Understanding Our Capacity for Evil
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2019
- Fr. Mike asks if the bad things you think you don’t have the capacity to do are actually just things you don’t have the opportunity to do. A friend of Fr. Mike’s was recovering from an addiction, and this friend noticed how he was deceiving himself. He was telling himself “I would never …” when he should have been saying, “I haven’t yet ...” Many times the sins we avoid we have only avoided because we haven’t had the opportunity to commit them. Acknowledging that we may do something regretful if given the opportunity is a great-although difficult-exercise in self-knowledge that could prevent some serious sin in the future.
This week, consider the benefits that come with strengthening your self-discipline. Make an extra attempt to reinforce a virtue that may help you combat the corresponding vice. This will go a long way in increasing your holiness.
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I am a Korean missionary priest in Australia. You are an inspiration
김신부의 Rainbow stay strong FTher🙏🏽
Thank you, Father Mike. I’m in recovery as well..by God’s grace I’ve never been:1.arrested yet,2. Engaged in IV drug abuse, 3. Engaged in immoral activities for financial gain...YET. Good one.👍🏻 This philosophy is a mainstay of NA and AA. It’s what we addicts/drunks have to keep first and foremost in our minds.
Yes. Main point of Catholic teachings is never touch that drug or bad behaviors at the first place.
But Protestants testimonies are generally, "I was a drug addict yesterday, saved by grace today".
If you need proof of God, these videos always pop up when I need them! Thank you Father Mike!
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way hey brother or sister in Christ what denomination are you? And saints such as Mary do bear our prayers it’s biblical I can show you.
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way /// and they are not gods or goddesses they are saints, the Bible tells us to be saints! we have no god but GOD the lord Jesus Christ wich is YWHW and the Holy Spirit!
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way brother if you want to know the truth of Catholicism read the Bible, we are Judaism post messiah any other denomination is false brother, sadly they have tricked you into falling astray from the church of Jesus
And why focus completely on us Catholics? We accept Jesus as lord and God why attack us and not for example, Muslims that completely reject the saving blood of Jesus ?
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way well according to
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Hopefully my works have been good enough to go directly to heaven. But if not I will have to stay some time in purgatory
If the opportunity isn't there, it's easy feeling self-righteous and holy. But given the opportunity, waw, it is so easy to go astray and fall. God allows us to fall at times so we judge others less and we become more humble beings.
But it is very wise to avoid coming close to what may lead us into sin.
Thank you Fr Mike!! As usual, very creative into choosing topics for discussion.
Marvin Mansueto Storytime: Back In 2007 I became highly critical and self-righteously judgmental over a fellow RN at my workplace who was essentially caught red-handed smoking crack-cocaine (broken and burned glass pipe on the floor) in the female employee’s restroom. It was around this time my addiction to Vicodin ramped up; my son had turned 18 and left for Washington state. I was gutted. Fast forward to 2010: I was forced to “retire “ from my same job because I stole Tramadol from the medication room; I was fiercely addicted; it was my drug of choice and damned near destroyed my life. I just. Didn’t. Care. I hated my job, (psychiatric care; violence, worsening marriage)My RN license was suspended a year later. I am now clean for five years, thank God! I’ve “cleaned up the wreckage of my past” with the nursing state board here in Massachusetts, obtained my retirement and pension (state time plus Air Force vet) and work doing private duty care as a CNA. It was the “Reckoning “ of my life; long overdue. Moral of the story: God really DOES know your thoughts, feelings and deeds. Be careful. (Not you in particular; the broad sense) God really does see all and has no problem doling out our “just desserts. “ It’s real. I’m grateful today beyond description. Thanks for your comment; it really hit home. Be blessed. Didn’t mean to be so long-winded.✌🏻
@@immaggiethesenilegoldenret7918 May God bless you. I have 3 addictions...caffeine and nicotine, not so bad...maybe. The 3rd...and I'm ashamed to say it...a penchant for vengeance. However, I used to merely call it "giving people exactly what they said they wanted"...still vengeance. I met someone along the way who showed me my capacity for great violence...they sparked a rage within me that was palpable to others at a distance. I had to pray for the strength to remove myself from this individual's presence and avoid any and all contact where possible. I would become incandescent at the mere mention of their name. I had all the opportunity and motive for making this persons life painful and miserable. What stopped me? Love...love for my children...and love for a mutual friend unfortunately caught in the middle...and an acute awareness of already having strained my relationship with God, I didnt want to 'disappoint him' , if that makes sense. So theres a capacity for evil if ever there was one. It took a lot of prayer, mostly the Rosary, as well as weekly confession jus to get through a week and not become enraged. Strange thing happened to me after about 7 years of this...very little gets me angry anymore. Recently, someone stole something from me, a gift from my child, and all I felt was disappointed.
