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Passing the Marshmallow Test

March 9, 2025

1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

A young child is brought into an empty room and seated at a table. On the table is a plate with a single yummy marshmallow. An adult explains that if the child waits fifteen minutes to eat the treat, one more yummy marshmallow will be given. Will the child eat one treat now or enjoy two treats later? Versions of this experiment are known as the Marshmallow Test. Studies of the Marshmallow Test have varied in their findings about how much this predicts a child’s future academic and social success. But in every test, a person faces a free choice: to either grasp at an easy thing, or to resist temptation and obtain something better. The temptations of Jesus in the desert were a high-stakes test which our Lord passed and we can learn from.

During Jesus’ public ministry, when “unclean spirits saw him,” St. Mark records they would fall down before Jesus and shout, “You are the Son of God!’” But St. Luke records how Jesus “rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.” The title “Son of God” was thought a reference to the Messiah, Christ, or Anointed One spoken of in the 2nd Psalm. During the Temptations in the Desert, the devil may or may not have known that Jesus is divine, but the devil’s questions show he at least strongly suspected that Jesus was the Christ, the prophesized King of the Jews: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. … I shall give to you all this power and glory… All this will be yours, if you worship me. … If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from (this roof ledge of the temple).” With each temptation, the devil was placing before Jesus an easy way to become a flawed Messiah.

Like the forty days of Moses atop Mount Sinai, Jesus ate nothing for forty days in the desert and he felt hungry. By suggesting that he tell stones to become bread (possibly against God’s command that he fast) the devil was enticing Jesus to be a materially-focused Messiah. Yet “man does not live on bread alone.” Giving everybody bread without saving their souls would doom the whole world to death. Instead, Jesus obeys his Father, and goes on to change bread into his Flesh for the life of the world. By suggesting that Jesus worship the wicked “Prince of this World” the devil was enticing him to grasp at worldly power like evil lords, kings, and emperors. Instead, Jesus establishes a Kingdom in this world not of this world and reigns now as our uncorrupted, holy, righteous King. By suggesting that Jesus jump off from the height maybe the devil sought to fool him into presumptuously ending his own life, or maybe he wanted Jesus to be a Messiah who would refuse to die so he could never be the Lamb of God whose sacrifice takes away the sins of the world. Instead, Jesus is obedient unto death, even death on a cross, winning for himself and for us a resurrection to glory. Each time, Jesus resists the temptation, refusing the easy evil way but obtaining something better for himself and others.

Our daily temptations may not be so dramatic as Jesus’ in the desert, but we frequently face similar tests. When you are tempted to sin, consider the cost and opportunities lost. If you choose to throw rocks through your windows, if might be fun in the moment but you will lose money and time repairing them. And that money you would have used for a nice meal or clothing or some other good thing will instead be spent on panes of glass. If you choose to sin, it will cost you; not only in the pains which follow but also in the goods things you fail to obtain. When the devil would lead you down the smooth and easy path, call out to the Lord and trust Jesus enough to take the path that Christ has shown you. We see the greater things Christ’s faithful obedience ultimately brought himself and others. Patiently endure in order to see the victories it leads to in this life and the next life, in this world and the world to come. Remember the Marshmallow Test and pass the test before you.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jesus Christ, Salvation History, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 2 Comments »

Controversies & A Sign

August 3, 2024

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Some of the people who were present at the feeding of the 5,000 caught up with Jesus and his apostles at Capernaum. Jesus told them, “You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” If Jesus’ sign had generated proper faith in them they would be seeking him for what he might reveal from God. Instead, they were led by their desire for more free bread. Jesus redirects them to himself: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” They said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” And Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Though I do not own a TV, I do follow news and entertainment through the internet, yet you may have noticed that I rarely preach on current events. Most of what fills the 24-hour news cycle today is forgotten by next week. And even when its reports are important it’s rare that they impact the lives of you or me very much. With continuous controversy, it’s easy to denounce what’s bad without actually doing any good. It keeps you focused on the affairs of others without growing in prayer or virtue. The spiritual enemies of your soul want you to be endlessly anxious, angry, distracted. The demons want you fixated on passing things instead of holding fast to the good things which ever endure. But today, I would like to highlight a recent event I take as a sign pointing to Christ.

The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics featured a scandalous likeness of the Last Supper. The Catholic bishops of France called it “outrageous and provocative.… scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.” This Saturday, the Vatican issued a brief statement criticizing it as well. Why does God hate blasphemy and sacrilege? Because those sins are so harmful to us. Belittling God and holy things, treating our Lord’s name like excrement or a joke, creates obstacles to people knowing and loving God. Christian leaders were right to denounce that display being broadcast on a world stage. However, I would not be mentioning the Olympics’ sorry transgression — which reflects particular errors of our time — if not for a sign which occurred the following night.

Last Saturday, July 27th, shortly before midnight, four administrative districts in the city of Paris experienced a blackout. For up to ten minutes, French cultural landmarks in “the City of Lights,” including the Louvre Museum, the Paris Opera, parts of the Arc de Triomphe, and the Moulin Rouge cabaret, went dark. The French power company told reporters this brief power outage affected nearly 85,000 customers. What was most striking about this event was captured in images which quickly spread across social media. Shining on a hill as the tallest and most visible building in the city, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart remained lit amidst the darkness surrounding it. That beautiful church’s construction began and in 1891 as an act of reparation, as penance for sins of France which had led to national disasters.

That moment last Saturday night was a sign to the world for anyone with eyes to see it: that in the darkness of our times there is one Light for us to turn to. So do not obsess over bread and circuses which perish, and do not lose hope. Focus rather on the Light, the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who gives life to the world.

Posted in Culture, Homily, Internet, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Warfare, Sports, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena, Television | 2 Comments »

Obey Christ For Abundant Life

January 28, 2024

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The people of Capernaum witnessed the authority and power of Jesus, “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” The demons are mere creatures, but Jesus Christ is Lord. Will we heed and obey him? According to Catholic exorcists, a good confession is more powerfully effective than an exorcism. This makes sense. It is difficult to root out demonic influence in a person’s life when the person is siding with the demons in rebellions against God through grave sin. But once that person comes to Confession — repentant, seeking to sin no more — they are rejecting those sins and the demons lose some in-roads.

I once received a request from an unmarried, non-Catholic couple to help them with spiritual disturbances occurring in their home. They were hearing strange noises and voices, seeing and finding inanimate objects moving about, and their dogs were behaving strangely. Unless they were lying to me (and I can see no purpose in them lying) the couple sometimes witnessed phenomena together, which rules out the possibility of these being mere hallucinations. I visited and spoke with them, blessed their house, prayed for them, and blessed them.

When I reached out to them some months later, they said they had been thinking about contacting me again. They said that following the house blessing things had gotten better — quieter, for a time — but then the disturbances resumed and maybe worse than before. So I came back and blessed their house and both of them anew, but I admonished them again, just as I had before, that it was gravely important that they cease fornicating. I told them God’s will for them was either to marry, to live separately, or to live chastely like a brother and sister. Behaving otherwise is to lie with one’s body; simulating a permanent gift of self without vowing that same commitment before God and the world.

