St. Antony the Great once was living in the desert. The demons were giving him a hard time, beat him up, left him in a coma. Eventually folks found the body and carried him to the church, planning a funeral in the morning. In the middle of the night he got up and went back to his cave. And immediately the mean and nasties were at him again. Finally he called out in desparation, "Lord, help me!" and immediately Christ appeared and the demons scattered. "Lord, where were you when I needed you?" "I was always here, but I wanted to see what you were made of. As soon as you called (rather than relying on your own struggle) I am present."
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