Our Father does not want us to perish.
No one knows better than He how fragile we are and how many dangers surround us! Everywhere we are beset by attacks: within ourselves by our fallen nature, in the world by its seductions, by enemies and the envy of the devil who seeks to harm us.
But our Father has a whole army to protect His own. He not only places a guardian angel at our side, but the entire heavenly Church is always ready to come to our aid, and the Church Militant also offers us the means entrusted to her by God to help us stay on the right path. Nor should we forget the Church purgative, which intercedes for us, especially when we have her present in our prayers and sacrifices.
The safest thing is to remain in the love of our Father, to dwell in His Heart. No matter how much the powers of darkness may sow unrest and try to take advantage of our weaknesses, our Father will protect us, as the Apostle to the Gentiles describes:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 38-39).
In His wise providence, our Father allows that, after having lost Paradise, we have to face these struggles and attributes them to us as merit and proof of our love for Him if we accept them and emerge victorious in Him. Our Father does not ask more of us than we can bear, and we can always count on His help!
“Stay with me; I will keep you; I am your Father!”