Thursday, October 15, 2015

Cause and Effect

The Ripple Effect: Agustin Ruiz


Something I hear all too often lately is that people feel overwhelmed, an intensifying "spiritual pressure", if you will, that leaves folks feeling helpless and hopeless. They feel ill equipped to tackle the mountainous problems facing families, communities, and nations today. I mean, how do you change a society so permeated with spiritual rot that sin has become the norm rather than the exception?

The truth is that change begins with the individual and then spreads outward from there. With the help of God's grace, everyone can effect change.

The strange thing is that if people were aware of how much their individual actions, words, and prayers affected others, the world, and the spiritual realm, they would drop to their knees in shock. Because most of us don't immediately "see" these effects, we believe there aren't any.

Oh, but they are there. Always. Just as everything we do marks the physical world, everything we do has spiritual ramifications as well.

Don't ever believe the lie that one person cannot make a difference.

Nothing could be further from the truth - this is another of satan's great deceptions. Satan knows very well the difference one person can make and this is why he mounts attacks against every single person created in the likeness and image of God. Too many people have forgotten that they are body, soul and spirit and because of this spiritual aspect of our being, everything we do also affects the spiritual realm to a lesser or greater degree. During our judgment we get to see every single bit of this  tapestry of life in all its intricacy and if there is genuine repentance, we also get to see the mercy written into every strand. Satan loves to take someone out of "commission" because the souls in this person's care  are then placed in danger.

That is how much you matter. Everything you do matters. For good or for evil, it matters.

You have a purpose. One so critical that when you abandon your post you leave a great "hole" for the invading army to lay siege to those in your care.

Some folks confuse their lack of position in the eyes of the world with a lack of "position" in the spiritual realm and so they feel that what they do or don't do is of no importance in the great scheme of things. Thus, they don't try. They think it's a sign of humility to not take a stance because they are "of no importance" when in many cases it is simply apathy and a pride in the disguise of false humility. It is critical that people understand that things are not what they seem. Can you imagine if Our Lady refused to give her "Fiat" because she felt "there was just no way God could have possibly chosen her" as Mother of Our Lord? Or if St. Therese didn't bother with her little way of trust and love "because, after all, how could one nun who never left the convent grounds possibly make a difference?" Never would you have heard such a thing from either of them. Both had total confidence and trust in the Lord. They trusted His power.

And in these days of raging spiritual warfare so must you.

16 comments:

  1. Excellent post!!! So glad you are blogging again! We need you!

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  2. Excellent post, Mary. Thank you.

    Society is made of hierarchies, and has always been so. Imagine you or I being around at the time Jesus walked this earth. There was a ruler in Rome, Caesar, he had a representative in Israel, Pilate, and a Jewish King running the country for him, Herod, and then the High Priests, Saducees, Pharisees, scribes, lawyers, people and then somewhere in the crowd, you and me.

    When Christ was arrested and crucified; what could you and me really do? Even His disciples had ran away. He had no followers to speak for Him and He died.

    Today, life is still the same. Many people, isolated, feel that they can do nothing alone. As you rightly said, the devil feeds on this belief. And makes individual people feel even smaller than they are.

    But there is one thing each individual can do, to defeat evil and the devil. Starting with prayer. God has defeated evil by Christ's resurrection; and our prayers can, and do, defeat evil. It starts with just one individual, then perhaps two, and more and more. If we each start with true love in our hearts, in prayer, we can conquer the world and evil.

    God bless.

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  3. Thank you for your encouraging words, Mallory :)

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  4. Victor, that was well said! I think it takes wisdom and prayer to know what God calls us to do and what He does not call us to do. He calls us all to holiness and this is the "position" I am referring to in my post. A sick person could never leave their bed and still make a difference in this world. I loved your words "But there is one thing each individual can do, to defeat evil and the devil. Starting with prayer. God has defeated evil by Christ's resurrection; and our prayers can, and do, defeat evil. It starts with just one individual, then perhaps two, and more and more. If we each start with true love in our hearts, in prayer, we can conquer the world and evil."

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  5. Very good post Mary! Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the state of the world. I forget that I am not shouldering the responsibility of prayer and sacrifice all by myself. I forget that I am joining with Christ and all other believers and as a whole we can do great things. So true that each of us is valuable.

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  6. Hi Mary. Oh, how happy I am to see you writing again.
    Great posts this week. I agree with Rosebud...We do need you!

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  7. Hi Monica, I get overwhelmed by the state of the world as well but try not to let this paralyze me (note the word "try" - I have felt "paralyzed" many times when I look at sin, both my own and the sin of others). We can each make a difference if "we hold the ground" we are responsible for. I like to believe that God has positioned each of us perfectly for the times we live in and that we are like interlocking pieces of a great and mysterious puzzle :)

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  8. Hi Kathleen! How are you? I hope you and your family are all well. Thank you for your encouraging words. I've missed blogging a lot. Especially the people!

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  9. Mary, I'm so glad that you're blogging again! Thank you for this post! Your words of wisdom touched my soul and encouraged me. I am feeling overwhelmed lately and your words are a great reminder and encouragement to carry on in prayer. Love the examples of Our Lady and St. Therese!

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  10. Omigosh....Mary!!!! I feel as if this was directed straight at me! "...if St. Therese didn't bother with her little way of trust and love because, after all, how could one nun who never left the convent grounds possibly make a difference?" ...

    I suddenly see how I am, and I have NEEDED to see it. Never would God have heard such a thing from Mary or Therese, but He has heard a lifetime of such protests from me. It can feel like humility, but of course it is not. After all, who has ever been more humble than our Blessed Mother?

    Now I will pray for total confidence and trust in HIM.

    I am "glad beyond glad" that you're blogging again. Can you hear me applauding?

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  11. Hi Anne,
    Thank you for commenting on my post - I love getting feedback :) Do you know what I found so encouraging recently? How many people went to (or wanted to) see the Pope on his recent visit! Gives me great hope for this country! By the way, I loved seeing the places you visited on your pilgrimage on your way to see Pope Francis - I wanted to be there with you :)

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  12. Hi Nancy,
    Oh yes, I can relate! I don't know how many times I've felt the Lord knocking me over the head to get the point across that it's HIS power we must depend on and why should I have so little confidence in HIS power. I forget to look at it this way sometimes. (Uhm....okay, a lot.)

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  13. ... and you and your blog matter more than you know!

    God Bless you!

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  14. Thank you, Michael! Now if only I can keep writing on it...lol.

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