Episode 52 -- Spiritual Combat c31.3 -- Caution against Suggestions of Self-Love

Would I be better if I copied the saints exactly? No!

In this longish chapter on the devil’s fourth tactic, ill-timed resolutions, we have seen that the devil tries to drag people down who are following God by making them want things at the wrong time, even holy things. Instead of patient acceptance of God’s plan, God’s timing, God’s arrangement, we are like Eve in the Garden. We reach out and take what looks good to us! She wanted to be like God — a good thing. But she did not accept it as a gift. She tried to be like God on her own.

Fr Scupoli tells us in this episode that we cannot simply copy the saints. We need caution in reading their lives. The followed the PATH God marked out for THEM. We have to find the PATH God has marked for us. We should imitate the saints in their Love for God, but not necessarily in all the MEANS they were inspired to use to get to heaven.

We saw last episode that God sometimes even allows us to be unable to receive Holy Communion. 1) As a way to make up for our sins. 2) As part of his mysterious arrangement of our lives so as to teach us some other lesson.

That example is one example of having to conform our will to God’s will. In this episode Fr Scupoli will stress the need for RESIGNATION, PATIENT ACCEPTANCE, ABANDONMENT.