090225

 

Crying because I'm so tired of rushing through the morning prayers on audio. I want to really SAY them and MEDITATE on them.
But I always feel so RUSHED,  and even worse, those ~35 minutes of waking up both this body & this apartment are scary unless I'm praying the whole time?? I need to saturate my mind ENTIRELY WITH GOD first thing in the morning or I feel totally broken and wrong for the rest of the day.
My problem is I'm always moving, always running, always booked down to the second... and these prayers NEED me to SIT DOWN and SIT STILL with them. I actually NEED to "waste time" with God.

FINALLY said ALL the morning wall prayers as restitution
FINALLY felt at PEACE

Read an ENTIRE Animorphs book during exercise again
It is so much better for my mind than the music actually.
I think I desperately need the QUIET.

Body is SO TIRED and weak???
Hurt so bad going to Mass BUT we did it!


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https://mailchi.mp/171936d637e7/highly-recommended?e=46a61e9d95

"We live in a world focused on achievement and measurable accomplishments and results; where people present their “best selves” on resumes and job interviews. The "best qualified" candidates get the job. Not so in the monastery. While there are minimum requirements the Church demands in those attempting the life, it is not so much being "qualified" for a specific "job" but rather discerning if there is a "fit", a potential to live the life God asks and to do so within a particular monastic family.
Ultimately the source of the vocation is the call from Jesus drawing a soul closer, firstly, to Himself, and THEN specifically to a particular way of life in the Church. We can have all the ‘right boxes’ checked that make for success in the world, and God may even use some of them [in our vocation] as nuns over the course of our lives. But what counts is the relationship to Jesus and to one’s sisters– a relationship with the divine and the human. Love God. Love neighbors. And don’t fret on recommendations. As the saying goes, “Our Lord does not call the equipped. He equips the called.”"
(I've been actually sick & losing sleep over vocation discernment lately. I'm so afraid I won't be accepted, that I won't "fit" anywhere somehow. I don't know where to start or who to reach out to. Not only that, but I am scared and ashamed to tell the communities I DO reach out to that I'm actually a FAILURE in the eyes of the world. I have NO recommendations or achievements. My only "measurable results" are of how badly I've screwed things up in my life, with all my mental illness and sinful hedonism and sexual horrors and eating disorder hell. Will all that work as a "reverse resume," instead presenting my "worst self" as "proof" that I don't belong anywhere in religious life? No. That's the devil talking in despair. But I am haunted nevertheless. Maybe my evil history IS an insurmountable obstacle to taking holy vows. I hope not. This email gives me hope that it won't. God is using me as proof of His grace and mercy, of His ability TO save and sanctify even the worst of people, which I am. And I cannot let the devil blind me to that truth, or take away my joy in Jesus. Solemn vows or not, specific community or not, I have already dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, and nothing will ever change that. I KNOW I have been called, in one way or another. So I need to hold on to HOPE with utmost loving FAITH. God WILL equip me for whatever He has called me to, even if I don't feel equipped, or see where I'm being led. I don't need to know the details ahead of time though. I just need to TRUST HIM and ACT ON THAT TRUST, through both PRAYER and ACTION. I cannot stop reaching out to religious communities, but I ALSO need to do a LOT MORE DISCERNMENT alongside it. I need to know my own heart that God gave me, so I can focus my efforts according to His Will and direction, as the Holy Spirit leads me– but I can't do that unless I LISTEN to Him first. So, prayer is foundational. But I keep moving forwards, drawing closer to Jesus every day first of all, because that's where everything else begins and ends. No matter where I end up, Jesus is the source and summit of it all; Jesus is my goal and reward and wages and inheritance, my portion and my prize, my treasure and my song, my all and my everything. I want and need to live like that right now, every day, no matter what. THAT'S what "qualifies" me in WHATEVER my true vocation is. When I truly love Jesus, I will truly love others too, and I will be ready to enter a common life of love with both. God knows I want that more than anything. I yearn for it, I hunger for it so much. I don't know the particulars of how it will play out, but I know I'm called. I want this relationship to define every moment of my existence, and I want that manifest in my daily life as concretely and totally as possible. I want to live as God's handmaid. I want to serve others as I serve Him. I want to be a nun!! Lord Jesus please lead me on that path if it be Your Will!!)