That man and woman and I did not know whether spiritual disturbances had occurred in that house before they moved in. However, I can see why the Lord might permit these unsettling signs for the couple’s own good: to deepen their faith in spiritual things, to help them recognize their sin, and to motivate them to change. I believe my first blessings had some effect to reveal to these non-Catholics that such blessings hold power and to validate me as a messenger. Yet these blessings did not make the disturbances go away forever since that would do them little good; making the symptoms disappear without curing the underlying disease. The couple was grateful for my visits, but I do not know what they went on to choose.

Jesus manifests his full authority over demons. “He commands…the unclean spirits and they obey him.” So one might ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus simply constrain all of the demons now, making them completely incapable of doing anything?” I suppose some imagine that without any demons there would be no further evil in the world, but temptations and sins would still remain. As St. James writes in his New Testament letter, “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.” Would our temptations be less if the demons were no more? Quite possibly. So why does Jesus allow them to prowl about the world at all? It must be for our greater good and glory, for “God works all things for the good of those who love him.” Why was Satan allowed to tempt Jesus in the desert if not for Christ’s glory and our greater good? And notice how once Jesus said, “Get away, Satan,” then the devil left him. Jesus Christ offers each of us the grace to do his will, but will we heed and obey him?

Someday, I would like to write a book imagining modern-day America if it suddenly became impossible to commit the vast majority of sins. How would people react to God the Father decreeing that much more of his active will must be done on earth as it is in heaven? My story would describe the initial disruptions for a society in which the markets for immoral things evaporate overnight, and many other goods and jobs (like door locks and security guards) are no longer needed. Then I would tell how much society would benefit from the abolishment of sin. Imagine all of the wealth wasted on sins or on repairing sins’ effects instead being spent more usefully; not to mention the greater peace people would enjoy from never being willfully mistreated anymore. Yet my narrative would also note how much people would complain; for instance, they would insist upon their “rights” to speed or curse or lie, or to misuse their bodies or their money however they desire. They would denounce God for his tyranny, and wail and grind their teeth. For these people, it would be like a hell on earth.

In Deuteronomy, Moses proclaims to the Hebrews, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.” God declares about that prophet, “[I] will put my words into his mouth… Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.” Jesus is that promised prophet raised up from his own people, the Incarnate Word of God. “People were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

Jesus does not instruct us in order to control us. He does not command us so that he may dominate us. Jesus declares, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly.” In this age, we are free to disobey God like the demons did. But in the age to come, such sins will no longer be permitted. If we die as friends of God, before we can enter heaven our love for sins will need to first be fully purged. God shall not force his enemies into heaven against their will.

Brothers and sisters, Christ is Lord. He is here to help us, not to destroy us. So choose love over sin, end your rebellions, and encounter him in the confessional. Heed his authority, obey his teachings, and embrace the more abundant life Jesus is offering you.

A Protest Against Paradise

Posted in Chastity, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Marriage and Family, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | Leave a Comment »

Minutes from a Demonic Meeting

November 13, 2022

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Once upon a time, an unknown number of years ago, there was an important meeting of demons. Amidst hell’s fires and shadows, with putrid smoke hanging in the air, the demonic hierarchy plotted their next strategy for how to mislead humanity. Since the rebel angels cannot hurt God directly, they tempt and attack those he loves, hoping to corrupt and dominate us. When the Lord Jesus comes again to rule the earth with justice, the demons do not want us to experience his healing rays; they want us to burn and suffer like themselves.

As the demons met and brainstormed schemes, one of them suggested, “What if we try deceiving them that there’s no such thing as evil?” The chairman, after pouring out a stream of insults, said, “The humans will never believe that! Do you think that we can pit person against person, nation against nation, souls against our Enemy above, without them noticing the sadness, sufferings, envies, jealousies, impurities, rivalries, hatreds, resentments, injustices, murders, and cruelties which follow? Humans see proof of evil in nearly every headline! They are reminded something is wrong with their world whenever their alarm clocks ring, their toes get stubbed, or their weather is less than perfect! You’ll have to do better than that!”

Then another demon dared to suggest, “What if we deceive them that there is no such thing as goodness?” The chairman spewed abuse at that one and said, “The humans will never believe that either! Our Enemy above has littered their world with too many beauties and blessings to count! They have this inherent desire for happiness that our Enemy has built into them! Everything they do is in pursuit of something they perceive as somehow good! Is anyone here not a useless fool?”

Finally, one of the chairman’s most cunning underlings proposed another strategy, an idea which was immediately welcomed with cruel smiles by the malevolent assembly. This dangerous demon said, “Let us deceive the humans that there is no need to hurry.”

In every generation, there has been Christians who believed that their generation would be the last. In his Second Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul admonishes some idlers, freeloaders, and busybodies living there who have quit their labors because they assumed the Lord was returning very soon. Personally, I do not expect the second coming of Christ to happen in the very near future since it remains legal to be a Christian throughout so many regions of the world. There are grave evils on this earth, including in our country, but the final attack of hell against Christ’s Church in the final days should be far worse than this. Yet whether or not Christ’s return is imminent, we must always ready to go to him. We do not know when he will return, nor do we know when any of us will die. But the certainty of our coming encounter with Christ should not make us afraid but motivate us to prepare.

Rather than being idlers and busybodies, neglecting our spiritual growth and enthralled by our distractions, let us get busy treating the most important things as the most important things. If you knew with certainty that you would die three months from today, how would you begin living differently? Would you pray more every day? Would you go to confession and Mass more often? Would you crush your lingering vices? Would you work harder to do good works? Would you forgive your enemies? Would you show more love toward God and the people around you? Thinking seriously about what you should you do differently knowing you are going to die is a good place to start in living more intentionally for Christ, with your eternal goal in mind. Do not believe the demonic deception that there is no need to hurry, for your last day is closer than it was yesterday, and it may be much closer than you think.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Repentance, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Timeless Temptation Tactics & Traps

March 6, 2022

1st Sunday of Lent
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The Book of Revelation identifies “the ancient serpent” who “deceived the whole world” as the one called the Devil and Satan. In the Garden and the desert, his tactics against human beings were similar.

For instance, Satan points out a desirable, material good and encourages grasping for it against God’s will. In the Garden, the serpent told Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and she saw the tree was “good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom.” But God had commanded, “You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.” Jesus in the desert had eaten nothing for forty days and he was hungry, so the Devil encouraged him to break his fast by conjuring a stone into bread. This was apparently against God the Father’s will, for Jesus responded, “One does not live by bread alone, (but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.)”

Another thing Satan does is promise power and happiness separate from God. The serpent told Eve in the Garden, “God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.” And the Devil told Jesus in the desert, “I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.”

And a third tactic Satan tries is to say that sinful decisions will have no painful consequences. The serpent said to Eve before her Fall: “You surely will not die!” And the Devil told Jesus atop the temple, “throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

Our Father knows how to give good gifts to his children. He wills to glorify us through and with and in himself. And he commands us not to sin because he knows it’s bad for us. The Devil, however, urges us to grasp after forbidden things, promises power and happiness apart from God, and lies to us that our sins will cause no harm or pain. Satan tries the same tricks on us today as he did in ancient times.

