Saint Michael

I've recently been more diligent about saying the Saint Michael Prayer, which goes:


St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Got this version from EWTN http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/michael.htm

I started saying this prayer more regularly due to stress, and noticing myself becoming more frequently worked and agitated to the point that I'd find myself harboring angry thoughts, and on sometimes even blowing up or venting to loved ones about them. Even though I knew I didn't want this to happen, regardless of my will it was incredibly difficult to fight it off at times. I figured that there must some other forces at work here, though not necessarily to blame for my actions, but in sense, cheering me on towards those "Low" moments. So I started trying to make a daily practice of saying the Saint Michael prayer every morning, and every night, and I must say I have been astounded by the effect this prayer has had on my self control. I truly feel that I am no longer cheered on to sin, but more importantly encouraged to control temptation. When the temptations arise, I don't even have to remind myself that I've said the prayer earlier, but I am sometimes surprised when I realize that I've resisted temptation, and then I'll remember that I did say the prayer earlier in the day, and I am very grateful. Sometimes I am also inspired to pray it when I'm on the brink of falling into temptation, and the strength I receive is very real. Of course, I do not always resist, but that is because of my own failings, and lack of cooperation with God's Will.

I also realize that the intercession of Saint Michael helps the symptoms, but does not act as a cure for the cause, and I must now work to conform my free will to God's Grace, through the sacraments, prayer and sacrifice. Saint Michael, I believe helps with the symptoms so that we can more clearly diagnose the cause. Prayer to the Saints and Angels helps us, leading us closer to Christ, and closer to the Truth, Love, Joy and Eternal happiness.

Seperation of Church and Status Quo

I know very ver little about the "Seperation of Church and State," but I plan to start looking in to it more. I found this quote from Thomas Jefferson, off of a Wikipedia page dedicated to this topic.

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state

I think the founders were naive, as they truly believed in One God, and Christ. I believe they never thought these words would inspire men to remove God from all aspects of our country. Why would they have printed "In God We Trust" on the coins? Who among them protested those words?

Through seperation of Church and state, was their main intention to actually protect both?

Divine Mercy

We must have mercy. Mercy on those who hurt us, hurt others, hurt themselves, need help, those who are lacking, and all of this because Mercy is one of the most powerful characteristics of Love. Love is not selfish, it is not jealous, and all of the things we know about it. We can say the same about Mercy.
It's interesting to think that there is a feast day dedicated to Divine Mercy, but not to "Divine Love," or "Divine Charity." I suppose it it is possible that there is a mistic somewhere in the world right now understanding and being lifted up to those amazing heights. However, someone lifted up to know all of love would probably end up ascending in to Heaven, just like Mary. Perhaps Mercy is more feasable for our minds to comprehend. It is a part of Love that we can actually wrap our minds around and fully embrace, and move beyond the understanding of Mercy in to the infantile comprehension of love (which actually, infantile may be the only true way to love) but we can never know Love completely, until we live with it in Heaven. Mercy actually has limits around it. We can mostly see where it begins and ends. However, I am making it sound like it is a small thing, but it isn't. It requires suffering. Anything that requires someone to offer something up requires suffering, and kind of death to self. Where there is suffering, that is where love and mercy have there kinetic energy, like a spiritual rubber band stretched and ready to explode with love and grace and kindness, or despair and sadness. Wow, it's no wonder that the devil and his minions attack us at such times. Happiness and joy are truly a result of suffering. It's always the result of suffering because it was from the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve were first cast out. Since their sin, they had to toil to earn their first moment of happiness, which probably did not come for a long time, because everything had been given to them prior to that point. Now, their happiness would always come from an element of suffering. We too derive happiness from suffering, even though we may not see it. Somewhere, some comfort that we are looking at, or eating, drinking, has come from the result of some one suffering to give us that pleasure. Sure enough, they have derrived pleasure from the money they earned for their own labor, but also, in their enjoyment at the expense of suffering.
When we have spiritual happiness, and contentment, we also have that contentment, most obviously from Christ's suffering. This is true Mercy. Suffering, no matter how great or little, but knowing, and purely for the sake of bringing happiness and peace to another human being. We can be instruments for bring temporal happiness to someone, but only Christ can bring the Spiritual happiness. Through the Divine Mercy, we appropriately exault the Passion of Christ. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, (suffering) He has Mercy on us and on the Whole World.

Just a Thought - Monastic Prisons

Prisons are also called "Correctional Facilities." I don't know what or how prisons operate to "Correct" people in prison. But I've thought about Monasteries, and how long ago, they were places of prayer for people who saw themselves as truly broken Spiritually, but realized that the only way they could save their own soul, and do penance for their sins was to live a life of completely monastic solace.

I wonder if instead of Godless prisons, there were an order started that was truly a "Correctional Facility" that focused on the soul of the prisoners, and imposed on them monastic rules based on the extreme orders of old.

Just a thought.