"I’m highly recommended, 4.0 GPA, athletics, academics, well rounded, very active in my parish."
"Ah! Very nice dear but this this isn't college admissions. This is about religious life."
"Of course! Surely in my application you can see what an asset I present to your community."
"Your papers are wonderfully in order but are you in this for YOU or for JESUS? Where is He in these files? Tell me about His relationship with you."
(...would you believe this actually gives me even more hope? Me, with my abysmal lack of recommendations, my dirtpoor GPA, no athletics, no academics, about as rounded as a triangle, and not involved in many parish groups at all (although God knows I want to do more for Him)? I could never get into college. I could never get hired for a good job. In the eyes of the world I am useless, worthless, rejected. I'm a liability and a burden, not an asset. I'm a challenge, an annoyance, an outcast, a freak... you get the idea. I'm a nothing, a nobody, and I don't fit in anywhere... except with Jesus. I don't have any papers, but I have my Bible. I'm in this "for me" only inasmuch as all I want is Jesus. His Fingerprints are all over my files. His Face is the only impression I want reflected in me. Jesus is all I live for, the only Love of my life... except, I now pause and ponder in fear, is He? "Tell me about His relationship with you." He saved me from hell and He is the center of my life? I talk to Him constantly and I go to Mass and Adoration daily whenever possible, just to be with Him and worship Him and love Him and see Him, because without Him my life is empty and miserable and hollow and scary and not life at all? I love prayer and Scripture so much, so ardently, than when I'm not able to do either I literally start to cry because I feel my soul is dying? I hunger for His Words like a haggard and starving man; I seek His Presence like a beggar seeking shelter in a blizzard. I need Jesus more than the air I breathe. Is that enough? I ache to the point of tears when I see people suffering because I don't know how to help them. I would gladly empty out my wallet to feed the widows and clothe the orphans and educate the poor and heal the sick, but even moreso I WANT to empty out my strength for them. I want to actually, physically, tenderly, attentively, lovingly care for them as a real person, one on one, in a way that matters. I want to lift the spoon to their lips, to hold the bottle to their mouths. I want to guide their arms into clean sleeves, and their feet into sturdy shoes. I want to bathe them and bandage them, to comfort them and console them. I want to teach them about our Lord not just with words, but with actions– I want to declare His Loving Mercy with my hands and feet as much as with my tongue. I NEED to. I DESIRE to, so much it's killing me. Maybe it's the woman instinct in me, but NOT pouring out my very life for others is UNBEARABLE. I literally NEED to give myself for the sake of those in need. So... that actually gives me a good direction. Thank You Holy Spirit. I used to think that my ardor for God could only be "satisfied" in a cloister, praying for hours every day in the quiet, working in silence, staying out of the world yet interceding for it constantly. And I would indeed be happy with such a life... or so I thought. Then I realized, with a shock, that God has been preparing me my whole life for something "more." He has put in my heart a fire of servanthood. Yes I would be blissed out to spend my every day saturated with prayer, but if that meant I could never love someone as immediately as I loved my grandmother as she was dying... well, I think my heart would be miserable, because THAT is PART of my TRUE vocation!! My whole life I have been MEANT to serve others. And I WANT to, I MUST continue that in religious life. No matter how much I dream of that silent contemplative life, I have to be brutally honest here. God wants me to be apostolic. "Am I in this for ME or for JESUS?" And I KNOW that if I truly AM in this for Him, then I must serve Him and love Him in the poor. The idea of not doing so is unbearable. THAT'S my "proof," my "recommendation". I cannot imagine living a life all by myself, without reading out in active charity to the anawim, to my brothers and sisters in need. God has lifted me from the miry clay, from the dung heap, from the deep waters– I need and want to help Him do the same for others. God has given me back my dignity and humanity after I lost and almost destroyed it– I want and need to preserve and sustain and enrich those same things, those basic human rights, in ALL those for whom they have been stolen or hindered or damaged or even denied. I want Jesus to live through me. I want to have my life in Jesus. I want to do the Will of the Father. That's all I've got. That's all I have to offer. That's all I know and have in this world, is Him. And I know, I know that, in the end, no matter where He leads me, that is enough. Jesus is enough. And as long as He is the center and goal of my life, and as long as I can bring Him in mercy to those who suffer, I will be happy. I just await His direction on the particulars. I will pray, and listen, and trust, and act, and follow, and serve, and love, until the day I die, where I will be truly happy with Him forever– with Him, and with all the saints who lived to love and serve Him too. We're all in this together, on heaven and on earth. May I live my mortal life in the light and hope and love of our shared eternity... and Lord, if it be Your Will, may I live it in religious life!!)