What if the Devil and all his demons were to suddenly cease existing? Would all our sinning end and disappear tomorrow? Sadly, no. Ever since the Fall, we human beings experience concupiscence; we feel unwieldy passions and misdirected desires. So, even absent demonic temptations, some sinning would still occur on earth. When we sin, how much is due to our wounded human brokenness and how much is instigated by demonic activity? Whatever the mix or mixture of the two, regardless of whether a particular temptation is coming from inside us or outside us — from inner wounds or external enemies, Jesus’ temptations in the desert reflect the ways we are tempted.

For example, in today’s gospel when does Jesus’ first temptation come? When Jesus is very hungry from extreme fasting. Temptation often attacks us in our weakness. Alcoholics Anonymous has an acronym called “HALT.” They observe that someone is more likely to fall off the wagon of sobriety when they are “Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.” I’ve noted this in the confessional as well. For instance, when parents confess to having lost patience with their children I commonly ask them if they’re tired. The answer is almost always “yes.” Now this doesn’t mean we should never make loving sacrifices which might leave us hungry or fatigued, but it does mean that we need to be aware of our vulnerability at such times and be extra careful in our actions.

Do you find that the sins you bring to the Sacrament of Confession are often much the same? This is common and can discourage some people, but thank goodness it’s not something totally different each time (gossip one day and arson the next)! As creatures of habit, the times and places and ways in which we will be tempted should not be total mysteries to us. Be conscious that you are most likely to be tempted again when and where and how you were before. Realizing this, make any necessary changes in your life, and live with your eyes wide open on the lookout for your known stumbling blocks.

In his second temptation today, Jesus is shown “all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant,” to tempt him toward idolatry. This seems to describe a vision, perhaps within Jesus’ imaginative faculty – a very real experience perceived within his mind. Our temptations often play upon our imaginations. Jesus responds to this temptation abruptly: “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.” Like a snowball beginning to roll at the top of a mountain, Jesus shows us that it is best to resist temptation early and firmly, before the snowball becomes an avalanche which brings disaster. Though we should not give our imaginations free rein to present us sinful shortcuts falsely-promising happiness, examining our daydreams can be revelatory. Consider: “I could fantasize about absolutely anything, so why am I fantasizing about this?” What is the good desire behind it which God wishes to ultimately fulfill for you somehow? Allow me to share a story about what I mean.

I once met a seminarian who felt strongly called to be a Roman Catholic priest but also felt drawn to marriage. Obviously, these two vocations were incompatible and this tension greatly vexed him. When he shared this internal conflict with his spiritual director, that priest asked him, “Could it be that what you are longing for isn’t actually marriage, or sex, but intimacy?” The young man then realized that he had simply always associated and identified deep intimacy – knowing and being known, loving and being loved – with marriage. He came to realize God was calling him to greater intimacy with himself. Through seriously examining his desire he discerned the deeper, holy desire behind it. Notice, too, how this seminarian gained a helpful perspective by sharing what he was experiencing with a wise and spiritual person. If he hadn’t, he might have made a grave mistake and missed out on his life’s calling.

In the gospel’s third and final temptation, we witness the Devil challenge Jesus’ identity and attempt to confuse him: “If you are the Son of God, [observe this is the third time the tempter says this phrase] throw yourself down from here.” The Devil then quotes two passages from Scripture to argue that Jesus should do something which would be wrong. When someone is going from good to better, our demonic foes often seek to confuse and confound us. Where the demons cannot make us wicked, they will seek to discourage and impede us.

For example, for a couple weeks in college, I continued going to Mass but refrained from receiving the Holy Eucharist. I worried that I lacked sufficient faith to receive our Lord worthily. But then I was enlightened in prayer with an (in retrospect) obvious insight: people who don’t believe in God don’t worry about whether they believe enough in God – that’s something believers do. My anxiety was relieved and my regular Communion was restored when the misleading illusion was dissolved.

When I started learning more about our Catholic Faith as a teenager, I would come across some seeming contradiction in the Bible or a Church teaching I didn’t understand and become greatly troubled, for if the Bible or the Church were wrong about this then how could they be trusted? But then I would learn how the bible passages were not actually in conflict, or that there were actually good reasons for the Catholic teaching. I experienced this cycle enough times that I learned to handle it with confident, trusting patience. I reflected, “There are good answers to my questions, but I don’t have to find them immediately, right this second. It’s going to be fine.” Don’t fall for the temptations to doubt and self-doubt which would rob you of your peace.

Challenges to our identity are another common temptation trap. The Devil says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,” implying, “If you don’t jump, then you don’t believe your Father’s word can be trusted, or you don’t really believe that you are his Son.” The Devil is attacking Christ’s identity and Jesus’ relationship with his Father. Temptation tells us, “You’re a fake, you’re a phony, you’re a hypocrite, you’re a failure, you’re an embarrassment, you’re worthless, you’re shameful, you’re rejected, you’re unlovable, you’re unloved.” Don’t fall for that garbage. Instead, ask our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to show you who you are to them and live in that beautiful truth.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Through knowing these timeless temptation tactics and traps, may you prevail in the spiritual battles ahead of you this Lent.

Posted in Adam and Eve, Homily, Salvation History, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

When Demons Speak

January 31, 2021

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“The Devil Tempting a Young Woman” by André Jacques Victor Orsel, 1832.

Eve in the Garden of Eden, Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum, and St. Paul on the roads of Greece each encountered demons speaking. The words of these rebellious, fallen angels are dangerous because they cleverly combine facts and falsehoods to mislead us toward sin and division. Jesus called the demonic warlord, Satan, the Devil, “a murderer from the beginning… a liar and the father of lies,” and the Book of Revelation identifies him as “the ancient serpent… who deceived the whole world.”

Satan was the serpent who approached Eve and asked, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” The woman answered the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’” But the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know good and evil.”

The tree’s attractive fruit looked useful for nourishment and wisdom, so Eve took and ate it; and she gave some to her husband who was with her, and Adam ate it too. It’s true that they did not die in that instant and they did gain new insights into evil and its absence, but by this act of mistrust and disobedience toward God the grace and harmony of original holiness died within them. Adam and Eve were now separated from God, divided from each other, and doomed to suffer and someday die. The devil’s half-truths led them to this.

Another demon was inside of a man at the synagogue in Capernaum as Jesus taught there in today’s gospel. The unclean spirit cried out through the man in front of everyone, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” It’s true that Jesus is indeed the “Holy One of God,” but what effect could hearing the demon’s other words have on the townspeople? “What have you to do with us… Have you come to destroy us?” The demon insinuates that Jesus is there to condemn and destroy, that all sinners should fear God’s Holy One and flee or fight the Christ who has come to save them. Jesus rebuked the demon, saying, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit could not resist Jesus’ command, and after a convulsion and a loud cry the man was freed. Demons are untrustworthy spokesmen to proclaim Christ and his gospel.

About twenty years later, while St. Paul was doing missionary work in Greece, he and his companions met a slave girl who had a demon. The demon would pronounce oracles through her, generating large profits for her owners. (Demons reportedly do not know the future, but using their very high intelligence and powers of observation they can make keen guesses.) The girl began to follow Paul and his companions, shouting: “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation!” She did this for many days and Paul became annoyed. He turned and said to the demon, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the demon left her at that moment.

