Day 9 – Satan Hides in the Details
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When we make important life decisions, we normally take more time to evaluate, to do research, and for us (Catholic) Christians, we discern God's will before making our final decisions. This is because these important life decisions can change our direction and thus fundamentally change the trajectory of our lives. That’s why these are called life decisions. We just cannot afford to be careless!
There is a saying: you are what you eat. Similarly, making lots of little poor decisions, daily, will affect your well being. These little choices we make and the way we make them slowly mold us over time, and would come to influence the way we make our bigger life decisions. The things that seem inconsequential can eventually lead our lives astray. Our lives are a summation of our daily choices, and the Devil is in the details.
If we are not vigilant, the Devil will sneak up on us in the minutiae of everyday life without our knowing. Again, we need to remember that Satan knows us well. It knows what we love or hate, and how to attract or trigger us. We make our decisions based on what we like or dislike, and our emotions. So, if Satan knows that we are impatient, it takes advantage of that by making us feel rushed so we become more prone to making careless decisions. Satan takes great delight in tricking us here and there in order to slowly win us over! It knows how to use small little baits to lead us towards its embrace. Before we know it, we are already in the Devil's trap!
And watching all of this unfold from a distance is the Father, who feels so helpless. The Father's unconditional and non-possessive love makes Him so vulnerable, so painful!
REFLECTION
Examine, in what ways are those small decisions that you have made in the past shaping your life or your approach in making those more important decisions?
Do you think you have unknowingly been tricked by the Devil over the years? Did the Devil seek your consent?
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, I know nothing is more painful than watching our loved ones being deceived. Now, I realize how sad you feel all these years watching me making all those wrong decisions against you, which has led me slowly away from You. I confess my instances of negligence through which I have offended you! Be my light, Lord, and do not allow my arrogance and ambition to rob me of my conviction to follow your way. Seek me, Lord, and lead me! You are my one and only Lord. To whom can I turn to? I trust in You!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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魔鬼吶喊說：「你是天主子。」(路4:41)這聖經章節，已揭示了原來魔鬼真的認識每個人，連耶穌基督牠也完全認識，何況每一個意志非常脆弱的我們呢？
誠然，魔鬼從來都是隱藏在事情的細節中，甚麼包裝得非常美麗，吸引我們走進牠的圈套裏。《創世紀》中厄娃被誘(創3:6)，正是一個「受誘」的例證。
主耶穌，祢也曾被誘，但卻堅決抗拒。求祢在我們遇上被誘的時候，都能效法祢的堅定意志，使我們有能力遠離種種誘惑。
今日的反思令我在小事情不可輕率作決定，多祈求是否合乎你的旨意才作決定。求祢易我明辨的心。亞孟。
Though I have been careful in making life’s little choices, I often find myself falling into the traps of Satan. Yes, they know our weaknesses so well. So when I think that I have succeeded in resisting a temptation, I might already be at the brink of falling into another. I ask the Lord to give me wisdom to discern the devil’s tricks. Do help me Lord!
對，有時會鬼掩眼，眼看未為真。天主給予人「自由」由，但人往往信自己，做了很多錯誤的決定。
慈愛的天父, 在我生命路途上, 常遇挑戰, 迷失,錯誤判斷, 這正是陷入魔鬼的陷阱和圈套, 天父,請原諒我的軟弱, 求禰在我生活上碰到人性和言語挑戰時, 請禰賜我一個平和、包容和忍耐的心, 將負面的思、言、行為轉化為正面與喜樂去面對, 有堅強的意志去拒絕魔鬼的誘惑!
聖母媽媽請為我代禱, 求天父賜我一個平安之心!
亞孟!
反省我每天的生活：再多看5分鐘的電視、再多上網5分鐘、再偷懶5分鐘就好⋯⋯然而這些5分鐘一定不只5分鐘，累積下來的結果是沒有時間祈禱、看聖書、聆聽天主⋯⋯不知不覺的就遠離了天主。仁慈的天父，我向祢痛悔！我要改過！要改過！但是我軟弱無力，請賜我力量、牽引我走向祢的懷抱。阿門
天主，求您把聖神賜給我們並臨於我們心中，幫助我們跟隨天主的旨意作出決定，拼棄魔鬼的誘惑！
天主，我們感謝您，我們讚美稱頌您?
Last week I spoke to one of the parishioners about when Temptations in thoughts come, one of the ways is to ignore it, rather than fight against it, but we also need to analyze why the temptation is occurring. We spoke about the sanctity of the moment, hence we focus on what we should be doing at that time and ignore the distractions of the temptation. It occurs to me afterwards that when we say the Ave Maria, we asked our Blessed mother to pray for us now and at the hour of our death. I have been saying the Hail Mary for almost 70 years, but I guess I am saying it rather than praying it. The single word NOW, is asking our blessed mother to help us Now. Help us to make this moment Holy. Make the 35000 decisions Holy. Small decisions, are important. Saying the Hail Mary is not the same as praying the Hail Mary. I wonder if I am saying the Ave Maria rather than praying to Our blessed Mother of God.
A few years ago, a young adult talked to me about her father dying, I told her that I have visited her father and he is ready to die, but I also told her that she does not need to worry. I asked her how many times her father had prayed the Hail Mary? I then told her, if a son asked his mother to accompany him during his death, would his mother say,”No”? Your father in his praying to the Mother of Christ, has been asking our Blessed Mother Mary to pray for him at the hour of his death, do you think the Mother of God and our mother would not accompany him at his death? She email me later and said, “Dad, is indeed ready to die”. However, I now pray the Hail Mary very differently.
Lord help me in my way especially every weekend i serve in my warden ministry i can’t find peace, love and joy. I get very upset and aggitated so much as that i want to confront the person for interferring our duty.
Help me to see my own weakness and try to understand the people around me. Satan has always tempted me because of my weakness. Grant me to be more patients and not to fall into the temptation of the work of the evil ones
Have mercy on me for not giving you my love to serve you without any complaints and judgemental way. Help me Lord.
Jesus I Trust in you.
慈愛全能的天主大父！請與我常在一起，也請派遣祢的聖神，在我心內指導我作出正確的選擇，作出每一個都能取悅祢的選擇，而且都會助我能更走近祢。
有！原來魔鬼是會先從小事改變我們，讓我們在習以為常的壞習慣下，不知不覺地跟隨了牠！
我只願跟隨至善至真的天父！
全能的天主聖父，我知道決定去留一件事是要多麽小心，特別需要聖神的恩寵帶領。??A-men
在每天生中、我相信只要深信依靠與主的關係、那麼在決定與選擇時,就不會掉進魔鬼的圈套了.
魔鬼無時無刻誘惑我，所以我常犯罪。
主耶稣，圣神，我喝求祢保守我，免我再被魔鬼誘惑，我决定弃绝罪惡，跟随祢，祢是我的主，我的救主。
Lord, I have difficulty in making decision in my life. Please help me to make the right decisions in my life.
生命裏有很多同的決擇，自己也曾迷惘、動搖，但主耶穌……祢提醒我們對天父要絕對信從、要信有堅定不移的決心。面對政治勢力的迫害，給自己的門徒出賣離棄，心是傷透了…十字架上，已失去了完整的形象，但祢所啟示的包容和我卻永遠長存。主耶穌，我願意在人羣中找到祢，全心全意學習祢，背着十字架跟隨祢。