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https://drelisblog.com/hagar-and-abraham-s-god/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=hagar-and-abraham

"...Sarai, the wife of Abram... faced the profound sorrow of infertility in a culture where bearing children was a central measure of a woman’s worth. The Hebrew word for Sarai’s barrenness, ‘aqarah, conveys not just physical sterility but a deep, existential emptiness, a void that echoed her unfulfilled role in God’s promise to Abram."

Sarai’s harsh treatment of Egyptian Hagar, described as va-te‘anneha, echoes the later oppression of Israel in Egypt, hinting at a cyclical pattern of human sufferingSarai’s harsh treatment of Egyptian Hagar, described as va-te‘anneha (“she afflicted her”), echoes the later oppression of Israel in Egypt, hinting at a cyclical pattern of human suffering

Feeling humiliated and powerless, Hagar fled into the wilderness, seeking escape from her mistress’s cruelty. Hagar’s flight into the wilderness marks a pivotal moment, as it introduces the first of several divine interventions... Hagar’s later naming of God, suggests a direct divine encounter, unique for a non-Israelite slave woman. The angel addressed Hagar with compassion... tender yet probing, acknowledging Hagar’s identity while inviting her to articulate her story—a rare moment of agency for a marginalized woman.

The angel instructed Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her authority, using the Hebrew verb hit‘anni (“humble yourself”), which echoes Sarai’s earlier affliction but reframes it as an act of endurance with purpose.

The angel’s promise that Hagar’s descendants would be multiplied beyond counting (“too numerous to count”) mirrors the covenant language given to Abram, elevating Hagar’s role in God’s plan.

"Her son, named Ishmael, meaning “God hears,” derives from the Hebrew root shama‘, underscoring God’s attentiveness to her cries... Hagar’s response is profound. She named the Lord who spoke to her El Roi, meaning “the God who sees me,” a name unique in Scripture. The Hebrew verb ra’ah (“to see”) carries a sense of intimate perception, suggesting God not only observed Hagar’s plight but truly understood her. The well, named Beer-lahai-roi (“the well of the Living One who sees me”), combines chai (“living”) and ro’i (“my seer”), emphasizing a dynamic, life-giving encounter with the divine. This moment underscores a central theme: God’s attentiveness to the marginalized, woven into the Hebrew text’s emphasis on seeing and hearing."

"...God’s instruction to heed Sarah emphasizes divine alignment with her demand, yet softens it with a promise for Ishmael. Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away with minimal provisions— trusting God’s provision."
(WHICH WAS ONLY MORALLY LICIT BECAUSE GOD HAD PROMISED TO "MAKE ISHMAEL A GREAT NATION"!!! So Abraham had FAITH that GOD WOULD NOT LET HIM DIE... I'm just worried if Abraham felt the same about Hagar. We Know God did.)

"In the wilderness of Beersheba, as their water ran out, Hagar’s despair is vivid in the Hebrew tissa’ et-qolah (“she lifted her voice”), a raw outpouring of grief. God’s response came... calling from heaven and affirming that God shama‘ (“heard”) Ishmael’s cries. The Hebrew phrase va-yipqach Elohim et-‘eyneha (“God opened her eyes”) to see a well suggests a miraculous revelation, tying back to "El Roi' where it is Hagar that was seen by the Lord."


"...the Hebrew text unveils a God who transforms human brokenness into divine promise. Hagar, a marginalized slave, found hope in the wilderness, seen and heard by Abraham’s God. The story weaves a tapestry of divine attentiveness, affirming that no one is invisible to God. Abraham’s anguished obedience and Sarah’s frail humanity reveal that even in our deepest struggles, God’s covenant and purpose endure, working out his redemptive purposes through Isaac and Ishmael alike. This story reminds us that with our God, no pain goes unnoticed, and no cry goes unheard. Like Hagar, we are called to rise and help others rise from despair—to trust God, who opens our eyes to wells we may currently not see. The God of Hagar and Abraham sees us, hears us, and weaves our fractured stories into His eternal tapestry of hope, where every life finds purpose, and every tear [is given] purpose and redemption."

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https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-robots-are-taking-our-jobs

"Because modern man has, in many cases, not yet found God, he is perpetually restless, waiting around for the “next big thing.”"


