Some Thoughts on the Devil.

Discussion in 'The mystical and Paranormal' started by padraig, Oct 19, 2014.

  1. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Well I thought I would write about something I can't get into trouble about , but which has always interested be, the devil and the praeternatural ..the praeternatural being the demonic opposite of the supernatural..when Stan and the demons actually physically show their thumb prints in our human realm.

    One time St Teresa of Avila's father was going on retreat and he wrote to her that he intended to devote the time on meditating on hell. ...not so unusual thing to be doing back in those far off days. But St Teresa wrote right back saying he would be much better concentrating on something more positive.

    So it better of course not to take too unhealthy an interest in such dark goings on .However I confess all my life I have had an interest in such matters and since we are in a spiritual war:

    Ephesians 6:10-20
    10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

    18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.


    part of our armour is to be aware of the devil in order to protect ourselves. For the devil is a real and ever present danger.

    1 Peter 5:8

    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:


    [​IMG]

    But I know such reading matter is not for everyone, so if you want to switch off, switch off, if you want to read on read on. Actually you know I pretty well forget when the last time was I heard a sermon on either the devil of hell. I think it may have been way back when I 13 or so. It's just gone out of fashion I guess. Many , many Christians simply don't believe in him anymore. Even those who do don't really believe he impacts in any real way on their lives.


    But in my own Spiritual Life I have faced him directly on numerous occasions and so it makes me, at least ,bright eyed and bushy tailed about him and his friends. So I'm going to throw a few of these stories into the mix to brighten things along.;)


    In either case for the Catholic soul who tries as best they can to follow Mary we know that were Mary is there goes the devil following right behind biting at her heel.

    Genesis 3:15

    And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

    So I would say that anyone with a Marian spirituality will automatically be aware of the machinations of the devil and be much more open to an aware of his dark presence. If not; well I can only advise they very much should be. For if he comes nipping at the heels of the Mother of God you better believe he'll come swinging with a battle ax at the neck of her children.


    [​IMG]
     
    Carmel333 likes this.
  2. padraig

    padraig Powers

    By the way, in case you didn't know of it Archbishop Fulton Sheen preached a truly wonderful , insightful sermon of devil very,very well worth listening to.

    They don't preach them like that anymore.

     
    little me likes this.
  3. Lifesong

    Lifesong Angels

    All good stuff- I attended a recent workshop by Sue Brinkman of Women of Grace on EWTN called Fight like a Catholic. The best thing I learned was a quote from St. Teresa of Avila- when the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future! Learned some really good tips- we don't want to give him too much attention but we have to know we are in the fight and to use all the tools we have. The Word of God, Sacraments- frequent Eucharist and Confession, sacramentals- medals, scapulars, Holy Water, blessed salt, The Rosary which is THE weapon, and staying in a state of Grace ourselves. I am reading a great book right now called Onward Catholic Solider by John LaBriola which was the text taught during the conference. Make sure you are prayed up and armed and ready- then let the Lord fight the battle with and for you. Always have recourse to Our Lady- she knows how little we are and will hide us in her mantle! Oh and praise and worship helps too- rejoice always!

    Blessings,

    Val
     
    Jackie, Mario, miker and 2 others like this.
  4. padraig

    padraig Powers

    View attachment 2288

    You were blessed Val to have someone talk so openly about such matters. Here in Europe pretty well no one converses on such things. I get the sense in the USA people are much more open on such subjects.

    I am looking forward to watching Sue's conversion story a little later to learn all about her.

     
    Jackie likes this.
  5. Lifesong

    Lifesong Angels

    Sue is great- I am of the same generation and from the same area of the United States and I feel like she is a sister! Maybe it is the influence of the evangelicals and also the fact that Mother Angelica was such a blessing in starting EWTN but you are right, among the faithful here we talk pretty openly about these things. However, my kids and husband think I am beyond the pale as does society in general so we have work to do!
     
  6. Sanctus

    Sanctus Guest

    Very good video of talk by Irish exorcist

     
    Miriam and Bella like this.
  7. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Sue has the most lovely human down to earth way of talking.
     
    Lifesong likes this.
  8. padraig

    padraig Powers

    What a wonderful video, even if it would scare you half to death.;):D

    I think , you know a good angel reminds me of a compass. A compass always points North' a good angel always points towards God, for God is all that a good angel is concerned with, he lives and breathes God in a way that not even our greatest saints cannot match. For an angel is in heaven.

    A bad angel on the other hand; a devil. Well St Brigid of Sweden , the devil manifested to her one time and she asked him who he was and he answered;

    'I am darkness itself'

    I think this is the best definition of the devil I can think off, so descriptive. For to meet a devil you think to yourself 'This is impossible; how can this be'. This are so weird so eriee so otherly you get goose pimples and feel the hair on your head stand upright. It is as though..well as though the universe had turned inside out.

    But I am wandering all over the place and will never get this finished, I must stay on course or all I will have are a collection of stories.:)
     
  9. Blue Horizon

    Blue Horizon Guest

    I think I understand what you are trying to say Padraig but personally I have never considered praeternatural phenomena to have anything inherently demonic about them. We all know what "demon drink" means but alcohol, nor the drinking thereof, is really evil at all. What is evil is the way a person may use or abuse it I would think.
     