@@annatmarshall5133 oh wow. Thanks for sharing so honestly Anna. This certainly will help many people who struggle with anger, resentment, bitterness, unfirgiveness. God's grace is truly amazing.
This is the type of people we need in our life. These people help promote God in ways that others can’t. Thank you God bless
Thank you to Saint Micheal the Arc Angel for praying with me to the Lord our God, for success in recent college examinations! Praise be to God for everything!
This is what I understand Our Lord to mean when He teaches us to pray to our Father ‘lead us not into temptation’. not that He tempts us, but that if He puts us to the test and allows us to face temptation we humbly know we may fail, because we are not as good as we think ‘but deliver us from evil’ because we want to be free of the evil within us, as well as from evil in the world around us.
Thank You Jesus for this! Thanks Fr. Mike for being His Vessel. We need this today.
Thank you Father, been there remember the words! Been sober for over 30 years now and 1 year ago converted to catholic faith was just confirmed in June.
Welcome to Home!!!
Congratulations, William, and welcome, brother. It is marvellous to read you own good news. Thirty-three years dry myself, I know what a struggle it can be. God and Mary bless you!
Just before I was about to pray the holy Rosary before going bed, I got the notification about this video. Thanks for your great job Father.
Tonight's Rosary intention will be for you and your amazing job 👍. All best.
The line between good and evil lies straight through the human heart- The Gulag Arch.
Congratulations on healing your army wounds from generational pressure as well as helping your conglomerates. Blessings
This man has a lot of wisdom. God bless him
It sounds like you shared my story. I’ve been a friend of Bill W. for 12yrs. I was told so many years ago that “YET” stands for “You’re eligible too”
Thank you for sharing 🙏 Powerful words of wisdom & truth ✝️ God Bless 🌟
Thanks father Mike! Always great to listen to you. Hugs from Spain
Fr. Mike, I'm going to keep commenting until you make a video on scrupulosity.
You are very wise and have great advice, I believe a video about scrupulosity would be very beneficial.
Please make one!!
Oh my God, how the world woud be so much a better place if only all of us follow Jesus through priests like father Mike, Hope all of us could accept God's grace, thanks again.
That is very true I was in-and-out of jail for drugs . But God got it hold of me I've been playing for 40 years . I asked for God's help I have no desire To go back . I'm happy married to a Catholic wife, and 3 kids are Catholic .so we are all Catholic.
When I was young I don't think there was a sin that I didn't endulge in and I feel terrible I mean terrible if God didn't want to forgive me I would completely understand but I know God is better then that. I know one thing threw God's grace I continue to be better then I was the day before. I know in this life I will always be a sinner but I strive to let God shine through my weakness. Some days I fall short but I keep getting up and go to God he dusts me off and tells me to keep going. I will do my best to do what God wants he is the one person I don't want to fail.
This message is really important understand. Oftentimes, the worst mistakes we make in life come when we are tempted by a situation, without which we would never have imagined to do anything so bad. Only God can conceive of every temptation and can stay above temptation. That is why we need to trust in Him and rely on His grace to stay in obedience.
As a teenager in a relationship right now, this video could not of come in a better time! Thank you so much!!
Felicity Engel That's great that you're keeping God in the midst of your relationship. I hope God continues to pour his grace and blessings on you both : )
@@dumboxthomas6758 Thank you so much, I appreciate it😁
Has your boyfriend listened yet ?
It would probably help him get his biological urges restrained by his spiritual responsibilities.
Good strenght to you both.
@@plusbonus1165 He understands my values, and we both have agreed on boundaries. But then there are grey areas, and tahts when it is difficult because there is not an exact answer on how far you can go. But we are both trying our hardest to practice Chasity as a couple.
Thank you, Fr. Mike! This is an important reminder of how much we need to rely on God's grace. See you at Steubenville!
I agree with you! Seeing Father Mike at Steubenville is always a highlight of the weekend!
Brianna Peatrow I'm not aware of this. So is there a link where I can get more information about this event please?
Original Sin is so tricky. I think its vital to understand HOW original sin taints n blinds our way of thinking.