"Colorful predictions, equally obnoxious in their optimism and their pessimism, have a choke hold on popular sentiment. This sort of garish pseudo-prophecy presents two possible futures: either we will enter a glorious new age of AI-powered prosperity, or we will suffer total annihilation at AI’s “hands." Of course, I don’t think it’s that simple. Neither does our Holy Father. Pope Leo XIV is no naive idealist, nor is he a fearmongering prophet of doom. He models the Catholic approach to developments in science and technology: not outright rejection (unless they are obviously evil) nor immediate and complete acceptance; rather, a cautious examination of their merits and drawbacks within the context of the Faith."


"...many present-day scientific and technological developments... seem to be made largely for their own sake; for the sake of a nebulous and often deadly concept of “progress.” “Progress” as the raison d’être for new technologies has given us several intrinsically evil things, like IVF and contraception, and an innumerable number of things that are, at best, dubiously moral..."

"...man keeps making dinosaurs, no matter how many times he’s warned of the consequences. Some of the dinosaurs are welcome developments and basically harmless. Unfortunately, AI is more like a T-rex than a triceratops. And metaphorical “dinosaurs” like AI are far more insidious than the real thing. You can’t always tell when they’re eating you alive—when they’re stealing your soul. 
AI would be a lot “simpler” to deal with if it was a T-rex— if it was as obviously physically deadly as some people make it out to be. In some cases, maybe it is. Time will tell. But I have a feeling that, for the most part, it will go the way of many major technological developments within the past century: just another excuse to sell us more stuff, to make already mindless consumers even more mindless, to dull and deaden our intellect and will. This is the most likely way by which AI will “destroy” us— not by killing the body but by killing the soul. Such is the devil’s subtlety."

Pope Leo has already warned us of... this stripping away of our dignity. Quoting Pope Francis, he called it an “eclipse” of our humanity... many of us will be tempted to let go of some of our own human faculties in favor of AI’s supposed superiority. Maybe we’ll use it (maybe we’ve already used it) to do our writing for us, our designing, our thinking, our creating..."

"Despite the misnomer “generative” often applied to advanced AI, it can never actually “generate.” It is a man-made tool. It can never create or make anything truly unique. It can only composite, alter, and rearrange; it can only give the impression of intelligence. It can never actually become intelligent. That would require a soul.
Intelligence, originality, creative ability: these are some of our most important “jobs” as creatures with rational souls. We cannot allow AI—our own creation—to usurp our creativity and leave us to perform only the most basic functions and tasks. All other apocalyptic predictions pale in comparison; that would be the most dreadful cataclysm, the darkest eclipse."

"Man’s ability to participate in the creative nature of God is an incredible gift, and we ought to cherish it now more than ever. We must seize hold of our ability to create, we must throw ourselves headlong into artistic pursuits, we must think deeply and contemplate the transcendent, and we must delight in real things. In other words, in the face of AI—man’s latest attempt to forget just how human he is—we must embrace everything that makes us human. Maybe we’ll be bad at it. Actually, I have no doubt that we will be bad at it, at least at first. That should be no obstacle for us. As Chesterton said, "if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing poorly."

"We’ve already seen how poorly AI does some things that are otherwise worth doing. (“AI art” is an oxymoron—and simply moronic.) AI will get more sophisticated, certainly, but it will never get “better.” It doesn’t really get “better,” it just gets more convincing, “better” at maintaining the facade of intelligence."

"But we can get better at these things, and we should get better. The development of our creativity, our skills, and our intelligence is critical to preserving our dignity in this materialistic, consumerist world that values it less and less each day. Our good Lord has given us our talents for a reason. Far be it from us to bury them, let alone outsource them to an overblown search engine."

"Artistic pursuits, profound thought, beauty… these kinds of things seem useless in the eyes of a society concerned primarily with function and utility. We must show that society just how important these things are. Perhaps Pope Francis said it best in his final encyclical, Dilexit Nos: “In this age of artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity.”

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https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/transgenderism-and-the-ruin-of-souls

