Never Easy

Today's gospel reminds us that even Jesus had a hard time in his hometown, where the people knew his mother, Mary, his foster father, Joseph as well as his cousins. It was hard for them to accept the reality of Jesus, even with his profound teachings and multiple miracles.Indeed, Jesus could not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith. (Mt 13:54-58.
Fast-forward 1500 years or so to Spain where a young feisty soldier lay wounded and suffering for months:  Ignatius of Loyola by name. Over the time of his battle to recover the use of his leg, wounded in battle, a slow but remarkable conversion took place and he eventually became a soldier for Christ and founder of the Society of Jesus, whose 17,000 members today still play a key role in education and spreading the Faith.
As it was in the 16th century, a difficult task to help people turn their lives toward Jesus,  so it is today, but inspired by Ignatius and his Companions, we don't give up, following his example and trusting in the power and presence of Jesus who is always with us, even when things seem most bleak. May we be inspired today by the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and remain confident that "All Shall Be Well."
Bro Rene

The Good Along With The Bad

Jesus uses  fishermen imagery to illustrate his point:  As with the dragnet that brings in both good and bad fish, so in our world, the good live alongside the bad. ( Mt 13:47-53). Just a look at the headlines or a TV news broadcast, we see that things haven't changed. So too the conclusion that Jesus gives us: we will live among all sorts of "weeds", and only in God's time will they be sorted out. We try to deal with them as best we can, and above all, try not to abandon our ideals, which means at least SOME tension in our lives between good and evil. What does Jesus expect of us, after all he has given us?  No big secret, to pursue the good as best we can.  May we not disappoint him.
Bro. Rene

Keeping A Balance

Today we observe the Memorial of St. Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus. She is the "busy" one of the family, overseeing chores and doing the cooking herself.(Lk 10: 38-42).  She stands out in stark contrast to her sister, who seeing "the better part", devotes her time to simply being with Jesus. As Martha sees it, that' not how to prepare a meal. To Jesus, as it turns out, the meal is not as important and listening to him.
In these days of both less and more activity simply to make it from one end of the day to the other, it seems that a happy combination of work and listening is the ideal for which to strive.  While preparing a meal or cutting the grass or answering e-mail, we can also be at the feet of Jesus, simply by repeating his name or putting ourselves in the crowds who witnessed countless healings. A little silence, a little talk...a balance is possible. From what Jesus said to Mary about choosing the better part, we might take the hint that silent prayer with Jesus is more preferable than a lot of helter-skelter busyness.  Try it and see for yourself.
Bro. Rene

The Weeds And The Wheat

Jesus is pretty clear in his explanation of the Weeds and Wheat. (Mt 13: 36-43). The wheat refers to the good people, and the wheat, to the bad. They grow together but at the harvest, the weeds are thrown out and burned and  the good wheat saved  So it will be with the "good and the "bad" people at the Judgement.  Our challenge is to be the best we can while we live this life.  It's not easy being challenged for our goodness and efforts to help or tolerate other people, yet we must continue till "Harvest Time." If God is on our side, who can be against us?
Bro. Rene

Amazing Growth

Jesus uses two ordinary, everyday things, mustard seed and yeast to illustrate how his kingdom grows, almost invisibly, but inevitably. (Mt 13: 31-35). We take his word for it, even though most of us have never seen a mustard seed, but might have some experience with yeast.  Left to themselves, they grow, expand and multiply their original size a thousand fold, it would seem.  So too, Jesus says, the Kingdom of Heaven  has the inner power to expand beyond our imaginations, if we "let it grow within us" "do it's thing" within us.  We have the power to squelch it, and unfortunately, we too often do, but giving it free reign, we help Jesus complete his work of establishing the reign of peace, forgiveness, and love.  One glance at the daily news and we see the need for more mustard seeds and yeast.
Bro. Rene 