So what was wrong with what the demon was saying through the girl? In addition to yelling the message at inappropriate times, it contained a subtle, fatal flaw which – if uncorrected – could undermine the saving work that Paul was doing: “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” If the Good News of Jesus Christ were merely a way of salvation, then you could take him or leave him, and opt instead to choose some other saving path. But as St. Peter preached, “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

As it was in the beginning and in the days of Jesus and his apostles, demons are still in our world today. Your baptism into Christ gives you great personal protection against them. You belong to Christ, so you should not be afraid, but I want you to be aware that the demons continue sowing seeds of sin and division in our time. Where are the demons active today? Where do we see the most harmful confusions and divisions? In so many teachings of our Catholic Faith the truth is a “both/and,” while the demonic errors and divisions of our time stem from false “either/or’s” and half-truths.

The demons either say that you need not change at all because you are loved by God, or that God will not love you until you become perfect. The truth is that you are loved by God as you are and called to repent and grow. The demons either tell you that God does not desire your happiness, or that you are entitled to avoid all suffering. The truth is God wills your greatest happiness and because of this he will lead you through trials. In this world, the demons encourage us to condemn one political party or politician and ignore the faults of the other, when the truth is both are flawed.

The demons don’t want you to see and promote full truths: that pregnant women need to be helped and unborn children must be protected; that immigrants should be welcomed and the rule of law should be respected; that all people are made for love, for intimacy with others, and sexual relations are meant only for holy matrimony; that there exists a God-given right to private property and a moral obligation to share with the needy; that we should live freely and use our freedom to honor God while safeguarding the good of others. Other examples are abundant around us.

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and where truths are widely twisted and truncated demons have been at work with their old half-truth tricks. So do not conform to the demon-fueled factionalism of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind in the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Holy Catholic Church, that you may know and do the complete will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Posted in Adam and Eve, Culture, Homily, Politics, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, St. Paul, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Screwtape on Pandemics

March 25, 2020

I was introduced to the Christian writing of C.S. Lewis years ago during a time of temptation. Alone at my uncle and aunt’s home, I prayed to God for some kind of diversion. “Lord, give me something (to change where I see things are headed).” The next moment, scanning the living room shelves, I saw a book cover with the image you see here. That paperback preserved me that evening and would go one to become one of my all-time favorite books: The Screwtape Letters.

In these letters, a senior demon named Screwtape instructs a junior demon, his “nephew” Wormwood, in the tactics of misleading humans. Screwtape describes how to draw the soul of one’s “patient” away from God (“the Enemy“) toward the devil (“Our Father Below“). The book is not only often seasoned with ironic, dry humor, but also contains great insights into human nature and spiritual realities.

At the time of Screwtape’s fifth letter to Wormwood, Britain had just recently entered the Second World War. However, as Lewis observes in his preface, “The history of the European War, except in so far as it happens now and then to impinge upon the spiritual condition of one human being, is obviously of no interest to Screwtape.” What the demon has to say about the influence of war in the greater battle for souls contains spiritual reflections that apply to our current time of pandemic as well.

Below is the text of that letter refashioned with pandemic being substituted for war.

 

My dear Wormwood,

It is a little bit disappointing to expect a detailed report on your work and to receive instead such a vague rhapsody as your last letter. You say you arc “delirious with joy” because [of this new pandemic.](1) I see very well what has happened to you. You are not delirious; you are only drunk. Reading between the lines in your very unbalanced account of the patient’s sleepless night, I can reconstruct your state of mind fairly accurately. For the first time in your career you have tasted that wine which is the reward of all our labours — the anguish and bewilderment of a human soul — and it has gone to your head. I can hardly blame you. I do not expect old heads on young shoulders. Did the patient respond to some of your terror-pictures of the future? Did you work in some good self-pitying glances at the happy past? — some fine thrills in the pit of his stomach, were there? You played your violin prettily did you? Well, well, it’s all very natural. But do remember. Wormwood, that duty comes before pleasure. If any present self-indulgence on your part leads to the ultimate loss of the prey, you will be left eternally thirsting for that draught of which you are now so much enjoying your first sip. If, on the other hand, by steady and cool-headed application here and now you can finally secure his soul, he will then be yours forever — a brim-full living chalice of despair and horror and astonishment which you can raise to your lips as often as you please. So do not allow any temporary excitement to distract you from the real business of undermining faith and preventing the formation of virtues. Give me without fail in your next letter a full account of the patient’s reactions to the war, so that we can consider whether you are likely to do more good by making him [a reactionary extremist of one kind or the other.](2) There are all sorts of possibilities. In the meantime, I must warn you not to hope too much from a [pandemic.](3)

Of course a [plague](3) is entertaining. The immediate fear and suffering of the humans is a legitimate and pleasing refreshment for our myriads of toiling workers. But what permanent good does it do us unless we make use of it for bringing souls to Our Father Below? When I see the temporal suffering of humans who finally escape us, I feel as if I had been allowed to taste the first course of a rich banquet and then denied the rest. It is worse than not to have tasted it at all. The Enemy; true to His barbarous methods of warfare, allows us to see the short misery of His favourites only to tantalise and torment us — to mock the incessant hunger which, during this present phase of the great conflict, His blockade is admittedly imposing. Let us therefore think rather how to use, than how to enjoy, this [worldwide pandemic.](4) For it has certain tendencies inherent in it which are, in themselves, by no means in our favour. We may hope for a good deal of cruelty and [greed.](5) But, if we are not careful, we shall see thousands turning in this tribulation to the Enemy, while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will nevertheless have their attention diverted from themselves to values and causes which they believe to be higher than the self. I know that the Enemy disapproves many of these causes. But that is where He is so unfair. He often makes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He thinks bad on the monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were following the best they knew. Consider too what undesirable deaths occur [in plagues.](6) Men [die](7) in places where they knew they might [die](8) and to which they go, if they are at all of the Enemy’s party, prepared. How much better for us if all humans died [of old age](9) in costly nursing homes amid doctors who lie, nurses who lie, friends who lie, as we have trained them, promising life to the dying, encouraging the belief that sickness excuses every indulgence, and even, if our workers know their job, withholding all suggestion of a priest lest it should betray to the sick man his true condition! And how disastrous for us is the continual remembrance of death which [pandemic](3) enforces. One of our best weapons, contented worldliness, is rendered useless. [During a plague](6) not even a human can believe that he is going to live forever.

I know that Scabtree and others have seen in [plagues](10) a great opportunity for attacks on faith, but I think that view was exaggerated. The Enemy’s human partisans have all been plainly told by Him that suffering is an essential part of what He calls Redemption; so that a faith which is destroyed by a war or a pestilence cannot really have been worth the trouble of destroying. I am speaking now of diffused suffering over a long period such as the [pandemic](3) will produce. Of course, at the precise moment of terror, bereavement, or physical pain, you may catch your man when his reason is temporarily suspended. But even then, if he applies to Enemy headquarters, I have found that the post is nearly always defended.

Your affectionate uncle
SCREWTAPE

 

Endnotes:

(1) – Originally, “the European humans have started another of their wars.”

(2) – “an extreme patriot or an ardent pacifist.”

(3) – “war”

(4) – “European war”

(5) – The original word here was “unchastity,” but the levels of that sin during this pandemic appear either decreased or the same as before. An intense and selfish attachment to material goods and wealth seems the more tempting vice at this time.