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️💀💀💀💀💀 "Child predation, whether sexual or violent, as with transgenderism, is not just a psychological issue but a spiritual one. When we ask, “Who could do such a thing?” with regard to violence, self-mutilation, and abuse, we have to remind ourselves that it is Satan himself who entices his targets to accomplish unimaginable things through his various strategies of shame, guilt, self-hatred, envy, rage, and unchecked desire for gratification, among many other diabolical tools tailor-made for the torture and destruction of human beings."
(I CAN ATTEST TO THIS. When I was fully transgender, I was VERY violent, self-mutilating, and abusive towards myself and others– not just physically, but also emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, and financially. I was devoured by shame, ravaged by guilt, overwhelmed by self-hatred at every waking moment– how could I NOT become violent, with THAT driving my life? I envied those who looked and lived the way I desperately wanted to. I was full of constant rage, towards my body, my family, my friends... I hated sex, I hated food, I hated women, and I hated myself most of all. Ironically, that "unchecked desire for gratification" was at the root of it. I was trying to gratify my innate human hunger for what I had utterly rejected in that very same hatred and rage– love, belonging, purpose, peace, truth, companionship, joy, safety, gentleness, etc. And why did I reject them? Because I hated myself and I didn't deserve them. I hated myself for being woman, for having reproductive parts, for looking and feeling like my trauma. And in any case, those things I refused to admit I wanted? They were too soft. They were too feminine. I made myself hard and dark and as masculine as possible... until Jay showed up and everything got super weird, but that's off topic. The point is, YES, THE DEVIL USES THOSE THINGS AS DEADLY WEAPONS. It might sound odd to say "shame" can lead to "violence," but trust me, IT CAN. Things like shame and guilt and self-hatred inevitably mutate into violence OUTSIDE because they are ALREADY doing violence INSIDE, to your soul! THE ONLY ANTIDOTE IS FAITH IN OUR MERCIFUL GOD. That is the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. When Jesus rules your heart there's NO ROOM for such despondent, corrosive emotions– and His loving Presence evaporates any rage, envy, or hatred! Jesus, in Hos Person, also fulfills our deepest needs and wants, meaning we won't be trying to gratify them with fleeting & shallow worldly things. Honestly, I know this from lived experience. The only way to keep the devil from trying to kill you is to have Jesus and Mary protecting you. This life is spiritual warfare, nonstop. You MUST be aware of this fact. And the techniques are OBVIOUSLY discerned, to the sane at least (which I wasn't)– SATAN TARGETS CHILDREN SPECIFICALLY and he does so by ATTACKING THEIR INNOCENCE & DIGNITY. Satan also uses violence and falsehood and twisting of reality to achieve his ends. If you have to jump through linguistic or moral hoops to "justify" something you're doing, it is definitely NOT FROM GOD. For example, Jesus would NEVER mutilate the pure and perfect bodies OR souls of His children!! There's nothing wrong with them! Only the devil would insinuate such thoughts. "God always takes the simplest way." Our bodies are meant to be exactly how they were given to us, full stop, flaws and all, in God's unique plan for our unique life. There is NOT some "secret extra step" that WE have to do by "altering our body" in order to allegedly "fulfill this plan"!!! The ends do NOT justify the means!! God did NOT "make you trans" with the "implied intention" of you cutting up your body as a result!! Just consider that logically! You CANNOT change your sex, so God could NOT ever want you to TRY. Only the devil would, to "blur the boundaries" God set at Creation, to turn the "boker" back into "erev"– Satan wants to plunge the world into utter disorder, to "un-create" it. Do NOT cooperate with his efforts. His methods are apparent and appalling, as long as you're not on his side (darkness blinds to the truth; evil sees evil as "good"). If anything in your life– any thought, opinion, pastime, feeling, belief, etc.– is leading to one or more of those "strategies" in the quoted paragraph, ADMIT AND CONDEMN IT IMMEDIATELY, and then RUN TO GOD FOR HELP IN PRAYER. Pray for Him to liberate and heal and transform and teach you. He will. Trust Him. But stand strong. You're still at war, and the enemy won't want to let you get away that easily... but he's no match for the LORD. Satan may be a predator hellbent on destruction, but Jesus Christ is the Savior heavensent for salvation, and guess what? He's already won.)

"There is no doubt in my mind that [the gunman] had to have been mentally ill to do the horrible things he did at Annunciation Church. I can’t imagine that his frustration with his sexuality was not at the core of that psychological distress and imbalance with which he committed such unspeakable acts. And I can’t imagine there wasn’t demonic influence involved at some level.
Undoubtedly, the devil tempts people to commit acts of hatred and violence to others through various sins, such as murder. Satan tempts many persons. Who could doubt that he also preys on transgenders? When one is ALREADY afflicted by self-hatred and self-mutilation via sexual dysphoria, is it such a leap of reason to suppose that such an individual could be tempted to be violent or abusive to others, as they are already unto themselves?"
(YES, THEY CAN. That's LITERALLY WHAT I JUST SAID ABOUT MY OWN EXPERIENCE and I am so glad it is in the article too because it's a HUGE & DEADLY PROBLEM that the LGBTQIA+ community seems to be in total denial of. )

