Episode 39 -- Spiritual Combat c23.3 -- Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows and More Advice

How many of these little methods of using my senses to remind myself of God and the saints should I use ?

In the previous reading, Fr Scupoli’s advice on things that remind us of God, opened up a discussion of the the Three Divine Persons, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Saints.

1. God the Father - we must relate to Him as the One who oversees all and provides for us in all things by his fatherly love and tenderness.
2. God the Son — we must look to Him at all times, in all situations, in our our crosses, as our deliverer from our enemies.
3. God the Holy Spirit — we must look to Him for inspiration and promptings, especially as we read holy books.

Fr Scupoli proposes a regular relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is besides us in all our struggles with her motherly Heart of Mercy. Let us offer her our hearts. Let us thank her for all she gains for us! Let us rejoice in her faithfulness. We should especially love the Angelus Prayer.

The Saints? They are guides to heaven. Today is the feast of St Benedict Joseph Labre, the patron saint of unmarried men, the mentally ill, and the homeless. He died on April 16, 1783, aged 34 or 35. He longed to live for God and with God. But every time he joined a monastery he would exhibit behaviour that made it impossible for him to stay. He could not be obedient. He could not understand how to fit in with others. He found his vocation a a pilgrim, a perpetual pilgrim, walking all over Europe to the great shrines. His final years were in Rome, assisting the homeless, spending hours a day in prayer.

In this episode. we will read about a special devotion we can have to Mary on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. Finally Fr Scupoli gives excellent advice on the place of all these devotions in the whole spiritual combat.