Answer : love God more, attend the churches SACRAMENTS, pray intimate prayers , search within what obstructs our relationship with Christ and nailed it to the cross. Hand it over and let God handle what is beyond you to alter! God grant us grace I pray
Thank you Father. Excellent video. ♥️🇨🇦
So very true...yet opportunity is meaningless without motivation. Treacherous is the human heart indeed.
Living proof of these wise words. This is why I attend Mass. Thank you Fr.
But for the grace of God, there go I.
Additionally I would add that we ought to be self aware in order to define our personal "point of no return."
Thank you for making me more aware. God bless you.
God bless you, Father Mike! 3 Hail Mary's for you
@Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way Do you believe in asking other people to pray for you? Then, why not ask Mary?
@Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way The way we see it is that multiple people praying is better than one person praying. For Scriptural basis for this belief, read this: www.catholic.com/tract/praying-to-the-saints
Fr. Mike, you bring the glorious and holy gospel right down to everyday life situations that we all face and point the way to being more than a conqueror. Many thanks and God bless you.
Stay away from opportunity
And
Practice the virtue...
Make the easy choice
Know yourself & your weaknesses
Rather than letting things get out of control, nip the temptation in the bud.
Grow in the opposite virtue. (Self discipline)
I.E...pacifists learn how to argue
Pray for graces from God.
My notes
I'm my opinion nothing is ever easy, it's simple, but it's not easy to have self control. Self discipline is self Love
Thank you father 🙏🏼
As always Fr. Mike nailed it
Thank you for The way you talk about the hard stuff that we all need to hear . Not only that the way you say it and explain it in a way that's easier to swallow thank you. please forgive my bad grammar and punctuation have a great day
I love you Father Mike, thank you so much! 😊
If I M not in the will of God may God put me there, and if I am , may God keep me. St. Joan of Arc🙏🏽 .
Birds of a feather flock together. If one chooses bad character people to associate with one will gradually sin more and care less. Ones threshold keeps getting lower. Associate with the righteous ( yes, they are not perfect) ones integrity grows and ones all important attuide gets better and more GOD fearing.
This man(Father), respectfully is incredibly phenomenal! Stay Blessed AnDreas~Robehr GonzaLus
Thank you, Father Mike!
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way what is your point?
Catholics: Jesus is the Only Way How can you be sure that your way is the right way? You have no proof, I have no proof (just 2000 years of history of the church). And I just thanked Father Mike. So stop bothering me with your theories, please!
I would love to see Fr. Mike and Jordan B Peterson have a discussion.
Anne Tindal #teamPeterson 🤪😬
Fr. Mike, I can't thank you enough! God bless
God Bless you. Staying in The Word of God, Mass, & prayer keeps my psyche more honest and stay more by Grace avoiding rationalization & justification and make the virtuous decisions & carry them out.
Thank you for everything, Fr. Mike! God bless you *hugs*
He was lucky; One thing leads to another and then the opportunity comes up. Good people “who would never do that” usually do “it” out of fear and desperation and a loss in faith brought in by fear. A few missed paychecks or rejections and many people are led to the other side without even realizing it.
I was just talking with a priest yesterday about my OCD intrusive thoughts and tearfully insisting that I would never do some of the things that came to mind... he reassured me that my true self is in my heart and in my will. In this case, I am really hoping that what he said is true, rather than Fr Mike's "I haven't yet"/"I haven't had the opportunity". I guess one of the hallmarks of OCD is that it places the seed of doubt in your mind. I suppose Fr Mike is talking more about deeds but I've interpreted his message through my lens of anxiety.
Yup. I have OCD myself and it can be a great burden. Glad you've found a priest who understands it. I would greatly suggest reading about St. Ignatius of Loyola, he greatly struggled with it.
@@michaelszilagyi4529 Thank you! Praying for you :)
What’s going on with OCD, and what Father Mike is talking about are two totally different things - so try not to worry! 👍
I have experience with intrusive thoughts and OCD as well. My awesome confessor and priest friend told me to say, "Jesus, i rebuke the spirit of ________." Three times. Pin point what would need to fill in that blank. Maybe it's sadness, guilt, anger, fear! It helps a lot. Also, think of this video as more as Fr Mike reminding us all of how sinful we could be. Not that he's suggesting that we all will go out and do whatever horrible thoughts come to mind. He's saying we could, because we aren't perfect.
God Bless you!