"Transgenderism already implies a violence of sorts: the violent separation of body from soul and the erroneous presupposition that a person can change their gender by attacking their own flesh."
(We need to use such startling language for the actions of transgenderism. There is no other way to tell the truth. "Top & bottom surgeries" are ATTACKS on a natural, whole, innocent body. There is no other honest way to describe what you are doing to it, when you are cutting off breasts and phalluses and lacerating foreign flesh to fashion facsimiles of the same. Ripping out wombs and injecting unnatural hormones and filing down one's very bones, all in the ultimately futile attempt to become something you are NOT, neither in body nor in soul... its all violence, all assault, all warfare. What else could you call it, without resorting to linguistic games? Even those who HAVE done such things ADMIT that it is NATURALLY TRAUMATIC to the body!!! AND the body KNOWS it's an UNNATURAL state it's been forced into– it will NOT "adapt" to the hormones or missing parts; it WILL seek to "return to normal" and therefore trans* people "must" FIGHT IT. How can you live like that, knowing that your features are a facade, the result of a bloody battle against your own body, one that STILL continues? It hurts to even think about, because that's EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING, and even worse, I KNEW it was war... and I wanted my enemy DEAD. I essentially wanted to "kill" the "me" that was "female" in the process of transitioning. Thank God I was (miraculously) prevented at every turn from following through with it. Now, justly yet mercifully, I have to grapple with the PTSD from such a war... but at least, by grace, I am still alive.)

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 "Satan delights in this separation of body from soul. And he delights in watching us “play it out” among ourselves. Murder... is one way a human being effects this separation. Suicide is another. While her husband ends up killing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth ends up killing herself. No matter how hard she scrubbed away at her blemished conscience, she could never blot out the “damned spot,” the horrible consequences of her “unsexing.”  We look at Lady Macbeth and Mr. Westman and we see the abundant evidence of mental illness—but also of demonic activity. Lady Macbeth had her “spirits” to help her along. This man must have had his demons, too."
(...I BEG YOUR PARDON??? THAT'S THE EXACT METAPHOR WE USED FOR OUR HAUNTED CONSCIENCE FOR YEARS AND IT'S TIED TO THIS EXACT ISSUE?????? (Apparently there's ANOTHER ARTICLE about it, I'll read that IMMEDIATELY)
(...but that line about "her spirits" is even more spinechilling. I KNOW that this "D.I.D." is NOT just mental illness. It has been EXPLICITLY DEMONIC in the past, ESPECIALLY in sexual contexts. The archives are horrific proof of this.)


"The horrors of the transgenderism epidemic cannot be simply comprehended as a sociological or psychological phenomenon, although we might be tempted to think in such terms. In recent decades, we have desired to lean more and more on the field of psychology to address issues that are not just psychological but also spiritual. Gaudium et Spes repeatedly praises “Advances in biology, psychology, and the social sciences” as means to achieve progress in human development and well-being. While these modern sciences are useful, they are nonetheless limited. 
It is true, spirituality cannot fully compensate for or replace psychology, but the reverse is true as well! We attribute psychological causes to spiritual maladies at our peril: the very real danger of "explaining away the devil". Can we not see the tragic consequences of this in our society today and, indeed, in our Church? We must address BOTH the human and the demonic in confronting evil. There’s no other way around it! As Shakespeare put it, “Sometimes we are devils unto ourselves”; and yet, at the same time, “There lurks a still and dumb-discursive devil / That tempts most cunningly. But be not tempted”."
(We are composite beings. ALL levels of our existence MUST be respected and considered in HARMONY as well as DISCERNMENT.)

"The sexual revolution is doubtless part of the wider spiritual battle in our world—a battle that involves God and man, angels and demons. To the person caught up in the maelstrom of sexual dysphoria, I exhort them in the words of Sacred Scripture: “Our struggle is NOT with flesh and blood, but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12). As St. Paul suggests, the evil spirits long for us to abuse “flesh and blood,” whether our own or another’s, rather than confront the real culprit: Satan himself. That’s a good reminder to us all!"
(This is as sobering at it is disturbing. It's terrifying and yet it's weirdly galvanizing? It's the revelation that my body ISN'T the enemy, the revelation of the enemy's strategies and intentions so I can RECOGNIZE and ESCAPE them, the revelation that this is just one part of a BIGGER battle that CHRIST IS VICTORIOUS OVER EVEN NOW. In knowing the hard and heavy TRUTH, I am also given HOPE, because despite its weight, Truth ALWAYS LIBERATES. Now that I know what the LIES are, I can be FREE to follow GOD.)