A Marist Celebration

Although the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time takes precedence, the Marist Brothers of the United States commemorate this day (the feast of St. Anne and Joachim) as "Vow Day" for many older Brothers.  Known as the Province of St. Anne, it made sense for new members to take the Marist Habit and pronounce Vows on this day, a custom which prevailed for many years. The custom ended in the late fifties when August 15th became "the big day" for the taking of the Habit and pronunciation of First Vows. Now, with smaller numbers and the Corona Virus,  Vow day is fluid and at the choice of Master of Novices  and the candidate.
Today's Gospel would be a fitting reading for Vow Day, for it focuses on "the pearl of great price", a gift worth the sacrifice of  power, wealth, and fame, for it is for Christ, the Pearl, that he calls us to direct our energy and make him the Goal of Goals. Even for those who do not aspire to religious life, a fully authentic Christian life must have Jesus as its main focus and goal.  Today's Gospel reminds us that it is this that  "really matters". Can we take some time today to review what really matters in our lives?
Bro. Rene

A Higher Ambition

As we celebrate the Feast of St. James "The Greater", brother of John the Apostle and writer of the 4th Gospel, we are reminded that ambition can easily become muddled with a sense of pride and superiority, totally out of tune with the message of Jesus.  James and John fell into the ambition trap and even their mother approached Jesus about special recognition when he established his kingdom. (Mt 20: 21). A bold request sparking the ire of the other apostles. Jesus then described the ideal disciple and leader: "Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.  Just so the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mt 20: 27-28). There is where greatness lies...in abandoning ambition and making service to others a priority, placing one's life, one's talents and gifts at the disposal of the community.  A challenge that takes a lifetime to achieve, but certainly a higher ambition for which to strive.
Bro. Rene

The Seed On Rich Soil

Today, Jesus gives us an explanation of the Sower and the Seed. In the end, it is the seed sown on rich soil that thrives.  Other seed fell on rocky ground, or  among thorns and did not yield fruit. (Mt 13: 18-23). As we gain understanding of what has been offered to us and how we've responded,  we realize that we have not taken seriously God's call to be "good ground" for his choice seed.  "But the seed sown on rich soils is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirty fold."  Hearing and understanding of the Word, is key.  We need to expose ourselves daily to it, sit with it, contemplate it and act on it. Jesus is depending on us to carry on his mission, using his fuel for our engines. May we come to love the Word of God, the time we spend with it, and the actions that flow from it.
Bro, Rene

Why Parables

Our Scripture for today presents an enigmatic response to why Jesus speaks in parables. (Mt 13: 10-17). We are left with questions and vague innuendoes, but basically the reason is search deeply and prayerfully the thoughts Jesus proposes. It's one thing to hear and another to understand...Jesus wants his followers to understand and put into practice his teachings.  We can hear with our ears, and not understand, look with our eyes and not see. That's why daily reflection on Scripture is essential to growing in our faith and in our relationship to God  Just 15 minutes, minimum...which usually goes longer...is enough to get our wheels turning and our understanding deepened. May we come to see and hear more clearly and shape our behavior accordingly.
Bro. Rene

St. Mary Magdalene

One of the most important women in the life of Jesus and in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene, whose feast we celebrate today,  stands as a reminder of the power of love to transform people.  Whatever her past, when Mary turned her heart to Jesus, her life changed dramatically and gave her a new direction and force for good.  Her devotion to Jesus from the moment of conversion, to the foot of the cross, and to the empty tomb serves as a stark reminder to us of what really matters and that dedicating our lives to Jesus in whatever circumstances we find ourselves will save us in the end and make us effective witnesses to Christ while we walk this planet.  We can show this love in dramatic or undramatic ways...in our ordianry dealings with each other, in patience, understanding and reaching out to others, even the most cantankerous or "wounded", remembering that we all have our faults, failures and wounds.  Mary's story is one of hope and example. We too can walk in love with Jesus as Mary did.  Indeed that is our calling.
Bro .Rene 

Becoming A Family Member

When Jesus was told his mother was among the crowd and wished to speak to him, he used the occasion to
remind us that all of us can be members of his family, if we do his will.  "For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister and mother" (Mt 12:30). What a huge privilege this is! At the same time, what a challenge it is to accept daily God's will, God's plan for us, who by rebellious nature lean so much in the direction of OUR wills. It takes a heap of will power and prayer to bend our stubborn wills, but the result of being considered part of the family of Jesus, is more than worth it.  May we pray for the grace to act on this insight and to bend more willingly to the will of our heavenly Father.
Bro. Rene

Seeking Signs

We all wish for signs,  and especially today with the Corona Virus still rising around the world.  When will it end?  Why are going through all this? Whose fault is it? Did someone do something wrong to deserve such punishment?  Is this a sign that we should all repent, change our lives and turn to God? Give us a sign, an answer.

