I wanted to tell you that after many months of struggles, I’ve overcome the sin of lust, but a new problem has emerged.

Dear Father Angelo,

It’s me again,……. I wanted to let you know that after many months of struggles, I’ve overcome the sin of lust. It’s probably too soon to declare victory, but I no longer feel the need to do those bad things. Perhaps your prayers helped me, and for that, I thank you. There might be some temptations now and then, but I try to rebuke them by immediately thinking of something else.

I also want to inform you that this step forward happened thanks to daily Holy Mass, receiving the Holy Body of Jesus Christ every single day, speaking with a trusted priest, reciting the Rosary and various prayers throughout the day, and spending at least 15 minutes thanking the Lord after Mass. In addition, I daily remind myself that I must not let my guard down because the enemy prowls around us like a roaring lion. I persevere in prayer, faith, hope, and charity, though sometimes I feel “tired” of praying. But as soon as I finish speaking with Jesus, I feel different.

However, another obstacle has arrived: thoughts. I know your website has many answers on this topic, but in my ignorance, I can’t understand when I’m sinning. As any other Christian, I would never want to think about these things, even blasphemous thoughts. I would never think such a thing, but they are there. Sometimes they come, and when I try not to think about them, I end up thinking about them even more. Then I reflect and create a thousand problems for myself, and every day when I enter church, I wonder if I’m truly in a state of grace to receive Communion.

I also mentioned this to my priest, but he told me not to pay attention to these thoughts because they come from “the other one,” and to remain calm.

Every day, I pray the Rosary, the Angelic Chaplet, and other prayers, as I need to constantly pray to feel well. I realised this when I was out for many hours and couldn’t pray. I recently discovered the Liturgy of the Hours, which I will begin soon; I just need to understand better how it all works. That being said, I thank you for all the prayers you’ve offered for me and for all the help you give to so many people every single day.

I will pray for you, Father Angelo. May God bless you!

Priest’s Response

Dearest,

Yes, it’s too soon to declare victory. But in the meantime, you’ve received a message from Heaven that says this: it’s possible to be chaste. Not only is it possible, but it’s also beautiful!

I am happy, indeed very happy, with how your spiritual life is progressing. Daily Eucharist with Holy Communion, and especially spending time with the Lord after receiving Him in your heart, is the most precious and sanctifying thing.

Among ancient Eastern peoples, being able to sit at the table of a great person was equivalent to being elevated to their very power. We find an indirect confirmation of this in the story of Joseph the patriarch in reference to his brothers. When they came to Egypt for the second time, bringing their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them, he “ordered: “Let food be served.” 32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves,..”. (Genesis 43:31-32). If his brothers had eaten at the same table, they would have received the same power. Instead, they certainly remained privileged, but not with the same power as their brother.

We find a direct confirmation, however, in the case of Haman, who had been invited to dinner by the king and Queen Esther. Because of this invitation, it is written that he ” went out that day joyful and glad of heart” (Esther 5:9). And when he returned home, he told his wife: ” Even Queen Esther let no one come with the king to the banquet she prepared but myself. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.” (Esther 5:12). In this case, he was acquiring royal powers.

This means that when we are invited to Holy Communion and approach the same table as the Master of this world, our Lord Jesus Christ, we are in some way elevated to His dignity. A spiritual author, relying on this conviction, said that after we have expressed our requests to God at the time of Communion, God can no longer govern the world without duly considering our prayer. If our prayer is according to His will, He will bring it to completion sooner or later. I therefore urge you to continue in this way, to spend 15 minutes with the Lord.

If you’d like a piece of advice, live your prayer life throughout the day as an extension of Holy Communion, like someone who speaks while continuing to sit at the same table as the Master of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ. Among your various requests, include this one: that the Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, may preserve your body chaste and your mind pure. I am certain that this grace will be granted to you because when we ask for holy things and dispose ourselves to receive them, they are surely given to us.

Regarding the blasphemous thoughts that besiege you, you’ve already read a lot on our website and also received comfort from your confessor. I’ll only add that the Lord permits all this to train you in combat. In this siege, your refusal multiplies with ever-greater strength. And so, the demons who thought they could win end up even more humiliated, considering that their temptations achieve the opposite effect. In this sense, our Lord told Saint Catherine that even demons are His ministers.

I’m glad you’ve discovered the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s a different kind of prayer because while in other prayers you pray primarily for your own intentions, here you pray with the Church and for the Church. Indeed, it is Christ’s prayer, perpetuated through time by the Church, because Christ prayed with the Psalms. And the Psalms are only understood in reference to Christ. When you pray the Liturgy of the Hours, rekindle this awareness and recite the Psalms as Saint Catherine of Siena did: she recited them together with Christ, who walked with her like two religious siblings. She would recite a verse, and Christ would respond with the other. Then, when she reached the Gloria Patri, Saint Catherine would devoutly bow towards Jesus and say: “Glory to the Father, and to You, and to the Holy Spirit.” In common recitation, you can use the traditional form of the Gloria Patri. But from within your heart, you can do as Saint Catherine did.

I thank you sincerely for your prayers for me. I gladly assure you of mine and bless you.

Father Angelo

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