All Aboard the Struggle Bus

June 5, 2024 by Mark Quaranta

When we sit down for our daily examination of conscience or prepare for Confession, we reflect on moments of struggle, temptation, and even failure.

In your Examination Journal, you might find entries like:

• "The kids have really been frustrating me."
• "I lost my temper when the kids misbehaved during Mass."
• "I'm stressed at work because of Project X and coworker Y."
• "I gave in to sexual sin." (I'll leave out the specifics for this article)

What do we do with these entries? 

It's important to recognize that these entries can reflect the situations we encounter, how we feel about them, and how we react. Acknowledging these moments is crucial. Recognize the temptation for what it is, whether you gave in or not.

From there, we can take a few proactive steps:

1. Ask for Help: Offer prayers for an increase in virtue, seek the intercession of saints, or call on your guardian angel. Don't hesitate to ask people in your life for support as well. A simple request like, "Hey, keep us in your prayers; the kids have been a real handful lately," can go a long way.

2. Make Resolutions: Get practical about how you'll handle similar situations in the future. Prepare yourself for the next encounter with that particular temptation.

Lastly, if you find yourself repeatedly succumbing to temptation, it might be time for Confession. This sacrament doesn't just forgive sins; it provides real graces to combat temptation and grow in virtue.

Fr. Hopko, in his 55 Maxims for the Christian Life, starkly reminds us: "Have no expectations except to be fiercely tempted to your last breath."

The struggle is a constant, but now we have a strategy and a process to fight back.