The Pharisees, ever scrutinizing Jesus, asked for a sign.  Jesus responded: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet," (Mt 12: 39).  Ultimately, the real sign is Jesus himself, a sign greater than Jonah.  He calls us to focus on him, his words, his miracles, his gestures of love and care, his death given that we might live.  What greater sign do we need?  Yet we keep looking in the wrong places. May we this day take some time, as we should daily, to be in the presence of Jesus and just let him fill us with his love. Our sign-seeking will end there.

Bro. Rene 

Weeds and Wheat

For any gardener or farmer, talk about weeds hits home.  They never go away, no matter how clean a garden bed looks after meticulous weed extraction. Yes, we shy away from chemicals, so the entire process is an "on the knee" and hands on process...It's work but even some measure of success is reward enough. Even in the parable of the weeds and wheat in today's Gospel: Mt 13:24-30 ) the weeds get their "just reward" by being thrown into the fire and destroyed for good.
In our dealings with our own faults, failings and sinfulness, we need the same patience and "stick-to-itiveness". We will always be pulling weeds from our behaviors, dealings with one another and relationship to God, but we can rely on God's help to make progress and eventually cleanse ourselves, our thoughts and behaviors, and become the person he has destined us to be and bear the fruit of which we are capable. May we benefit from this parable to take heart and not give up.
Bro. Rene

Suffering Servant

When opposed by the Pharisees, Jesus continued healing people, and kept before him the description of the Suffering Servant so aptly and beautifully described by Isaiah the prophet. (Is 42: 1-4). The Suffering Servant gladly "takes it on the chin", gently plowing forward with love, healing, and instruction for ALL.  A reading and reflection on this passage will give us a word picture of Jesus and insight into the behavior which can be ours. We are often so quick to complain when things don't go our way, or when people won't accept our attempts to help them grow spiritually, but the suffering servant keeps on chipping away and reaching out endlessly.  Not easy to do, for sure, but the reward is great.  May we pray for patience, perseverance and the trust that the efforts we make will not be in vain.
Bro. Rene

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

The God of mercy advises us to dole out mercy rather than  offer the sacrifice of bulls or sheep, because he is the God of mercy, and without his mercy where would we be? Burnt offerings are no longer practiced,  we can make the sacrifice of some favorite food, movie or TV show, as our "burnt offering" for the good of others, besides benefiting from needed self-discipline. We are the recipients of God's endless mercy, and as such our mercy should as much a humanly, boosted by divine grace,  match his.  As we go about this day, let us pray for the grace to act with mercy towards others, particularly those who irk or annoy us, even those who downgrade and belittle us...In the end, it is mercy that will triumph.
Bro. Rene

Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel

Mount Carmel is overlooks the city of Haifa, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.  The view is breathtaking and conducive to lifting the soul to God in praise and thanksgiving.  Hence, a group of monks seeking solitude and peace built a chapel there in the 12th century.  In 1251 Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the scapular, a narrow cloth resembling and "front-back" apron. A smaller version consists of two patches of brown cloth attached to a "shoelace" which hang down on the chest and the back, and is popular to this day,  gives us another opportunity to recall Mary's motherly care and protection, something which in these "lockdown" and limited activity days is sorely needed. We can be victims of our own anxiety as day after day we find our movement curtailed to the basic essentials.  But it is a time when, as today's gospel passage reminds us, to come to Jesus who is really the only one who will refresh us by taking our burdens upon him.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light. (Mt 11:28-39).  May Mary help us, as she is wont to do, to accept this invitation of Jesus to let him carry our burdens.  The only price we pay is to surrender them to him.
Bro. Rene

