The sins that accumulate in our lives are akin to malware infecting our systems.
Saint Isidore comes today to inform us that we have been given the power to remove the virus of sin and temptation in our lives. Inviting Christ into our hearts is the surest security that will purge any negative influences and malicious code within our system.
When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.
– John 8:12
It’s hard to fight the entire wave of temptations from the Devil on our own, for he loves to target our weaknesses and strike at the opportune moment. But when we call upon the strength of the Lord daily, we are steeled by our faith and the light of Christ that fulfils our needs & desires.
When the malicious attacks grow stronger and we feel like we are close to giving in, St. Isidore reminds us that he will interceded on our behalf that we shall be sheltered from any storm.
Hold fast, and do not desert your faith, for the Lord in His love & goodness will never refuse His children who call out to Him for aid.
Signs & Symptoms of Sinful Malware
Saint Isidore provides the following signs and symptoms of corruption taking root in our system:
1. Being Disrespectful to Parents
Children are the most susceptible to the attempts of the Devil simply because they are more vulnerable and easily influenced.
When malware attacks, children begin to look at their parents as if they are bothering them. Instead of helping the old parents who need their help, they mistreat them and make them feel like a burden.
“Listen to your father who gave you life and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
– Proverbs 23:22
It is important to consistently pray for protection and deliverance of the youth. Do not be discouraged or despair when children act out, instead show them the love of Christ and speak to them calmly without judgement.
The Lord will touch their hearts and open their eyes to see the true love that is presented before them.
2. Spending Lesser Time With God
At times we may grow weary and neglect spending time in the presence of the Lord.
It is important to maintain a proper habit of daily prayer because the moment we skip one day, it may become tempting to not follow our schedule as before.
Our Lord loves us greatly and is delighted when we come to Him in prayer. He is never too busy to hear our prayers, appeals, petitions and messages of gratitude.
St. Isidore reminds us that “being too busy” is often a term that the evil one uses to deceive us and make us draw further away from Christ, especially in the crucial moments.
When we feel like God is too far away and we too overwhelmed to connect with Him, that is usually the time when we need to reach out to Him for graces and blessings!
3. Marital Conflicts
Conflicts in marriage often start with small cracks that do not heal better become bigger and more dangerous as time passes.
When our systems are attacked by viruses, we may find it hard to tolerate our spouses. And if they make any single mistake, we are quick to complain and insult them. When in the wrong, we do not apologize but play victim until our spouses choose to mend our mistakes.
As we go about our day to spread God’s love to those around us, it is important for us to also remember to treat our family members with the same love that God has shown to us.
Our families are the core of faith foundation, no matter how fractured or distant they may seem, it is never to late to start with acts of love to draw and unite the family together in Christ.
4. Distancing Ourselves From The Word of God
Reading the bible cannot be compared to reading books, journals, magazines, and other print material because the bible not only speaks God’s message to us but also touches us individually.
If we are able binge watch multiple seasons of our favorite shows on Netflix, or spend time browsing social media then surely we have a few minutes to spare for the Lord every day?
Purge Evil for a Fresh Start
How do we remove the malware in our system? Saint Isidore is advising us to:
Repent our sins
Repentance is similar to purging our system from all malicious influences that have taken root. Going for regular confession starts us on a clean slate, where we acknowledge that we have sinned and seek forgiveness.
Repentance enables us to unshackle ourselves from the shackles of sins. When living in sin, our relationship with God is negatively affected as we become distanced from him.
Repentance creates a bridge that enables us to reconnect with God and it gives us the freedom to seek him without any restrictions.
Helping the Needy
To remove malware from our systems, Saint Isidore advises us that helping the needy is the best form of atonement for our sins. We are blessed with abundance yet there are people who lack the basic needs in our midst.
By helping them out, it means that we allow them to share in our abundance and we make them feel the presence of God through our acts.
Most of these acts may seem as though they have no impact yet we are reminded that by helping the needy we invite Jesus, who is our anti-virus, into our hearts and homes and he is always ready to help us.
In conclusion, we are called upon to look deeper into our lives and see whether we are exposing ourselves to viruses without our knowledge. By wearing the armour of God we will be in a better position to protect ourselves.
Prayer to Saint Isidore
“Dear Saint Isidore, I thank you for your insight into my life.
Help me to identify the malware in my life and how to remove it from my system to ensure that I lead a life that pleases God.
May I always atone for my sins whenever I fall short of the Glory of God to ensure that I have the antivirus in my system.”
Amen 🙏