(6) – “in wartime”

(7) – “are killed”

(8) – “be killed”

(9) – These words are my insertion as a contrast to those dying in nursing homes from the Coronavirus.

(10) – “wars”


For more of The Screwtape Letters, I highly-recommend this excellent illustrated series on YouTube.

Posted in C.S. Lewis, Literature, Reflection, Satan, Spiritual Warfare | Leave a Comment »

Satan’s Old Tricks — 1st Sunday of Lent—Year A

March 3, 2020

After his baptism in the Jordan, but before the start of his public ministry, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Did Satan realize at that time that Jesus was God? He says, “If you are the son of God… If you are the son of God.” But if Satan knew, it’s strange that he would attempt the impossible: to try tempting the all-holy God into sinning and doing evil. Old Testament prophesies allude to the promised Messiah, the awaited Anointed One, as being “Son of God.” God says in the 2nd Psalm:

“I myself have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain….
You are my son;
today I have begotten you.”

And in Psalm 89, God says:

“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock of my salvation!’
I myself make him the firstborn,
Most High over the kings of the earth.”

Old Testament Jews had been told their Messiah would at least figuratively be the Son of God; so, whether or not Satan knew Jesus was divine, he at very least suspected that this man from Nazareth was the Christ.

Jesus evidently went on to tell his apostles of the devil’s temptations in the desert—for how else would anyone know to write about them in the Gospels? There may have been additional temptations, but three are retold in Matthew and Luke’s Gospels. Jesus is on the verge of beginning his public ministry. What kind of Messiah will he be? The devil’s three temptations seek to corrupt his mission from the start. Satan seeks to lead the Christ off track so as to derail the plan of God. He did this first in the lush Garden of Eden, and here he seeks to do it again in the desert.

“If you are the Son of God,” Satan says, “command that these stones become loaves of bread.” Jesus was hungry, but if he does this miracle the next question may be, “So you feed yourself, do you? How now can you refuse to give bread to everyone?” Satan wants Jesus to be a materialistic Messiah who must focus on nourishing bodies to the neglect of their souls. Jesus calls his disciples to practice material charity; today the Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world; teaching, healing, clothing, housing, feeding, but this is all of secondary importance to its spiritual work. For what would it profit us to have all of our material needs fulfilled if our spiritual needs went unaddressed and we ultimately died separated from God? How do these things personally apply to us? Well, did the recent stock market drops ruin your week? Or are you too afraid or possessive to share, to tithe, to give to good causes? Or are you too busy working to pray? Jesus answers, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Next we hear how the devil takes Jesus to the roof edge atop the temple in Jerusalem and challenges him: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Satan is quoting Psalm 91. This goes to show—and serves as a warning—that not every Bible quote teaches what some people claim it does. True Scripture interpretation must be in union with the mind of Christ, and one with the Body of Christ, that is his Church.

God does not want Jesus to jump off buildings, but the devil wants the Messiah to demand that God protect him from all harm or hardship. Satan wants Jesus to be a Christ who is unwilling to suffer, who will refuse to drink any bitter chalice. The devil knows doing God’s will in this broken world will necessarily entail some sufferings for his faithful ones. If Jesus is unwilling to sacrifice then God’s people will never be saved. Are you trying to force your plans upon God? Are you pleased to serve God only so long as you experience no pain? Are you demanding that your salvation come without embracing your cross? Jesus answers, “You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”

Lastly, we hear the devil takes him up to a very high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and says, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” Satan wants Jesus to be a compromised Messiah who will pursue good things by doing, by serving, evil. The tempter says, “It’s only a little thing, just lay down, just say the words, just take a small bite, everything will be so much easier and better if you do.” Or else the tempter lies in the opposite extreme direction, “You have no choice – it’s a sin but there’s no other way – this must be done!” What sins do you still commit in hopes that good will result? Where do you bow down and side with Satan against the will of God? Jesus answers, “The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”

By God’s providence, the temptations of Jesus in the desert foreshadow Christ’s Passion to come. Jesus is not a materialist Messiah, changing stones to loaves of bread. But, beginning at the Last Supper, he feeds the world by changing bread into himself “for the life of the world.” Jesus is not a Christ who refuses to sacrifice. At the Temple he endures trail and condemnation by the Sanhedrin and accepts the bitter chalice of his Passion according to his Father’s saving will. And Jesus is not a compromised Messiah, committing sins for false and illusory gains. Christ becomes the magnificent, sinless king of all nations, atop Mount Calvary enthroned upon the Cross.

In this season of Lent, in these forty days of penance, we are in the desert with Jesus, learning from him, and being strengthened by him, so that we can stand straight and strong and not fall for the temptations and traps of the enemy, the same tricks he used against of Adam and Eve, that he attempted with Jesus Christ, and that he still uses in our day. This Lent, instead of falling for Satan’s same old tricks, let us grow closer to Jesus Christ in relationship and resemblance, closer in his friendship and closer to his holy likeness.

Posted in Adam and Eve, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Homily, Sacrifice, Salvation History, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Reintroducing the St. Michael Prayer

October 22, 2018

Our Bishop William Callahan has asked that we begin regularly reciting the St. Michael Prayer at the end of our parish Masses. In last week’s pastoral letter he wrote that “this prayer, given to us by Pope Leo XIII, is a sure defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. Now as much as ever we need the assistance of St. Michael to help rid us, the Church, of its current evils.” So, we will be praying this prayer together at each Sunday and weekday Mass following the final blessing (and preceding the closing hymn.)

Who is St. Michael? He is a mighty archangel, a leader among God’s angels. He has several appearances in the Bible, but most famously in the Book of Revelation. There he is beheld leading good angels in battle against the Devil (referred to here as the dragon): “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven.” (Revelation 12:7-8) St. Michael’s name is Hebrew for the phrase “Who is like God?” Tradition says that this was Michael’s challenging battle cry against the proud, rebellious demons – for no creature is equal our all-glorious God.

The St. Michael Prayer was written by the long-reigning Pope Leo XIII. In 1886, he instituted that it be recited after the celebration of Masses. Though the inspiration for this prayer is uncertain, many historians accept accounts that it followed from Pope Leo experiencing a profound vision. A cardinal from that time explained, “Pope Leo XIII truly had a vision of demonic spirits, who were gathering on the Eternal City (i.e., Rome.) From that experience… comes the prayer which he wanted the whole Church to recite.”

Since the St. Michael Prayer in English is a translation from the original Latin text, some versions of the prayer slightly differ from one another. (For instance, some translations ask St. Michael to “cast” Satan and all the evil spirits into Hell, while others use the word “thrust.”) To keep everyone on the same page, please refer to the prayer cards at the end of the pews or the version below. Together, let us pray for aid in our battle against the iniquitous spirits active within God’s Church and our world.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our defense against
the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

Posted in Angels, Mass, Reflection, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, St. Michael | Leave a Comment »

The Temptations of the First Christmas

December 19, 2017

If I were a demon prowling about the world seeking the confusion, discouragement, and ruin of souls, how might I have tried to wickedly snare God’s beloved ones in the events leading up to the first Christmas?