Revealed To The Childlike

In today's muddled world of lost values, vast untruthfulness and violent rejections of history, Jesus's words, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike." (Mt 11:25)  are a call to refresh ourselves with the wonder of a child, to see no evil, and have absolute trust in those who care for us...i.e. one another.  It's a big order, but the alternative,  "woe is me, for the whole world is coming apart."  brings only depression, and even despair. May we wake up the child within us and look at the world with the trust that Jesus requires of us. "All shall be well", Julian of Norwich, a mystic with great insight, wrote over and over again,  It is an insight we need more than ever today.  May we support one another with our childlike trust and work to overcome doom and gloom.
Bro. Rene 

A Justified Reaction

The woes against Chorazin and Bethdsaida  (Mt 11: 20-24) show and angry, exasperated Jesus, who had bent over backwards to teach and heal but the people did not repent nor accept him. His anger is understandable and justified in view of all he did for them.  We know the feeling when we do our best to help others and all we hear are negatives from them. Jesus's reproach might be considered mild in comparison to ours!  Yet, it is the human condition.  We are never satisfied, always looking for more. We can be so self-centered and act like "spoiled brats" and yet God keeps reaching out to us, and gives us opportunity after opportunity to hear him and change our behaviors.   What is one attitude, one behavior that we'd like to(need to) eliminate?  What is one positive attitude, behavior, virtue, we'd like to incorporate into our life?
Starting small, one step at a time, could  turn us around to become the person God has in mind for us.  Remember, nothing is impossible with God!
Bro .Rene

Division

A long standing proverb wisely states, "A house divided cannot stand."  Division is dynamite to any structure, yet Jesus seems to be advocating it in today's gospel passage (Mt 10:34-11:1). " Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.  I have come to bring not peace but the sword. (Mt 10: 34)  Jesus speaks in hyperbolic terms, a familiar literary device in Hebrew literature, to make his point: there will be division and unhappiness unless Jesus comes first, cross and all.  It is through love and service to him that true happiness comes.  And we certainly know world-wide now with the pandemic that most of our sources of meaning and happiness have been removed from our daily lives and we are down to a "bare bones" existence.  Are we wise enough to "get the message" that centering our lives around Jesus and his teachings is what is going to make us whole and help us get along better with each other?  A look at the daily news shows us that we are far from unity, but divided and dividing more and more from each other every day. Such a house is doomed to fall.  Is that what we want?
Bro. Rene

Growing In Faith

As we read the famous parable of the Sower and the seed (Mt 13: 1-23) we might see ourselves in all three categories at some time in our lives.  We'd like to be in the fertile soil, but might have to admit that we were in rocky soil, or crunched by weeds over the years.  God has been patient with us, as he lavishly sows the seed in the parable, so he lavishly gives us time to grow and develop.  There are countless stories of people who have discovered or rediscovered their faith, and have finally come to the point of producing much fruit.  As any farmer or gardener knows, it takes time to water, to weed, fertilize, and to cultivate the soil around plants before they really "take" and begin to grow strong and produce the fruit for which they were intended. May we pray for the patience and perseverance we need to reach that productive and abundant harvest period in our lives. God will happily answer such a prayer!
Bro. Rene

Weaving Prayer With Work

Today is the Memorial of St. Benedict whose legacy is his Rule for Monastic Life which has guided monks to sanctity for !,500 years. Fed up with the worldliness of his day, late 400's and early 500's, he left his student world and lived in a cave on Mt. Subiaco, Italy, for 3 years...His relationship with God grew and his reputation led others to seek his counsel.  He was asked to be the abbot of a monastery, but the monks could not take the asceticism he required of them.  They  tried to poison him twice.  Taking the hint, he left them and founded his own monasteries, the most notable being Monte Cassino, not too far from Rome.  His famous Rule emphasizes an inner relationship with God, supported by realistic and practical asceticism, with prayer, particularly the chanting of the Divine Office, as the foundation of a healthy relationship with God.
Not all of us are called to be monks, but living lives of simplicity strengthened by prayer, the Benedictine motto being "Orare et Laborare", prayer and work, is an option available to and doable by all. May we make this simple formula part of our daily lives.
Bro. Rene

