Novena to God the Father, Day 6
Dear Father, we are often confronted with evil, both within and without us. Sometimes it might even seem that evil triumphs. It appears powerful and tries to obscure our vision and determine our feelings.
To Mother Eugenia You said:
“Do you wish to gain victory over your enemy? Call upon Me and you will triumph over him.”
Yes, Father, we want the enemy of mankind to be defeated, both in our lives and in the lives of all men. Your Son has already won this victory for us, and now this triumph of His must be actualised on Earth! Where You are present, the enemy cannot subsist. Therefore, we must invoke Your Name at all times and in all places!
A wise ‘staretz’ once said to his monks:
“Always invoke the Name of Jesus. Say it constantly with your lips. Then you will be like fire, and the devil will not be able to come near this fire.”
If we invoke You or simply remember You silently in our spirit and in our heart, then You are present with Your love, and evil cannot resist. Where love and truth embrace, evil spirits flee.
Abba, Abba, Abba…
The more we sing or pronounce your Name, the more deeply it is inscribed in our hearts:
“As you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, ‘Abba, Father” (Gal 4:6)
Then, just as in the prayer of the heart, it will be the Holy Spirit who prompts us to repeat your Name, and we will cry out with Him: Abba, Father!
I believe that this pleases You, and our soul also delights to remain in this light, in which it becomes more and more healed.
When we call upon Your Name, we not only drive away our external enemy and block his access, but Your light also penetrates deeper into us, melting the ice around our heart. The fog dissipates and gives way to light.
You Yourself will remove the darnel that the enemy has sown and that have grown up in us (cf. Mt 13:24-30), and clear the way to our heart.
And then, Father, it will become more and more difficult for the enemy to confuse us.
Once You have established Your dwelling place within us and we have entered into an ever more intimate dialogue with You, our heart will be transformed: the shining virtues will be installed in it and the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit will unfold.
Then, the evil one will no longer find so easily where he can set his sights to deceive us.
So we no longer have to live in fear of the enemy, when we live with You, when we centre our hearts on You and put our trust in You (cf. 1 Jn 4:18).
Father, this is already a foretaste of paradise, when the power of the enemy can no longer frighten us, when we feel surrounded and protected by Your bulwark, when Your Spirit drives away the darkness:
“Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55)
Let us live, then, in Your security, unimpressed by the world of evil; let us turn away from the “deceived deceiver” and let us set out for what lies ahead (Phil 3,13b)!
What lies ahead is Your invitation to live with You in a true spirit of familiarity, closeness and trust, in a very delicate and tender way. Yes, this is a glimpse of a glimmer of eternity, for so and even more gloriously will be our communion with You in eternity, together with all Your own. And already here, in our earthly life, it can be anticipated!