If I were a demon, I would say to St. Elizabeth during her early months of pregnancy, “Did people suppose that your husband had some kind of vision when he took so long in the temple and came out unable to speak? He simply had a stroke. Zechariah will never speak again. Now you’re feeling sick every day and your abdomen is expanding. How could it possibly be a baby at your age? A cancer is growing inside of you. You’ll be dead soon. It’s hopeless.”

If I were a demon, I would say to the Blessed Virgin Mary soon after the Annunciation, “You think you saw an angel? That’s crazy! You only dreamed or imagined it. Who are you to be the mother of God’s son? Who do you think you are! Don’t bother going to visit Elizabeth – you’ll only embarrass yourself. You had better hope this isn’t real, because none of your family, friends, or neighbors will believe you. Joseph will divorce and abandon you. You’ll be all alone.”

If I were a demon, I would say to St. Joseph after he learned that Mary was with child, “Do you really believe she conceived by God’s Spirit? Who ever heard of such a thing? She’s lying and taking you for a fool. Even if it were true, who are you to be a foster-father to the Messiah? True or not, the best thing is for you to just get a divorce. Whatever you were thinking when you married her, you certainly made a terrible mistake.”

Even once Christmas arrived, my diabolical efforts would not cease. I would caution Bethlehem’s shepherds to steer safely clear of that holy child and to keep watching over their flocks. I would counsel the Magi to dismiss the starry signs as coincidences and not to hazard a long, uncertain journey from the East. I would pressure Joseph to ignore the dream directing him to take his family into Egypt, and I would goad Mary not to trust in her loving husband’s lead: “God surely would have told you instead of only telling Joseph.” Thankfully, none of these people were kept from doing God’s will, tripped-up by these or other temptation traps, in relation to the first Christmas.

Some people think of temptation strictly as promptings to immoral pleasures. But temptation comes in many forms. We can be led to harmful inaction or disaster by temptations such as fear, doubt, sadness, and despair.

Some people assume that saints do not know temptation like the rest of us. But were Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth oblivious to thoughts and unassailed by feelings like those I realistically described? Saints come to understand temptation quite well as they discern and persevere through the trials of life.

Some people believe that God only watches over and guides a few, favored saints – while having less care and concern for the rest of us – but this is also a temptation. Even if your life takes a shocking turn and you don’t know what to do, even if you have a stroke, or cancer, or your mind begins to fail, even if you are betrayed or abandoned by everyone, you are his dearly beloved one. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise, even if they speak to you in your own voice.

Sometimes we envision the first Christmas and all the events surrounding it in idyllic postcard pastels, as if they were flawless occasions of comfort and joy. But imagine being far from home and not being able to find a room for your very pregnant wife, or having to undergo labor and delivery on the floor of a stable. God was with Mary and Joseph and both experienced unforgettable happiness that night, but it was not a time preserved free from hardship or trial.

Sometimes we hope or expect our Christmas to be perfect, and strive for everything to go just right. Yet circumstances never fully cooperate. Things are less organized, less harmonious, less supremely happy than we wished them to be. From its beginning, Christmas has never been “perfect,” but its intrinsic goodness is always present for us — for Jesus Christ has come. This year, do not allow disquieting or perfectionistic temptations rob you and yours of Christmas joy.

Posted in Reflection, Spiritual Warfare | Leave a Comment »

Defending our Vineyard from our Enemy’s Servants

October 12, 2017

Today’s parable has a straight-forward interpretation: God is the landowner. He establishes his people Israel like a man who sets up a vineyard. God entrusted the care of his vineyard to the chief priests and elders of the people. They are the tenants. Then God sent his servants – the prophets – to obtain the good harvest. But the Jewish leaders resisted and persecuted the prophets; sometimes beating them, sometimes killing them, sometimes stoning them. Finally, God, in the crazy twist to our story, sends his own Son to them. The chief priests and the elders will go on to seize Jesus, condemn him, and see to it that he is taken outside the walls of Jerusalem and killed on a cross. “Therefore,” Jesus says to them, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” The authority of the Jewish leaders will be handed over to the Apostles and priests of Jesus’ New Covenant Church; a Church that will baptize and embrace Jews and Gentiles alike, forming a new people in Christ who will produce much fruit.

That is the straight-forward meaning of Jesus’ tale, but I would like to turn your attention back to those wicked tenants in the parable, because they, in a certain way, can serve as an example for us. Now I would not dare to suggest such a thing – I would fear it being scandalous to use the wicked as a Christian example – if Jesus himself had not once used a dishonest steward as someone we could learn from.

As you may recall, the dishonest steward, knowing that he would soon be losing his job, wrote off the debts of his boss’ debtors so that, once he got fired, these new friends of his would welcome him into their homes. Jesus used the shrewdness of this bad man as an example to teach his disciples to ‘make friends for yourselves with the wealth of this world, so that, when these passing things fail one day, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.’ Likewise, I believe we have something valuable to learn from the shrewdness of the vineyard’s wicked tenants in today’s parable.

What if, when the servants of the landowner had arrived at the vineyard, the tenants did not promptly beat them, kill them, or stone them? Imagine if the tenants, instead of turning them out, welcomed the servants’ arrival; giving them food to eat and somewhere to stay on the grounds. Now the wicked tenants’ prior plans to never deliver any of the harvest to the landowner would still be in place, but can you imagine what might happen to their resolve over time?

The good servants staying with the tenants would keep speaking with them so kindly and pleasantly and persuasively, encouraging them to do the right thing. The good servants would encourage the tenants to imagine their possible reward: “If you do what is just, our good master will be even more generous with you! If you will not give him the total amount, could you perhaps give him the least little bit? Surely that wouldn’t hurt and it wouldn’t cost you very much.” If allowed to stay, the servants may well convince the tenants to give up some or all of what they have. However, if the tenants wish to remain faithful to their original intentions, then when their enemy’s servants arrive they should be neither fed nor lodged, conversed with nor welcomed in any friendly manner, lest their persuasion change minds and hearts and plans.

There is a spiritual battle in our midst. You can hear about it on the news and see it in the headlines, hidden behind every divisive controversy and murderous atrocity. (For instance, if no demons played a role in the rise of ISIS, then the demons are not doing anything in our world these days.) But the spiritual battle in our midst is not only fought out there; it is fought within us.

How do temptations come into our minds? From our senses, what we see and hear; from our invisible spiritual enemies, the demons; from our own human brokenness; or any combination of these. However our temptations come, in whatever form they take, our response to them should be as unfriendly at their arrival as those wicked tenants were at the arrival of the landlord’s servants.

Do not welcome temptation when it arrives. Do not feed it. Do not give it a place to dwell and lodge within you. Do not converse with it. Do not fantasize at its suggestions. Do not compromise with it, not even a little. Do not allow it to change your mind, your heart, your plans. Do not befriend temptation, but violently turn it out as a servant of your enemy.

Now temptations may come in our direction even against will – sensations, sights, sounds, thoughts, feelings, memories – these can seem to pop up out of nowhere. Remember that an unwilled temptation, in and of itself, is not a sin. A saint is not someone who never experiences temptation. A saint is someone who chooses what is right and good and loving even amid temptation.

What should you do when temptation comes? First, pray. Pray now, and then again when temptation arrives. Prayer opens the door to Christ and lets him take the lead in our daily lives because he respects our freewill. Pray every day and call on the Lord in times of temptation. He is stronger than all the demons put together and mightier than your weaknesses.

