Spiritual, Not Optical, Illusions

Today I felt spiritually weak.  I prayed to God for grace and strength.  

Instantly I felt better.  Often our problems seem to us to be bigger than they truly are.  

In such moments we can choose to pray to God for the grace and the strength we need.  Then our problems seem much smaller.  

Awareness Through Choice

Here at the hermitage frequently I work in the bookstore.  I check in our retreatants, that is, our overnight guests.  

Recently when I was working in the bookstore, a retreatant told me that she found it difficult to believe that the Devil exists.  I replied that the Devil wants people to believe that he does not exist.  Does a thief who has broken into someone's home want the resident to be aware of him?