| Name |
| Louis Templeman |
| Email |
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| Your angel story submission |
Angels in Prison
Let me tell you a story about prisons and angels. The action occurred on Saturday (1-8-05) at a time when I was shrouded in the darkness of depression.
I was in an hour long line. In the sun. No breeze. I had a religious magazine with me – The Magnificat. It has daily scripture, prayers, poems and the like. I use such times to read, to pray, and meditate. This is how I survive when I am clouded by depression, sadness and anger.
After an hour of calf-aching, feet hurting meditation and prayer I looked around and observed the hundreds of men milling about. I thought, “Every one of these men has an angel.” Also, there are surely demons about as well, tempting and tormenting.
I was inspired to pray. I prayed the angels would be strengthened and the men inspired to follow their guidance. That the angels would overwhelm demonic intent to destroy those souls. I never prayed like that before, but I was satisfied I had prayed well.
Then, I had a thought that I felt was not initiated by me but was divine conversation. I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Read page 40 in your magazine.” I pulled the magazine from my pocket and on page 40 began a 3-page section on “guardian angels”: scriptures, prayers and a poem on angels.
It was an overwhelming and peculiar coincidence. I am convinced the Holy Spirit was showing me several things. 1. Those particular prayers of the magazine validated I was in the spirit as my legs ached and I prayed. 2. My feelings of depression and doubt this past week are not an indicator of my spiritual health or God’s grace on me. 3. God is often closer to us in our time of darkness than he is in the light or during times of good feelings.
It’s possible that I will always be haunted by the darkness of depression but I am learning how to succeed in these spiritual conflicts. As Padre Pio once said, “Thank and sweetly kiss the hand of God that strikes you because it is always the hand of the Father who strikes you because he loves you.
Consider Habakkuk 3: 17-19: Even though the figs trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines . . . even though the sheep all die . . . I will be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior.
I prayed in the darkness of mental gloom and spiritual weariness and, yet, the Holy Spirit led me in a prayer that motivated angels to work for men’s salvation. The irony of the spiritual life. |
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