A blessed Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary! She is also honored today under the title Our Lady of Victory. The two titles really go hand in hand, as the Rosary is a proven instrument of victory over danger and evil.
I finally made it to Confession this evening, so that was a bit of a personal victory for me. Or rather a victory of God’s grace and mercy within me.
And now I go forward on this blessed day, healed and whole once more. I asked Our Lady of Victory for her prayers and help. I asked her to help me be a strong and virtuous and faithful daughter of God, always victorious over sin–a woman modeled after her. I prayed for a renewed dedication to the Rosary. I also asked her prayers and help for the United States, since this county is under her patronage.
Lord, hear her prayers and mine!
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8 October 2010 at 11:59 AM
Lexington at work
Nothing can replace The Sacrament of Confession. Through it, one receives the grace to resist temptations.
I would never presume to state I know your of interior conflicts, but do you think you had filled a legitimate desire with something illicit? I only ask in the hopes you might recognize what might transpire in a moment of weakness. I have been there all too many times. The question then becomes: what is it you really want?
I am very happy you have been so strengthened in The Love and Unity of Our Lord.
You are truly Mary’s Daughter. Many Blessings.
9 October 2010 at 9:02 PM
Practicing Catholic
Lexington, thank you for your comment. You raise a good point, and it’s similar to what a priest told me once in Confession: that we often give into temptation when we feel that we are lacking something, when we feel that there is a void in our hearts.
In order for the Enemy to succeed, he has to make it seem as if he offers something good or valuable to us. He knows that human beings long for good things, and that we are really good at rationalizing things to convince ourselves that they really are good and desirable, even if we know that they are not–he learned that lesson from Eve.
We need to examine ourselves and our lives, our desires and motives, and we need to be objective in examining claims upon our desires. We need to be vigilant against the little nudges of the Enemy (it always begins with little nudges, as a different priest reminded me once).
When we fail in this rigorous examination and in that constant vigilance, that is when we are likely to fall into mortal sin.
In my case, I really think that pride and complacence also were factors. Sometimes, in regard to certain sins, I tell myself, “Oh, I don’t need to worry about that. I haven’t done that sort of thing in ages. I’ve mastered that and won’t ever do that again.”
And… that’s exactly when I fall into it again! Because I let my guard down.
God bless you!
13 October 2010 at 4:41 PM
bobet
Thank God for leading me to this blog. I can relate to most of what have been written in this post. God bless!