Persecution

Even before his own death, Jesus warned his disciples that major challenges were in store for them: betrayal, rejection, persecution, death. (Mt 10: 16-23).  And so it has been in direct ways as in the 300 years of Roman Persecutions, to our present day, with subtle and not so subtle restrictions and obstacles thrown into the daily life of Christians, in all countries, it seems.  Jesus set the example, and although most of us will not be scourged and crucified, we will face opposition and rejection.  May we not be discouraged by the scorn of the "world", but take heart that we are in the company of millions who have preceded us and won the crown of martyrdom and victory. Jesus warned us vividly so, forewarned and thus forearmed, may we remain faithful to him, no matter what.
Bro Rene

Our Mission

Frankly and starkly, Jesus commissions his Twelve to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand. (Mt 10:7-15). The same mission is in our hands and "Without cost you have received, and without cost you are to give." (Mt 10:  8). We are not all gifted with the ability to cure people physically, but we can temper spirits caught in fear, doubt or overt or covert self-hatred through our gentle, kind, sincere and loving interaction with them.  Most people seem to have a poor image of themselves seeing themselves as unlovable and having nothing to contribute.  Not so. We are all blessed with some unique gift, but often it takes interaction with someone else to see it and accept it. There's where our role as "missionary" takes hold.  We can listen, give feed back an express our confidence in the one who has the poor self-image, and like the apostles who healed physically as well as spiritually, we can help others discover their gifts and above all come to know that God loves them in a way uniquely suited to them.
Bro. Rene

"Go To The Lost Sheep.."

"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Jesus tells the apostles after selecting the Twelve. (Mt 10: 7) We live in a world full of "lost sheep".  A look at the daily news confirms this.  Something (Someone) is missing:  God. Where to begin this mission?  With ourselves...devoting more time each day (or week) to the reading of Scripture; contemplating it and asking God for insight and courage to incorporate it into our lives is a  good start and can give us the conviction to approach a friend or family member about his or her relationship with or understanding of God.  We hesitate to "invade" this private territory, but our kind and gentle concern might open doors that have been locked for years. Living our faith with its joy and fearlessness can do even more than words...May we put what we believe deep in our hearts in front of all we meet and trust that God will work through us to reach those who are searching or "lost".
Bro Rene

"Like Sheep Without A Shepherd"

Today's Gospel passage gives us a picture of Jesus' ministry (Mt 9: 23-38). proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom driving out demons, and curing diseases and illnesses, along with dealing with the skepticism of the Pharisees.  Jesus reminds us strongly that the needs are great, too great for one person to deal with, and urges us to pray for more laborers to help with the harvest.
This request is 2000 years old, but it never seems to be fulfilled.  Perhaps in these unsettling and turbulent times, people of all ages might take stock and see what they can offer to this world which seems to be falling apart at the seams.  These laborers don't have to be perfect, or multi-talented, just sincere, honest and faith-filled.  God will do the rest. The lives of saints show us over and over that it's not the talented and strong that he chooses, but the ordinary Joe or Jane, but then works his "magic" by transforming them gradually into effective shepherds. Let us pray that more and more people during these exceptionally troubled  times, take the leap of faith and become laborers for God's harvest.
Bro. Rene

To Touch Our Lives

 Note: There was no Slice of Bread on July 6, due to a wonderful visit from one of my nephews, followed by a visiting nurse...some things are beyond our control.   Here is a reflection on the Gospel passage for July 6, along with a slice of bread for for July 7.

Two miracles in today's gospel (Mt 9:18-26) involve physical contact with Jesus: the hemorrhaging widow.and the daughter of an official. The healing touch of Jesus is what we need often enough in our daily journey:  sometimes physical healing, sometimes healing of spirit, sometimes just an assurance of his presence through others or in our daily prayer.  Our lives can be touched by a reading, by a conversation, by a gesture of kindness from a friend, family member or stranger.  We ourselves might be that healing touch for someone else. May we not be oblivious to the power Jesus has to reach us or others through us.  "Dear God, use me as an instrument of your healing power and keep me open to receive healing from others."
Bro. Rene

