Episode 56 -- Life of St Philip V.56 -- Resisting Attacks on Our Faith

Will the devil ever try to make us think we have no faith at the time of death?

Yes. We see in this episode how the devil tries to make Gabriele Tana doubt that he believes. The devil tries to create the appearance of a lack of faith. St Philip has some very wise tactics to suggest to Gabriele. But first St Philip prayed fervently for the dying man. How we need to ask for prayers too!

Last night we saw the second kind of attack the devil used with Gabriele. Not being able to make Gabriele fall into vainglory and presumption based on his own holiness, the devil tries to make him despair through forming a distaste in Gabriele's imagination for the Holy Name of Jesus. We know the power of the Holy Name. We know that like a sacrament it makes present the One it calls upon. We know its power to soften the heart of the one praying. Gabriele so longed to use that Holy Name. But the devil tried to make the young man despair through his feeling unable to say it from the heart.