sexta-feira, 22 de janeiro de 2010

The demon


asperges.jpg picture by kjk76_94
- And by what authority do you say this? Are you a prophet? "I'm not.
- Is the son of prophet? "Neither am I, but there we go near.
- But why talk then, if not a prophet nor a prophet's son?
"Because of the scarcity of true prophets and false prophets boisterousness. As true prophets appear, I'll shut up. As stop deceiving the people of false prophets, and I'll shut up. At least, I hope (P. Leonardo Castellani).

The devil beats man when he trusts his own powers, and to them is limited. Consider, for example, leaving a Christian prayer, the Mass, the sacrament of penance. And this happens, see Paul VI, because the attack of demons "today is little attention. The fear is falling back into old Manichean theories or terrible fantastic and superstitious ramblings. Today, some seem to be brave and free of bias, and take positive attitudes "(15-11-1972). By such means trivializes the evil of man and the world, and trivialize the means to overcome them: go to nuclear war armed with a slingshot. But it is understandable that the decision to eliminate an enemy ideologically, persisting stubbornly real, it only gets more dangerous.

The ordinary means of spiritual warfare against the devil and God are taught in Scripture, and then were coded by Christian spiritual masters. Briefly mention the main ones:

-The armor of God that Christians must take is described by St. Paul: "be strong in the Lord and the strength of his power Put on the whole armor of God so that you can resist the wiles of the devil" (Eph 6,10-18). This armor includes first sword of the Word of God. Also the prayer: "pray that you Do not yield to temptation" (Luke 22.40), for some kind of demons "can not be expelled by any means except by prayer" (Mk 9:29). And especially the avoidance of sin: "sin not, do not give entry to the devil" (Eph 4,26-27). "Submit to God and Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Jas 4:7). Paul VI: "What defense, what remedy to oppose the action of the devil? We can say all that defends us from sin defend us as result of the invisible enemy "(15-11-1972).

"The truth is the main weapon to defeat the Christian devil. Nothing neutralizes and removes both the power of the devil on the world as the very clear statement of truth. John Paul II teaches that "those who were slaves of sin, because they were under the influence of the father of lies, are released through the participation of the truth which is Christ, and freedom of the Son of God themselves reach" freedom of the sons of God "(Romans 8:21)" (3-8-1988).

Fidelity to the doctrine and discipline of the Church, in this sense, it is necessary to ward off the devil. Santa Teresa said: "I am very certain that the devil can not deceive God will not allow the soul of anything not trust each other and are strengthened in the faith." This soul "and has already made strong seat in these truths, not the revelations can imagine how many would move, though he saw the heavens open, a point which is the Church" (Life 25.12). On the contrary, that master and doctor "Catholic" that "teaches differently and does not comply with the words healthy, those of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness" (1 Timothy 6:3), that makes play the devil falls in person and make others fall under his sway. The best efforts of the devil is just faking Christianity.

"Sacramentals of the Church, holy water, prayers of blessing, the sign of the cross, exorcisms, in severe cases, they are precious aid. As a child in danger runs to take refuge in his mother, so the Christian besieged by the devil tends, under the action of the Holy Spirit to seek the help of Mother Church. And it is precisely sacramentals, as the Vatican II, aid "for spiritual obtained through the intercession of the Church" (SC 60). Santa Teresa knew well the power of holy water to the demons: "there is nothing with more fleeing, never to return; of the cross also flee, but return. Must be great virtue of holy water to me is particularly well known and she feels comforted when I take my soul. " He adds something very like it: "I think what great thing is all that is ordained by the Church" (31.4 Life cf. 31,1-11).

-Not afraid of the devil, as the Lord commanded us: 'Do not be troubled or afraid "(Jn 14:27). Christ overcame the devil and held. Now it's like a chained wild beast, which can damage the Christian if it was not about, getting proximate occasion of sin. The tempting power of demons is completely subject to the providence of God, which employs him as a punishment for our good medicine (1 Cor 5:5; 1Tim 1.20) and as proof Purifier (2 Cor 12:7-10).