A second helpful thing to do regarding temptation is to change your environment. Sometimes people in confession lament to me about always confessing the same sins. I try to encourage them by pointing out, “Well, thank goodness it’s not something totally different every time: ‘Father, last month I committed arson and this week I robbed a bank! I have no clue what I might do next!‘” Human beings, for better or worse, are creatures of habit, so we can learn a lot from our repeated failures. By changing your environment can do much to avoid temptation. For example, if you’re always gossiping with the same gathering of people, then perhaps avoid that group. If you are always unchaste using the same media, then block, limit, or cut out that technology. If you always get drunk at the same establishment, then stop going there. When you have traveled the same road many times you know well where that road leads. When you find yourself walking on that road, then stop and turn around or take another path. Changing your environment can lead you away from near occasions of sin.

A third and final thing to do amid temptation is to change your focus. The human mind is made to process ideas, to chew on thoughts; we cannot think about nothing. (If I were to tell you not to think about flying alligators, I bet you couldn’t do it for sixty seconds—you’d either be thinking about flying alligators or checking to see whether you’re thinking about them.) What should you think about instead when tempted? Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, praiseworthy, think about those things, and you will persevere in doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in Jesus Christ.

Some people only think of temptation as enticements to pleasurable things. But temptation can also be towards unpleasant things, like shame, despair, fear, and anxiety. The devil not only wants you to fall, but to stay down and not get back up. And if he cannot make you fall into sin, he wants you to be neutralized and paralyzed by fear and confusion. What is the antidote for such negative temptations? St. Paul offers this prescription for anxiety: “Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Let’s break that down.

“Have no anxiety at all.” Concern is of good use. If you were not concerned about going to church you wouldn’t come. I were not concerned about my homily then I would have nothing to say. Concern is useful, but worry is worthless. Have no anxiety at all, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” In everything, whether you are anxious or not, make your requests known to God; not because he doesn’t know, but because it opens you up to him and invites him to work. Pray prayers of praise for who he is, voice your petitions for what you need or want, and do so with thanksgiving – without which you feel impoverished and embittered despite your innumerable blessings. ‘Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding

will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.’ We do not have the big picture, long-term perspective of God to see how God will work all things for the good of those who love him, but by prayer comes a peace that surpasses our limited understanding. This peace will guard your mind and heart in Jesus Christ amid temptation.

God entrusted the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve to tend and to protect. By the devil’s temptation, they lost their great treasure. Among the many treasures Jesus has given, he has entrusted to you the vineyard of your mind. Tend it and protect it. Do not fall to temptations but drive them out as your enemy’s servants. May your vineyard remain at peace and bear much fruit in Jesus Christ.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Dishonest Steward, Homily, Peace, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies | 1 Comment »

Satanic Bicycling, Pagan Meats, & Yoga Exercise

August 10, 2017

Imagine if Satanists began ritually riding bicycles while chanting out to spirits other than God. (For them, this might symbolize rebellion against the three axles of the Godhead, over whom they blasphemously enthrone themselves, stomping Christ’s two-natures underfoot while profaning the Trinity through the streets — or something like that.) Though silly to conceive, if Satanists actually began to do this, how would bicycling be affected?

First it should be noted that traditional cycling would remain what it is – its goodness as a healthy exercise and leisure activity would be unaffected. However, biking combined with false worship (whether done sincerely or ironically) would be harmful. If one of these satanic bicycling groups existed in our town, I would not ride with them. A Christian who silently biked along with the Satanists (to simply enjoy the ride) could be affected by the malevolent spirits invoked or cause scandal for others. I could still bike alone or with my friends, but certainly without voicing unchristian chants while doing so. If I had formerly parked my bike by the church or rectory, I might begin placing it in a more private place, lest people be misled by misinterpreting my innocent behavior. This scenario is simply a thought experiment, but real Christians faced a comparable situation in the first century AD.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, meats sold in marketplaces or served at restaurants had commonly been sacrificed to pagan gods. This gave rise to a debate within the Christian church at Corinth, Greece about whether Christians could blamelessly eat such food or if this should be forbidden as second-hand idolatry.

St. Paul addressed this question in his 1st Letter to the Corinthians by first observing “there is no God but one… even though there are so-called gods” worshiped by the pagans. St. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, warned that “what [the pagans] sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons.” Christians were never to offer pagan worship, but this did not mean that pagan meat itself could not be eaten by well-formed Christians: “Eat anything sold in the market, without raising questions on grounds of conscience, for ‘the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.’” But at the same time, a meat-eating Christian was to be careful not to cause scandal to others, leading them into or affirming them in idolatrous worship. St. Paul wrote, “Make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. … If an unbeliever invites you and you want to go, eat whatever is placed before you, without raising questions on grounds of conscience. But if someone says to you, ‘This was offered in sacrifice,’ do not eat it on account of the one who called attention to it and on account of conscience; I mean not your own conscience, but the other’s.” That is how early Christianity handled the issue of meat sacrificed to idols. Today, we have a similar issue of live and local concern (which brings us to the ultimate purpose and conclusions of this article.)

In our beginning, God created the human body, endowing it with sensation, flexibility, and strength. He designed every natural posture and movement and gave breathing and exercising their healthy and pleasurable effects. A long, long time after, many of these bodily positions and exercises were appropriated by Hindus in India for the worship of their (so-called) gods and goddesses. In our time, this aspect of Eastern religion has entered into our culture as yoga. So… is it OK for Christians to practice yoga exercise?

As with bike riding and meat eating, the unchristian use of good things does not taint them for everyone else forever after. Breathing and stretching are good gifts from God and, for some, yoga is simply exercise. Yet spiritual danger exists wherever and whenever these exercises are being joined to false spirituality or idolatrous worship.

I myself have participated in secular yoga workouts in the past. My exercise instructor was a faithful Christian and I enjoyed them. However, together with Catholic exorcists, I would never recommend attending a yoga group with non-Christian spirituality because of the real potential for spiritual harm and scandal. If a yoga class, for instance, chants mantras (like “om,” or the names of Hindu gods); envisions becoming one with the cosmos, Brahman, or the Earth Mother; channels energies; or has participants breathe in the pulsating universe while exhaling all bad and evil from within, then that yoga class is certainly of the second sort and to be avoided. If my instructor or peers were using yoga in a non-Christian spiritual way, I would avoid that gathering for the same reasons that I would not attend a pagan sacrifice or bike with Satanists; namely, the prospect of causing scandal and the danger from evil spirits.

St. Paul once said we are to “retain what is good” but “refrain from every kind of evil.” That timeless wisdom applies to us in all things; to bicycling, to eating meat, and also to doing yoga.

Posted in Culture, Reflection, Spiritual Warfare, Sports, St. Paul | 1 Comment »

St. Ignatius’ 14 Rules for Spiritual Discernment & The Lord of the Rings

January 26, 2017

Please enjoy, and freely Like and Share this video.
My special thanks goes to Mary Walker for lending her voice to this project.

