Good Times: My First Chance to Hold Killian

Last night, Nancy and I went to Children's Hospital to visit our precious little grandson, Killian Patrick, (grandchild number 7) and, for the first time, I was able to hold him. Here are some pictures of that happy experience.

P.S. Thanks be to God, Mr. Kilpatrick continues to do well, and he's been packing on the ounces, day by day, and is now about 3-and-a-half pounds (he weighed just 2 lbs., 2 ozs. when he was born, three months premature). We really appreciate all the prayers that many of you have been praying for Killian. Thank you.

Visualize This: the US/China Trade Relationship

Dire Predictions About the Destruction of the Dollar

Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top.

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all.

(Courtesy of Father Steve Leake)

The Devil Never Goes on Vacation

(St. Francisco Borgia performing a deathbed exorcism, by Francisco Goya)

There is a particular reason why we Catholics invoke the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we say, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen."

In addition to Scripture's repeated reminders that the devil is actively seeking the spiritual destruction of as many men and women as he can possibly destroy, many of the great saints (too many to be numbered here) have attested to the fact that the evil one is allowed by God to harass people with all kinds of temptations and even, in some cases, to make a final, furious, frantic attack on someone who is dying. St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Benedict, St. Dominic, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Anthony Claret, St. John Vianney, Blessed Padre Pio, and many others warn about this, as does the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This is why, in addition to prayer, the sacraments, cultivating virtue, and frequently invoking the intercession of Mary and the saints, we must always remember, trust in, and live according to this glorious truth about God's love for us:

"Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

With all that in mind, I bring you the following audio clip from my "Open Line" radio show yesterday in which I took a call from Kathy, who wanted to know about whether the devil and his demonic helpers were in the habit of harassing people on their deathbeds. She asked because of something she herself had seen as she attended her own mother in her dying days. Take a listen . . .