Unless of course you wanna talk about stuff geared to kids.
That is where most of the very little that is harmless can sometimes be found.
Sadly, I just humiliated myself… thank God nobody knew what I was trying to give up.
That’s good! Keep it up! God shows us by failure failure in doing what is desired how one is a slave to the passions, which the demons rule and can lead a person around by like a pig with a ring in its nose. And like pigs we often do not realize we are reveling in and eating trash.
The apple that Eve was given was beautiful to behold, of scent and taste good in all ways. She did not think what she ate would have the consequences it did.
I will pray for you to try again and give things up until you succeed!
This is far more hopeful than knocking the timeless wisdom of the saints. Who I will note were all writers, and readers, and know far more about it and God than you or I ever will.
They are our examples and models, their writing is what we should read, not the writings of people who are separated from God in the world, or bad Catholics.
They have all the spiritual treasures we need with none of the trash.
All writers should learn from them and read them more than any other works for the sake of their souls.
‘Those who seek humility should bear in mind the three following things: that they are the worst of sinners, that they are the most despicable of all creatures since their state is an unnatural one, and that they are even more pitiable than the demons, since they are slaves to the demons.’
St. Gregory of Sinai
‘Let no one deceive you monk, with the notion that you can be saved while a slave to sensual pleasure and self-esteem.’
St. Maximos the Confessor
‘Just as iron, even without willing it, is drawn by a magnet, so is a slave to bad habits dragged about by them.’
St. John Climacus
‘With what hope will we meet Christ if we are still enslaved to the pleasures of the flesh? . . . If you wish to attain salvation, renounce sensual pleasure and learn self-control, love and how to pray with concentration.’
St. Thalassios the Libyan
‘The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts they force it to give assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, ‘When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand). . .’ (Matt. 24:15). For man’s intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by means of impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.’
St. Maximos the Confessor
‘What is the number of those who love Thee, O God? How few they are! The Elect are much fewer than the damned! Alas! The greater portion of mankind lives in sin unto the devil, and not unto Jesus Christ. . . . Ah, I pray Thee, O omnipotent God, O sovereign and infinite Good, make all men know and love Thee!’
St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
The season of Lent is great for learning humility and to finally pursue the path of a true Christian of freedom from the world, the flesh, and the devil!
