St. Thomas Aquinas says: “Praise be to Jesus.”

“The tree whose leaves wither and die stands bare and naked – its beauty gone. So it is with each soul whose faith shrivels and dies. He is naked and vulnerable to every temptation and attack of Satan.”

“In due season, the tree comes to life again – its leaves budding and blooming forth. The soul, however, can only come to life again if God offers to him the gift of faith once more. If the soul should be so fortunate, he will bloom forth in the radiance of grace if, through free will, he accepts the gift God offers.”

“Every soul makes himself vulnerable to evil when he accepts any compromise of faith. The doorway to these challenges remains the soul's free will. Faith is based on Truth and Truth does not change.”