Christians are kings in Christ, and partake of the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all creation, also over the demons. In this sense St. Teresa wrote: "If the Lord is powerful, as it is and I know he is and who are their slaves and demons, this would not be doubted, it is of faith, since I am the servant of the Lord and King me what harm can they do to me?, why have not I have strength to fight all hell? He took a cross in his hand and God seemed to give me courage that I saw another in a short time, not afraid to mess with them arms, I felt that with this cross easily beat them all. And so I said "come on now all that being servant of the Lord I want to see what I can do". And in this defiance, he concludes: "There is no doubt that I felt that I was afraid, because I remained calm and so without fear of them all that I removed all the fears I used to have until now because, although sometimes I saw them, I have not been more about fear, before they seemed to me I had it. I was a lord against them or given by the Lord of all, who does not give me more of them than of flies. They seem so cowardly that, seeing that they have them in little, have no force "(Life 25,20-21).

The devil attacks man in some cases with a very special persistent force. That attack came

-In the siege, also called obsession, the devil acts on man from outside. They say when it affects internal spiritual powers, especially the lower ones: violent evil inclinations, insuperable repugnance, anxiety, suicidal impulses, and so on. And when it affects anyone outside of the external senses, inducing impressions, sometimes highly misleading, in vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch.

-In possession the devil enters the victim and the despotic moves from within. But note that although the devil has invaded the body of a man, and held by him as his property, no person may influence the intrinsic principle of his actions and movements, but by a violent domination, which is unrelated to the substance the act. The demonic possession affects the body but the soul is not invaded, remains free, and if God holds together, be in possession during the same grace (cf. John Paul II, 13-8-1986).

The appropriate means of spiritual warfare against the devil, in these extreme cases are the exorcisms. As we saw, were often exercised by Christ the Savior, and he sent the Apostles as exorcists, with special spiritual powers to expel demons. Exorcisms should therefore be applied to men who are especially attacked by the devil. So what the Catechism of the Church:

"When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the wiles of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus practiced it, for He is the Church the power and office of exorcising (Mk 3.15, 6,7.13, 16.17). In a simple form, exorcism is taking place in the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called "The Great Exorcism" can only be performed by a priest and the bishop's permission. In these cases we must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is the expulsion of demons or the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Very different is the case of illness, especially psychological, whose care is part of medical science. It is therefore important to ensure, before an exorcism, that is a presence of evil and not a disease "(1673).

Increase siege today and possessions of the devil. Since John Paul II warned that "the impressive words of the Apostle John," the whole world lies in wickedness "(1 Jn 5:19) refer to the presence of Satan in human history, a presence that is stronger As man and society depart from God "(13-8-1886, cf. 20-8). Where Christianity declines, increasing the effective power of the devil among men. Many of the few men of the Church today are engaged in this serious matter always declare that the action evil is growing remarkably in recent decades. Spiritism, divination, esoteric, ouija board, satanic cults, Santeria, voodoo, new age rituals, performances perverse idolatry of wealth, sexual promiscuity, drugs, are open for the entry of the devil.

Describe and analyze the growth of diabolical power in today's world, p. ej., Fr Gabriele Amorth, president of the International Association of Exhorcistas (30 Days, 2001, n. 6), Fr Rene Laurentin, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Rome (the devil "symbol or reality? Bilbao Desclee de Brouwer 1998, 149-201), the Fourth National Congress of Exorcists held in Mexico (July 2009).

And at the same time reduce the exorcisms almost disappeared in many churches. At the same sources quoted above can be documented and analyzed this fact. The widespread apostasy in some local churches, loss of faith in the devil, massive absenteeism catechesis and the Sunday Eucharist, failing to confirmation and sacramental penance, etc. .-, is also contemptuous of the sacramental neglect: the holy water, blessings and exorcisms. Many dioceses, even nations, have no exorcist. And few diocesan curia, by act or omission, virtually eliminate the exorcism of pastoral life, because they put so many demands and difficulties, which virtually impossible.

The disappearance of exorcism is now a particularly serious loss, as occurs just when most needed. The Christian people called for in the Lord's Prayer every day "deliver us from evil ', and we know that our Lord Jesus Christ, the great exorcist, gave his apostles power to cast out demons. So today is a great shame that the beleaguered men and possessed by the devil are seen in serious spiritual dangers and terrible suffering without the help of some local churches that refuse to give them the powerful help of the exorcisms, and resisting the word Christ: "In my name they will cast out demons" (Mk 16:17).

Reform growing rapidly or apostasy.

Jose Maria Iraburu, priest

fonte: reforma o apostasía