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There are all sorts of painful pitfalls to be aware of on the spiritual journey. For many, and here I most definitely include myself, it is pride, or feeling superior or better in the practise of faith than my brother or sister in Christ. How easy it is if you attend Mass every day without fail to feel special and superior to those occasional attenders. If you receive some special revelation from God, some wonderful experience to think yourself particularly deserving of that grace. Such temptations to superiority and pride are part of our fallen nature and therefore we become easy prey to the whispers of the Devil. How quickly we can pass judgement on others for all sorts of reasons. There are many temptations to puff ourselves up above others. But we all know the Lord will have no truck with that kind of behaviour in us and sooner rather than later if we are in a true relationship with God He will burst our bubble and bring us with a thump back down to earth and shamefully carrying this sin into the confessional.

You only have to read the Gospels to be aware of how scathingly Jesus treats those who want to lord it over others or boast of their prayer lives or devotion or fasting. He is often quite brutal in his condemnation of those who twist things to suit themselves and his beloved disciples are frequently taught his upside down approach. He tells them clearly the first shall be last and the last first. He tells us not to claim the best seat but take the worst. Everything, it seems, Jesus says turns our thinking upside down. So as we progress on the spiritual path of faith let us do so with great humility and humbleness of heart. We must be aware of our own failings of which there will be many in our relationship with the Divine. We must never get above ourselves. It is true we are blessed to be called children of God, it is true we are being made ready to leave this life and to enter the heavenly kingdom, it is true God loves us, it is true we are destined to eternal life in the Kingdom of God, but do not let such great truths cause us to be puffed up or to think of ourselves as better than others. Rather we are to realise our hope in the gentleness of love, to be concerned not for ourselves but for those who remain lost in this world. If we progress it is not to become better than others but so that we might serve and help our weaker members in the faith and importantly to reach out to those who are currently for whatever reason outside the family of faith.

The true follower of Christ the King, follows Him in grateful humility and is made gentle in love. We are servants of the servant King.  The Devil as St Peter tells us wanders about like a hungry lion looking to trip us up at every stage of our lifelong journey. The father of lies can appear as the gentlest whisper as a tempter who can be mistaken for the light itself. The more we progress in submitting wholly to God the greater the temptations to fall. Be on your guard at all times. We may have to fear  the authorities where we live as secularism creeps into society and our freedom to speak of our beliefs is eroded but the greater danger to our souls comes from those spiritual entities who surround us and would keep us from the Divine truth.

Put on the necessary protection, be grounded in faith, read the Holy words, be persistent in prayer and faithful in honest examination of our spiritual health, and never be so self sufficient that you can no longer seek help from others and of course throw yourself into the safety of the arms of Jesus, seek safety in the Sacred Heart.