@@RJHarris91 Thank you; I appreciate the reassurance! :)
I once knew a man named Tom Sullivan who lived. In Catholic Worker houses in New York and Chicago in the years before World War II. One time Tom was on the stairs with a very,’very angry resident. Tom didn’t like the man at all. The Catholic Worker was then and was then and is now a lay organization dedicated to the Corporal Acts of Mercy. At that moment Tom had the man half over the staircase railing over a three story stairwell drop. Tom said he wanted to kill him and could have and would have save for rembering he held another man’s life in his hands. By then everyone in the house, including Dorothy Day, was on the stairs. She reached him along with a number of other residents. Tom turned the man loose as the other residents guided him back onto the landing and down stairs away from Tom. Dorothy Day embraced him and said, “Tom, you’re a pacifist.”
These videos probe my heart.
Father Mike! Yes! You're AMAZING. I totally love you, you're so right. Awesome vid.UK
Thank you Fr Mike. I am chaste and celibate but sometimes girls get out of their way to seduce me and it's really tempting. I loved the make the easy choice first and don't open a door to opportunity. We trick ourselves that we will resist the opportunities but 100% of the time end up falling. Blessings, Fr. Mike. Lets have a zero tolerance police for opportunities.
i remember something taught to me but not sure by who "there go i but for the grace of GOD!" It was something for me to always remember that because i alone have nothing good within me- but GOD can create something beautiful out of something so broken and so sinful. GOD can take my sins that are scarlet red and make me white as snow (Confession) when JESUS washes me with His Blood. i am Sooo Grateful for all the Sacraments!!! Thank You Father Mike 🌹 Gemma
When I backslid for 4 years, I deceived myself by saying, “well if I’m interceding by using my ‘relationship’ with God (while comfortable in mortal sin) then I’ll be okay ”. Coming back to God out of necessity due to my PTSD symptoms, I only began to see how empty and broken I was. The devil won’t tell you your sins in case you’re waiting for a sign to go back to God. You know your sins, you just don’t want to go back to God and that relationship your call relationship isn’t really one since you’re just using God for your own benefit, if there could be one with mortal sin but there isn’t since living for the flesh never satisfies. And the only reason God’s there is so you can turn back to Him like one of the apostles says when talking about the reason why Christ hasn’t come back again. God’s not your buddy in human terms he doesn’t think that way like we humans do and like Jesus told Peter and called him Satan for thinking like that. Come home, you won’t be sorry, He wants what you want, wait for Him. The enemies of our salvation just want to destroy what we have with God, and we cannot battle what we cannot see, and not with our own strength, we need God’s grace.
Excellent advice! Thank you.
My father is the calmest man I know . I fall short . Pray all the time thank u Father Mike . My fall s is I get up set ,realizing I can't and should not try to fix everything .A girl thing there . can not nore should I ever control everything .Cause people like life to be nest ,.not a person that falls easly .beliving all people have a different ways to fall . We just have to press on and have the old man fall away, and always eyes on the prize . Becoming better people .Remember we have the helper here with us . Press on trying to be the person our father sees in all of it . His peace .night Fr .
I'd love to see a video on the importance of humor & how it may help with humility and not taking ourselves too seriously.
I think Sergeant York sounds like a good example of seeking this virtuousness through life experience.
And sometimes the eye would never happens anyway because our eyes are closed I have learned a lot during this time
Thank you Father. That is me.
Another great video. Thanks Ascension Presents :)
Really good meeting you this weekend at Steubenville Fr. Mike. You are a good man. Thank you for your kindness. I really do hope you make a video on scrupulosity. I believe you could do a lot of good by bringing it up. Again, thank you Fr. Mike for everything this weekend.
Your friend in Christ,
Daniel
I am not a practicing catholic but I have two years of sobriety and from my experience the things you have said are very true.
This is really good. Fr. Mike at his impressive best.
You are the best fr. Mike
This video is so encouraging!! Especially the last part!! Amen!!
Great video, Father!
Fr Mike! 🙌🏿
Thanks Fr Mike
An extraordinary young man.
Very good and important video. Thanks, Father.
Thanks Fr. God bless u too! 🙂🙏
God bless you father
Amen Fr. Mike
So true. I have wittnesed that in myself
Working through our evil capacity, working towards the virtue when opportunity is present is how God increases our sanctification to him. It is in these evil opportunities, that when we realize what is present and reject the opportunity to do it, that we work on the virtues. For instance, a man who struggles with lust, who is self aware about his struggles of impurity, will actively work against it, actively work against satan with the graces of God to increase the virtue of chastity. Learned this from an exorcist priest, boy was it an awakened!