"As to our response to this tragedy, we must be reminded that Satan is the instigator of hatred, as he is also the designer of murder, self-mutilation, and abuse. The last thing we want to do is respond to senseless hate with senseless hate. No. That is what the enemy wants. Rather, we must, as Christ commands, love our neighbor [who the devil wants us to label as "the enemy" instead of himself]... May God have mercy on the miserable soul of that deeply confused and afflicted man who perpetrated this horrible crime... And we must love ourselves, too, just as God made us. 
Furthermore, our society and our Church must address transgenderism—and the political movement associated with it—for what it truly is: a tragic affliction of Satan’s wicked design, inflicted out of hatred for humanity and for the ruin of souls."

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https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/our-cultures-diabolical-unsexing

"In... MacBeth, Lady MacBeth learns of the Weird Sisters’ prediction that her husband will be king. Immediately, she contrives to kill the current king, the noble Duncan, and she makes a troubling request to an odious source:
Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. / Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ Th’ effect and it."
Lady MacBeth is calling upon evil spirits—demons—to “unsex” her: to turn her from a woman to a man. Not literally, as today’s transgender folks want, for evil though she is becoming, she knows such a thing is impossible. But Lady MacBeth does want to abandon her gentle womanly nature and take on the nature of a man— a nature she perceives is necessary to carry out the regicide. Shakespeare thus connects the unnatural rejection of one’s sex with the demonic. Lady MacBeth cannot simply declare her new “gender”—she must call on demonic spirits to unsex her, to make her like a man. The diabolical underpinnings of rejecting nature is a connection we too often forget when confronting the transgender movement today."


"...it’s good to look into the deep-seated mental health issues that impact those who want to deny their God-given sex, as well as the abuse that too often precedes such a declaration. Many of the souls who believe they are “misgendered” are hurting and need our help. But we cannot ignore the influence that past generations would have also recognized in this unnatural movement: the demonic. I am not claiming that every transgender person is demonically possessed. Some number of them (likely small) have true psychological problems that need professional treatment. Others feel alienated and declare themselves transgender to gain a sense of belonging to a community that has become socially powerful. And some, particularly among the youth, are switching their gender allegiance simply because "it’s the cool thing to do" (never underestimate what a young person will do to gain social acceptance). But the transgender movement itself is from the pits of Hell. It is taking direction from demonic forces, and its leaders are likely demonically influenced, if not outright possessed. How else to describe a movement that freely exposes children to sexual imagery and pushes troubled young people to undergo horrifying medical treatments...?"

"We know this movement is demonic because it seeks to upend the truth with a lie. Just as Satan opposed Jesus, who is the Truth, so too does the transgender movement oppose truth. Like every anti-human movement, transgenderism is of course opposed to the truth, but this movement is particularly diabolical because it wants us to declare acceptance of a lie as truth even while we know it’s a lie. We all know a man declaring himself a woman is still a man—even transgender activitists know it deep in their hearts. But we are all required to say 2+2=5, no matter what we may know is true. That is the particular evil of transgenderism—it wants to force everyone to lie, to become like Satan himself, who lied to Eve in the garden to achieve his diabolical goal. It wants to beat us into submission, to exchange truth for a lie."

"So we cannot treat transgenderism as just a mental health disorder, or as simply another woke cultural phenomenon. We cannot use only the tools of psychology or politics to overcome transgenderism. Such an effort would surely fall flat. The battle against transgenderism is ultimately a spiritual battle... This is not just a battle against those who want to unsex their flesh, but a battle against the evil spirits called upon to make that happen."

"Too many children from otherwise solid families have been sucked into the transgender lie because their parents were unable to see the gravity of the evil being promoted—or recognize where it was being promoted."

"...we must always remember that this is a spiritual battle. This means, first and foremost, we must pray and fast... A purely human defense against the transgender tsunami will surely fail. It also means constant vigilance... We need to be on the lookout for how the transgender message seeps into our culture: what content are we and our children consuming, on social media, on the internet, and on television? Rejecting the lies of the culture and giving our children a foundational understanding of the Catholic teaching on human sexuality is vital to resisting the lies of the devil."

