When the great St. Antony left the world to serve God in the desert, the devil used to attack him with many temptations. Not only did he tempt Antony, but he sometimes appeared in various ugly shapes to frighten him. One day, after tempting him in many different ways, the devil was enraged to find that Antony would not give in to any of these temptations. In his fury, the devil beat him so brutally that Antony was all covered with wounds and bruises.

Suddenly the hermit’s cell was filled with a great brightness, and immediately satan and his devils disappeared. Then St. Antony knew that Our Lord Himself had come to visit him.

“O my good Jesus,” said he lovingly, “where were You, where were You? Why didn’t You come sooner to drive Satan away, and to keep him from hurting me?”

To this understandable complaint Our Lord answered:

“Antony, I was here beside you, and I saw all your conflict. It was with My permission that you were wounded, so that I might heal you; that you were afflicted, so that I might comfort you. Like a good soldier you have fought well. Never be afraid of your enemies, but fight them bravely, for I am always near you to help you.”

Hearing Jesus' answer, St. Antony was greatly comforted. Then, Jesus healed Antony's wounds, and filled his soul with a sweet peace.

No matter how hard our trials are, or how difficult a temptation is, Jesus is always there for us. Remember He loves you and wants to help you, and is so pleased when you fight evil for His sake. As with St. Antony, He will never fail to encourage and reward you, both in this life and the next.