Posted in Art, Christian Perfection, Culture, Movies, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual Warfare, St. Ignatius of Loyola | Leave a Comment »

Catholic Teachings About The End Times

November 10, 2016

Catechism of the Catholic Church #668-679

I.  HE WILL COME AGAIN IN GLORY
Christ already reigns through the Church…

The Resurrection by Piero della Francesca, 1450-1463.        “Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” Christ’s Ascension into heaven signifies his participation, in his humanity, in God’s power and authority. Jesus Christ is Lord: he possesses all power in heaven and on earth. He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,” for the Father “has put all things under his feet.” Christ is Lord of the cosmos and of history. In him human history and indeed all creation are “set forth” and transcendently fulfilled.

        As Lord, Christ is also head of the Church, which is his Body. Taken up to heaven and glorified after he had thus fully accomplished his mission, Christ dwells on earth in his Church. The redemption is the source of the authority that Christ, by virtue of the Holy Spirit, exercises over the Church. “The kingdom of Christ [is] already present in mystery,” “on earth, the seed and the beginning of the kingdom.”

        Since the Ascension God’s plan has entered into its fulfillment. We are already at “the last hour.” “Already the final age of the world is with us, and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way; it is even now anticipated in a certain real way, for the Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real but imperfect.” Christ’s kingdom already manifests its presence through the miraculous signs that attend its proclamation by the Church.

…until all things are subjected to him.

      Though already present in his Church, Christ’s reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled “with power and great glory” by the king’s return to earth. This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ’s Passover. Until everything is subject to him, “until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God.” That is why Christians pray, above all in the Eucharist, to hasten Christ’s return by saying to him: Marana tha! “Our Lord, come!”

        Before his Ascension Christ affirmed that the hour had not yet come for the glorious establishment of the messianic kingdom awaited by Israel which, according to the prophets, was to bring all men the definitive order of justice, love, & peace. According to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness, but also a time still marked by “distress” and the trial of evil which does not spare the Church and ushers in the struggles of the last days. It is a time of waiting and watching.

The glorious advent of Christ, Israel’s hope

        Since the Ascension Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent, even though “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.” This eschatological coming could be accomplished at any moment, even if both it and the final trial that will precede it are “delayed.”

        The glorious Messiah’s coming is suspended at every moment of history until his recognition by “all Israel,” for “a hardening has come upon part of Israel” in their “unbelief” toward Jesus. St. Peter says to the Jews of Jerusalem after Pentecost: “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.” St. Paul echoes him: “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” The “full inclusion” of the Jews in the Messiah’s salvation, in the wake of “the full number of the Gentiles,” will enable the People of God to achieve “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” in which “God may be all in all.” 

The Church’s ultimate trial

The Devil Tempting a Young Woman by André Jacques Victor Orsel, 1832.

        Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

      The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.

        The Church will enter the glory of the kingdom only through this final Passover, when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection. The kingdom will be fulfilled, then, not by a historic triumph of the Church through a progressive ascendancy, but only by God’s victory over the final unleashing of evil, which will cause his Bride to come down from heaven. God’s triumph over the revolt of evil will take the form of the Last Judgment after the final cosmic upheaval of this passing world.

II. TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

The Resurrection by El Greco, Madrid, 1596-1600.      Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment of the Last Day in his preaching. Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God’s grace as nothing be condemned. Our attitude about our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. On the last day Jesus will say: “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

        Christ is Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He “acquired” this right by his cross. The Father has given “all judgment to the Son.” Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself. By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one’s works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.

Posted in Culture, Last Things, Politics, Reflection, Satan, Second Coming, Spiritual Warfare | Leave a Comment »

Temptation Traps

July 16, 2016
The Devil Tempting a Young Woman by André Jacques Victor Orsel, 1832.

The Devil Tempting a Young Woman by André Jacques Victor Orsel, 1832.

We human beings are creatures of habit. For better or worse, we find it easier to think and act in the ways that we are accustomed to. Without self-awareness, it can feel natural to follow established modes of thinking into sinful action. However, once we examine and challenge these temptations we can recognize them as the distortions of truth and reality that they are. Then, with God’s ever-present grace, we can choose and act to reject them.

We experience temptations as the thoughts, feelings, and desires that, if not resisted, would lead us away from God’s will and our greatest human fulfillment. And from where do our temptations flow? They come, as the classic saying goes, from “the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.” The World, our culture and the people around us, can suggest sinful paths. Likewise our Flesh, our passions and psychological wounds, can give rise to temptation. Finally, the Devil, with the fallen angels allied with him, can prompt ideas and moods within us in order to lead us towards sin. If we are to resist temptations we must first detect them amidst our thoughts, feelings, and desires.

The distorted thinking of our temptations comes to us in many forms. Do you fall for any of these common temptation traps? Study these and enter your next battle prepared, forewarned and forearmed!

 

Overgeneralization reaches a general conclusion based upon a single incident or piece of evidence:

“I just got dumped. I’ll never find love!”

“God didn’t grant my prayer. He doesn’t care.”

“I never hire those people, one stole from me once.”

 

All-or-Nothing Thinking has no tolerance or mercy for imperfection in ourselves or others:

“I broke my Lenten penance, so I’ve given it up.”

“I sinned, so my hours of resisting mean nothing.”

“I’ve never spoken to him since he was rude to me.”

 

Mental Filtering focuses on a situation’s negative details while dismissing all of the positive aspects:

“Yes, Son, but what about this B- in Science?”

“When I look back on my day, all I see are sins.”

“They said they liked it, but what she said irks me.”

 

Labeling generalizes from a couple of traits or events to declare a universal negative judgment:

“I need to lose some weight. I’m ugly.”

“I never do anything right; I’m worthless.”

“I’m taking more naps as I get older. I’m so lazy.”

 

Mind Reading presumes to know (without asking) how others feel or why they act as they do:

“I know I promised, but the kids won’t mind.”

“He’s late. He must not care about this team.”

“Her eyes are closed. She’s not listening to me.”

 

Magnifying exaggerates the significance of problems or events:

“I’ll never finish this paper by next week!”

“I did bad things in a dream. I’m so ashamed.”

“I prayed an hour, but I kept getting distracted!”

 

Minimizing downplays serious concerns to insignificance:

“A little peek at this website is no big deal.”

“This habit is a venial sin, so it’s OK if I do it.”

“Why are you complaining? My drinking is fine.”

 

Catastrophizing assumes the worst about the present and the future:

“What if I lose my job, get sick, and die?”

“I’ll never conquer this sin—why even try?”

“He’s moody tonight. Is our marriage in trouble?”

 

Personalization believes everything that happens is caused by, or is a reaction to, oneself:

“I jinxed the team, I didn’t wear my hat.”

“This happened because God is punishing me.”

“I saw my two friends; why didn’t they invite me?”

 

False Shoulds condemn us for weaknesses or choices that are not actually sins:

“I should always keep my family happy.”

“I sinned by missing Mass when I had the flu.”

“It still hurts, so I must not be forgiving them.”

 

Emotional Reasoning concludes that how we presently feel must be the true reflection of reality:

“I feel so sad, I must be failing.”

“This feels so good, how could it be wrong?”

“I feel guilty; God must be unhappy with me.”

 

If this topic interests you, check out Cognitive Behavior Therapy and “cognitive distortions.” CBT is the most widely-used technique for the treatment of many psychological issues (such as depression and anxiety) and is proven to be often effective.

Posted in Discernment, Reflection, Spiritual Warfare | Leave a Comment »

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