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Preliminary remarks After recently exploring the topic of self-deception and some common deceptions in the world and in the Church, it is now appropriate to begin a series of meditations on the Antichrist and the spirit through which he will act. I have already addressed this topic in several publications, and in 2020 I wrote […]

Isa 10:5-7,13-16 Thus says the Lord: Woe to Assyria, rod of my anger, the club in their hands is my fury! I was sending him against a godless nation, commissioning him against the people who enraged me, to pillage and plunder at will and trample on them like the mud in the streets. But this

One of the luminaries in the ecclesiastical firmament—as we might call the saints—is St. Bonaventure. His feast day is celebrated on July 14 in the old rite, and one day later in the new rite. The saint was a man who possessed rich gifts of intellect and spirit and devoted them entirely to the Kingdom

Mt 10:34-11:1 At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set son against father, daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law; a person’s enemies will be

What wonderful flowers grow in God’s garden! We can never admire them enough, especially when we consider the lives of the saints handed down to us. In fact, the Church boasts a great wealth of saints, and each of their lives—as well as their deaths—tells us the story of God’s love for those of His

Isa 6:1-8 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; his train filled the sanctuary. Above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet and two for flying; and they were shouting these words to

Mt 10:16-23 ‘Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as snakes and yet innocent as doves. ‘Be prepared for people to hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to

Today, we conclude the series on the “Great Deceptions.” In previous reflections, I have repeatedly pointed out that self-deception dims the light of spiritual discernment. Thus, one becomes more prone to falling prey to the deceptions that confront us in the world and even within the Church. Yesterday, I mentioned that overcoming self-deception is important

In yesterday’s meditation, we spoke of the danger that, if we remain trapped in self‑deception and fail to break free from it, our spiritual discernment may become clouded, so that we are no longer able to clearly recognize the deceptions in the world or in the Church—deceptions that, in reality, we should easily detect thanks

Consequences of self-deception in recognizing and defending the truth. As we have reflected on in the last three meditations, self-deception can negatively impact spiritual discernment. Even in the natural realm, we observe that when people overestimate their abilities, overlook their weaknesses, and refuse to accept limitations, their ability to judge correctly becomes clouded or disappears