Solitary Soul

IN HONOUR OF THE ARCHANGELS Mario D’Couto              My original intention was to get this article published on the feast of the Archangels which is on 29 th September. However, due to other commitments, I was not able to do so. I have never written anything about the angels and I guess this is probably the first time I am writing about the angles and more specifically about the Archangels. But, who are the angels? An angel is God’s messenger. They are beings with no corporeality. They carry our petitions to God and bring them back to us favours and benedictions.             St. Thomas writes that the angelic nature is a whole world of perfection in itself. And this at least we know, that angels are spiritual substances, incorruptible by nature, utterly separate from matter and entirely free from all those infirmities which encompass us on every side...

IN HONOUR OF OUR GUARDIAN ANGELS Mario D’Couto              This article is a follow up to the one about the Archangels. Each of us has a Guardian angel. The ministry of the Guardian Angels consist in the following, Ø   In warding off dangers to body and soul Ø   In preventing Satan’s suggesting evil thoughts and other occasions of sin and helping us to overcome temptation. Ø   In enlightening and instructing us and fostering in us holy thoughts and pious desires. Ø   In offering to God our prayers and in praying for us. Ø   In correcting us if we sin. Ø   In helping us in the agony of death, in strengthening and comforting us Ø   In conducting our souls to heaven or to purgatory to console us there.             Although they cannot penetrate the inner sanctuary of the human heart which God has reserved for Himself, they do al...

PLEASURE Mario D’Couto             For those of you who have read my article on ‘Exercise and spirituality’, it would seem as though in order to truly become who we are and in order to develop our potential to the full, we need to forego the pleasures of life. This would therefore seem at prima facie that unless if one’s life is a ‘drag’ only then will a person be successful. But is that the case? NO! The key thing to understand is ‘balance’.             You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing something ‘spiritual’ – like reading the Bible, attending Church, praying or sharing your faith. And you may think God is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting or eating. He doesn’t miss a singly move you make. The Bible tells us,...

A PAINFUL DEATH Mario D’Couto             Sometimes I think to myself as to why would Our Lord and Saviour have to undergo such a painful and horrendous death? After all, He could have saved humankind in the blink of an eye. He is God, almighty Sovereign Lord, King of the universe. Bishop Sheen in his book, “Life of Christ” , gives us a beautiful explanation in regard to the reason as to why Our Lord had to go through an excruciating painful death, It was not enough that the Son of God should come down from the heavens and appear as the Son of Man, for then He would have been only a great teacher and a great example, but not a Redeemer. It was important for Him to fulfil the purpose of His coming, to redeem humankind from sin while in the likeness of human flesh. Teachers change men by their lives; our Blessed Lord would change men by His death. The poison of hate, sensuality and envy which is in the hearts of men c...

Exercise and Spirituality Mario D’Couto             Aristotle said that our lives are governed by the habits we create and follow, and exercise and spirituality are no exceptions to it. But more than just being governed by this one common factor, what strikes out is that both have similar paths if not identical in the attainment of their respective goals. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it and understand their similarities. 1)       An Arduous Journey : In both exercise and spirituality, the goal cannot be achieved in one shot or overnight. It takes time, effort and persistence. 2)       To Stop is to Regress : Anybody who has been through an exercise program and has stopped will tell you the effects of what a change of lifestyle can do, not so much for the better, but for the worst. Not following a healthy life style or a healthy diet is only g...

IN DEFENCE OF OUR LADY                                         Mario D’Couto                It is interesting to note that while it is true that God selected the weak and the forgotten for His purpose, it was not that He just chose them and said, “You are on your own, let’s see what you can do.” He prepared them for His work. In the lives of the apostles, this is very evident. Even from the passages of the Old Testament, we see this vividly portrayed in the lives of His prophets: Gideon, Isaiah, Moses, Jeremiah and all others who have served Him. If so much can be done in their lives, can it not be done on a greater scale for the One who brought forth the Son of God into the world in human form? In this regard, it is important to note that when we use the phrase, “Mother of God”, we are referring to two things, namely, that He is true ...