"A recognition of the demonic origins of transgenderism also means we need prayers of deliverance and exorcism, both by the laity and by official exorcists. It will not be by human reasoning alone that we overcome transgenderism, but by casting out demons. Like Lady MacBeth, the transgender movement is calling on demonic spirits to aid it in its unsexing. We need to call on angelic and divine spirits to combat them."

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-09/pope-leo-xiv-audience-opera-san-francesco-poor-charity.html

"...encouraging them to remain faithful to their mission of providing assistance, welcome, and promoting human dignity... urging them to live charity... to witness to God’s love in society."

“To assist... means being present to the needs of others...
Alongside assistance... is to welcome: “making space for the other in one’s heart, in one’s life, offering time, listening, support, prayer. It is the attitude of looking into the eyes, of shaking hands, of stooping down...
Finally, promoting... means helping people grow in freedom and dignity: “Here the gratuitousness of the gift and respect for the dignity of persons come into play, so that one cares for those one meets simply for their good… without expecting something in return and without imposing conditions. Just as God does with each of us, indicating a way, offering all the help necessary to walk it, but then leaving us free.”"

“It is a matter... of effectively increasing the dignity and creativity of each individual, of his or her capacity to respond to their own vocation and thus to God’s call contained within it.”

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https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-09/september-prayer-intention-for-our-relationship-with-creation.html

"...the Holy Father invites us to pray that “inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.”
The prayer that follows emphasizes God’s love for all of creation, noting that “nothing exists outside” of His “tenderness” and recalling God’s care for “even the simplest or shortest life.”"

"Pope Leo’s prayer goes on speak of “the beauty of creation” as a revelation of God “as the source of goodness,” and asks Him to “open our eyes to recognize you, learning from the mystery of your closeness to all creation that the world is infinitely more than a problem to solve.” Instead, the Pope says, “It is a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude.”"

"The Holy Father concludes his prayer with a plea to God to “help us discover Your presence in all creation, so that, in fully recognizing it, we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible for our common home where You invite us to care for, respect, and protect life in ALL its forms and possibilities.”

"...this month’s prayer intention “reminds us how interconnected our world is. Our well-being cannot be separated from other creatures living on earth, or from the ‘state of health’ of our planet.”"

“...The Pope invites us to reflect on how our actions affect nature, [which is] God’s work, and to seek ways of living that foster the restoration and natural balance and harmony [God intended] between human beings and the environment. In the midst of such a competitive, hectic world, dominated by consumerism, a large part of humanity deeply longs to live well, closer to and more respectful of nature – a style of life that would allow us to contemplate it in an attentive silence that leads to an encounter with ourselves, with God and with others.”

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https://www.catholic365.com/article/51094/beware-the-cute-little-monster-labubu-the-devil-and-our-childrens-souls.html

"Labubu... looks like a goblin with a grin full of teeth. It’s unsettling. It has spiky hair, big eyes, and a devilish face. And yet it’s everywhere—on backpacks, in kids’ bedrooms, and on social media. People call it adorable. Endearing. Quirky. But what I see is a spiritual red flag. We are allowing the Enemy to slither in through the back door...creeping into our culture under the disguise of "cute"... disguised in glitter and marketed in blind boxes. We’re letting our children cozy up to things that mock innocence and glorify darkness.
Don’t believe me? Look around. How many toys now embrace the aesthetic of horror? How many kids' shows glorify monsters, witches, and demons as misunderstood buddies? And how often are parents brushing it off as "just a phase"?
The devil is subtle. He doesn’t show up with horns and a pitchfork. He shows up with a winking eye, wrapped in shiny packaging. He makes the grotesque appealing. And when we let these images nestle into our children's hearts, we open the door to confusion, fear, and spiritual desensitization.
As Catholics, we are called to protect the innocence of our children, to guard their hearts. And that doesn’t just mean keeping them from explicit evil—it means being discerning with the subtle stuff– the stuff that looks like art, like fun, like trendiness. But underneath? It reeks.
We have saints who cast out demons. We have sacraments that protect our homes. And we have a Church that knows spiritual warfare is real. Let’s start acting like it.
Our kids don’t need more creepy collectibles. They need stories of virtue, courage, and truth. They need to know that monsters aren’t friends—they’re foes. And that Jesus Christ, not some toothy gremlin, is the hero worth clinging to.
Wake up. The enemy is subtle. But so is the grace of God—working through faithful parents who choose to see clearly, pray boldly, and raise their children with holy intention."

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