“We live in a world where actions and choices have consequences. That is what it means to be human. Those saying that the cost of living in a world where such consequences are possible is too high a cost are really asking to live in a non-human world, a world of machines running on programs or animals running on instinct. But God made a world for men and women to live in, a world of consequences, a world full of invitations to joy.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley)
“Since God will not abide in man, or in our society against our will, we are permitted to live godlessly. It is His will that we invite Him under the roof of our soul, and into our cities - He will not barge in without an invitation…” (Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky)
“There are myriad things that can keep us in bondage but three are particularly strong and weapons of the strong man (Matthew 12:43-45) that we buy into all too readily. They are self-deception, being unteachable, and control… The strong man is the devil who tries to keep us all in bondage and we often make the mistake of fighting him on our own, fighting our sinful inclinations through will power alone instead of inviting the devil’s enemy, Christ, into our lives through the Holy Spirit and fighting through our union with God which is essentially to let God do the fighting…The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order [Matthew 12:43-45] refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return.” (Sacramental Living Podcast, NET Bible, Matthew 12:44)
“God loves you, so He has set you free. He could have forced you to obey Him, but He didn’t. He could have damned you or saved you whether you wanted it or not, but He didn’t. He could have created us to be like robots who automatically do what is right. But He didn’t. He could have forced us to come to church. But He didn’t. He set us free…Love always sets you free. Someone who loves you does not force himself on you. Someone who loves you does not make you do anything. Someone who loves you invites and inspires you, hoping that you will respond to the invitation.” (Father Andrew Stephen Damick)
“No matter how dark things seem or feel, there is always hope. This hope is not a fool’s hope or wishful thinking. It is real. We see in the Bible people who were completely given over to darkness and despair being completely healed. Some of them even became saints. This hope is not a concept, nor can it be achieved through human effort alone. It is a person and can be realized only through union. The person of Christ is the uncreated light (John 14:6) in which no darkness is possible. It is through heartfelt prayer and persistence in seeking union with Him through all of the means the Church give us that we invite His light into our life to dispel our personnel darkness. It may take time and we may have many stumbles. We may even feel like the darkness will never end, but we have the promise of hope and His assurance that He is with us.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
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