Can you please talk some more about (not) being vegan or vegetarian and a Catholic?
I’m referencing to your “Will my pet go to Heaven?” video.
Thank you for every video you released so far!
God bless you!
Good video
Have the capacity but not the opportunity
So true !!
Hallelujah!
If you want to know our capacity for evil, try writing horror or mystery novels. Putting yourself in the mind of a villain is a very scary thing.
That is so true I used to use street books I used to drink too much. I used to sell drugs. Then I started doing the right thing I've been clean from drugs for 40 years . I've been clean from drinking 17 years Are the queens from smoking More than 20 years. I accept the Catholic teaching and not doing these things I am curly a practicing Catholic 🙂.
I would say pray and ask for God's help. That's what I did. It will come my sins. That certain sin I hadn't done it for 3 months by praying to God and ask for his help.
As an atheist, I do find this really interesting and I think I agree with you. Although I'd go further and say that the religious often use the argument that there would be moral bankruptcy without religion. I think it's kind of wild for folks to say that if it wasn't for their belief in the Bible, they'd be evil. I always thought that was pretty concerning.
"There, but for the Grace of God, go I"
Oh happy fault! This sounds counter intuitive, but blessed are those that fall into the pit of their darkness and struggle, hit rock bottom, and with having no where and no one else to go, crawl to the Father to receive His tender mercy to gain true awareness of their being, to one's own mystery, to unfold the Mystery of God--to gain true affection for their being.
Awareness of one's capacity for evil, the symptom of our illness, is a beautiful start of a journey to uncover one's wounds that generates one's evil behaviours and allowing God to heal us of our wounds by enlightening us on how we were formed by them. And by surrendering to His work in us, through His power He makes us new in Him. Making us free to be his daughter or son who can love with abandon and has no fear to live in His Will.
I've always felt that a person is capable of the same degree of evil as good... their dynamic range.
Amen.
You just can't prevent yourself from all the ocasions to sin, what you need to do is to understand why you have the temptation... With prayer, of course.
Amen
“A meek person is an incredibly dangerous person that has has himself under voluntary control” Jordan Peterson
Why don't we have to opportunity? "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." God is doing exactly what you asked him to do.
I for one had strong good moral up bringing by my parents.... Even though they were never perfect and made mistskes they would always teach mw right from wrong... So that being said even me as an adult had my share of mistskes in life and i do believe there are certain things i will not do because its not in my nature to do so. Ive had situations and people offering to do bad but it was never entretained in my mind or heart for a second. I feel mu conciencence is in a good place because i never do anything to purposely hurt anyone for any reason.... I just turn the other check
This video totally reminds me of a novel I read years ago where the narrator tells you that he and his friends killed someone on the first page. That was a great hook because I HAD to know who and why. Anyway, about halfway through the book I found myself on the killers' side, because I was all, "Yeah, you know, I'd've probably killed him, too!" That was the first book that did that to me: put me on the "bad" side so to speak. I also read this other book (non-fiction) written by a retired FBI agent (IIRC) who said that there is no profile for the average murderer (only serial killers, really), because EVERYBODY is capable of murder. Put anybody in the right circumstance, and push them hard enough, and they can become a murderer.
If you take a look at History, and specifically at any totalitarian regime, you'd be surprised at what atrocities the average Joe can commit.
Stay on the right path...#listeningatlunch
I'm a pacifist because I'm strong enough to forgive and love unconditionally.
Oh, indeed, Fr. Mike; for without the parameters of the Decalogue, I'd be about as intellectually sadistic as the evil one itself by now, so no kidding about the capacity for evil!
Sadly true
"The truth and Need for Catechism"
Can Fr.Mike please talk about this In detail
At 6:05 it sounded like you said "None of your mates are home..." I was like, "fava Mike, I didn't know you wos bri'ish!" If you were bri'ish you could sum up this whole video by saying, "Don't be a wally, innit!"
Can you make a video on pacifism? I don't understand the Church's view on it. The Just War Theory seems to contradict my understanding of pacifism.
If I might piggyback on that, to what extent should Christians passively allow popular culture to vilify morality as that same culture seems more and more determined to impose itself on everyone?
🙌🏻🙏🏻🙌🏻