often in their ministry. But they kept Christ as their center and moved from His light and grace and strength, in the gifts He had given them (and gives us, by the way) to resist the devil and cause him to take flight. They did not allow the devil to take center stage. They neutralized him and went about their work evangelizing people into genuine relationships with Christ.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has a particularly acute insight into this dynamic and how important it is for growing in a healthy and well-ordered relationship with God. The first step is to understand that God loves us with a protective love. He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 and goes in search of the one missing. It’s a consoling truth that when we are lost, Jesus is actually looking for us and finding ways to bring us back. This has universal appeal to the smallest of children who intuitively know that this is the way God loves us, that is if the adults around them haven’t squashed it out of them with their own pessimism or distorted views of God.
When we arrive in eternity, we will know and understand many things. One of the astounding discoveries will be to see how many times Jesus, the angels, saints, etc., saved us from dangers we weren’t even aware of. How many times have they saved us, even from untimely death, so that the purposes of our lives could be fulfilled? How many times have we judged something to be bad when, in fact, it was sent as a great blessing for our lives and saved us from unforeseen evils? God’s providence never violates our free will, but it is one of the most prominent ways He intervenes in our lives for our own blessing and benefit.
Try to create an interior “room” within yourself that is for you and Jesus alone. Spend time there with Him, and let Him help you surrender to His infinite love for you. When you come to perfection in this, all your interest and attention will become rightly ordered, and all fear, even in the face of the greatest evils, will be cast out. (1 John 4:18)
1. Has Jesus ever asked you to walk on water? (do something that seems impossible for you and that demanded real faith in Him?). How did you fare?
2. When unexpected challenges come, who is the first one you turn to, whether it be for help or to share?
3. How can you grow in reorienting yourself to the Lord so that turning to Him is your immediate and first response in all things?
4. Have you ever experienced Jesus “finding” you after difficulties that may have separated or distanced you from Him?
Sr. Anne Marie