Come To Me

In these days of limited activity, limited contact, masks, fears, violent attacks on people and history, and uncertainty of the future, we are in desperate need of a stabilizing force. Jesus says to us: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn form me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light. (Mt 11:26-30)  We need to hear this invitation, as familiar as it is, now and again and again.  Where else will we find the strength, the comfort and consolation we need during these trying (to say the least), times. Jesus is that stabilizing force, that strength and assurance we need that we can and will survive these challenges with his help.  We need Jesus now, more than in anytime in our past lives. We see how weak we are without him, but hear his promise of rest, and that he is right there with us to help us carry this yoke of back-breaking dimensions, perhaps the heaviest we have ever experienced in our lives.  Let us take some time today to be with Jesus and take advantage of his love and grace to see us through this day and the days ahead.
Bro. Rene

New Wine

Today's Gospel passage,(Mt 9:14-17), although not directly associated with our Independence Day celebrations across the USA, has a lot to offer, this year, in particular. If we are to preserve good wine, we cannot pour it into old wine skins, for they will burst and all will be lost. No, "Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved." (Mt 9:17).  Most of us have never seen a wine skin, so we just accept the analogy, but as we look around us this year of so much illness, death and discord, we know it's time to take a good look at our values, our life-styles, our beliefs and our religious practices.
In the USA we are celebrating our independence from our ruler, England, a move which required fighting and death,  Our victory led to the establishment of a country which recognized the basic rights and freedom of every individual, a utopia that has still not been fully achieved, and which is suffering severe growth pains today. Was it too much of a dream to conceive such a nation? Our history reminds us that the dream, though as difficult and challenging as it is to implement, has withstood other critical moments, the Civil War, being the most painful. When we return to prayer, humility and true love of God and one another, there can be peace.  We need new wine skins to hold our treasured wine of freedom and drink it as we would new wine.
Dear God, help us to turn to you so that we may see with clear vision how best to live out the ideals of our Founding Fathers.
Bro  Rene

Doubts Are Always With Us

Note: An unexpected return to the Emergency Room this Friday Morning, prevented the publishing of a Slice of Daily Bread.  Sorry...but am happy that the examination did not show anything more than a reaction to a possible insect bite  That was a relief...Bell's Palsy was one possibilities or another slight stroke...No so, thank God.  Back to normal. Here's Friday's Slice along with Saturday's.

As we celebrate the Fourth of July on the Third, we also celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas, the Doubting Apostle. When we think of the situation, his doubt is very plausible, and thanks be to it, we have another verification of the Resurrection.  His doubt and the proof shown to him make the reality of the resurrection  more tenable.
Doubt is always with us and we do not have the luxury of having Jesus with us physically to wipe it away, so we rely on our own prayer and the often intervention of God via some circumstance or Scripture verse that "happens" to come by us, to remove it.  It is good to remember that doubts are always with us an can be an invitation to a  stronger faith. St.Thomas, pray for us always, but especially in the midst of our daily doubts.
Bro. Rene

The Forgiveness Of Sins

The familiar story of the paralytic whose sins are forgiven along with his healing (Mt.9: 1-8), reminds us that Jesus can forgive sins as well as physically (or emotionally) heal us.  Nothing is beyond his power. Our doubts, our lack of faith stand in the way.  We don't go as far as the scribes in questioning the power or authority of Jesus to forgive us, but we might not be wholeheartedly convinced that repentance and forgiveness are possible. We need to pray daily for an increase of faith that indeed, Jesus can and does forgive us.  May we come to him with simple faith and ask for the grace to believe as well as to be forgiven.
Bro. Rene

Driving Out Demons

It seems in the days of Jesus, demonic possession was more likely than today, yet at prayer gatherings, Medjugorje, or other places of pilgrimage, "possessed" people always seem to be there, brought by loving family members for help, which to that point has been elusive. Today we hear again of two possessed men whose demons Jesus drives into a herd of swine.(Mt 8: 28-34).  Don't we wish he were here to drive our own demons out of us, but we, instead, pray on our own, or have someone pray for us.  Prayer does seem to be the key to subduing the "demons" who plague us, try to convince us that we are falling too short, or, even worse, convincing us that we have no demons, but it is "the world" or others who are tempting us. For sure, the Evil One will not rest until he has discombobulated us and diverted us from a sane and peaceful relationship with God. Let us then, put our stock in Jesus who knows us and whose care and protection outdo our most solicitous and loving care of those we love the most.  Jesus cares for us as no other, and will not let the demons prevail, as he did in today's gospel.
Bro. Rene