  10. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Hi Blue,

    Nice to hear from you again. I wonder sometimes if there is any great point entering into a long discussion with someone whose views on a topic are so very , very radically different from my own?

    Your own view point is a very, 'modern' one shared perhaps by the majority of Catholics, including many clergy in the modern Western world. It arises from a specific world view that tends to see from a non spiritual view point. It is a mark of the devil's great victory in our times that people either are convinced does not really exist of that if he does that he does not really impinge in any real meaningful way on our own reality. In other words he has pulled the wool very over your poor eyes and done so in such a way that he has convinced you that you are very sophisticated and well educated for taking such a view point, whilst a great saint like Padre Pio is merely a credulous, superstitious peasant. In other words he is using the ropes of intellectual pride to bind you.

    I could argue one way till I was blue in the face and would not change your mind and heart in the slightest. You could argue till you were blue in the face the contrary view and not change mine. So I hesitate. For what really is the point?

    Someone once told Padre Pio Pio in confession that they did not believe in hell, to which Padre Pio replied ,

    'You will believe it when you get there!'

    Well as to the devil manifesting, the demonic, I can only say you will believe in it one day when it jumps right up and bites you on your unbelieving ass .:ROFLMAO:

    View attachment 2295

     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2014
    Mary Ann likes this.
  11. Blue Horizon

    Blue Horizon Guest

    Oh dear, that is a surprising comment Padraig.
    By now you must know that I always base what you call my "very different views" on the Catechism or Aquinas.
    If my views seem strange maybe it is because many of us Catholics do not actually read our Catechism or Aquinas on the finer points of our faith.

    Ancient Church understanding of the Preternatural has changed in recent centuries due to popularist misunderstandings.
    I think if you go into the mater more deeply, you may find that it is really your view above that is "modern" (ie a 16th century distortion of ancient Church Teaching)

    Aquinas, following tradition, held that the praeternatural are in fact gifts/graces of God given to the human race when made in original innocence. So how can they be inherently of the Devil?
    One of the consequences of the Fall was that God withdrew those gifts from the human race as a whole.

    I think what you are really trying to say is that the devil attempts to mimic the supernatural through use of some preternatural phemomena (as well as pretend preternatural phenomena).

    The following references may be of assistance:

    "Before the Fall, Adam Possessed Sanctifying Grace and the Preternatural Gifts of Integrity, Immortality and Infused Knowledge."
    cf Fr Hardon SJ at http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/God/God_013.htm

    "By the 16th century the term "Preternatural" was increasingly used to refer to demonic activity comparable to the use of magic by human adepts: The Devil, "being a natural Magician … may perform many acts in ways above our knowledge, though not transcending our natural power." "
    (Lorraine Daston, "Marvelous Facts and Miraculous Evidence in Early Modern Europe", Peter G. Platt, Wonders, Marvels, and Monsters in Early Modern Culture, University of Delaware Press, Newark, 1999, p.76-105.)
     
    jerry likes this.
  12. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Amos 3:3

    “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?

    We'll agree to disagree , Blue. Take pity on my high blood pressure, you're putting it through the ceiling..:)


    [​IMG]
     
  13. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Writing about the devil, there are really no coincidences for this morning I just finished watching the new film, 'Deliver us Form Evil', which I highly recommend.

    its supposed to be based on the experiences of a New York Police Sergeant and priest friend with a trio of ex US soldiers who have become involuntarily possessed whilst serving in Iraq.

    Of course there is loads of Hollywood hype and over the top stuff. But I found it touching and believable showing as it does how ordinary people can confront and overcome pure evil.

    Not for those of a nervous disposition though. I spent some time last night sprinkling my appartment with holy water.:ROFLMAO: Watch it and you'll see why.

    [​IMG]

     
    inneedofprayers likes this.
  14. padraig

    padraig Powers

  15. padraig

    padraig Powers

    [​IMG]

    II. THE FALL OF THE ANGELS

    391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy.266 Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil".267 The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."268

    392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels.269 This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God."270 The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".271

    393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."272

    394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father.273 "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil."274 In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.

    395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature- to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."275


    [​IMG]

     
  16. padraig

    padraig Powers

    [​IMG]

    The Venerable Mary of Agreda

    The Mystical City of God

    The angels were created in the empyrean heavens and in the state of grace by which they might be first to merit the reward of glory. For although they were in the midst of glory, the Divinity itself was not to be made manifest to them face to face and unveiled, until they should have merited such a favor by obeying the divine will. The holy angels, as well as the bad ones, remained only a very short time in the state of probation; for their creation and probation with its result were three distinct instants or moments, separated by short intermissions. In the first instant they were all created and endowed with graces and gifts, coming into existence as most beautiful and perfect creatures. Then followed a short pause, during which the will of the Creator was propounded and intimated, and the law and command was given to them, to acknowledge Him as their Maker and supreme Lord, and to fulfill the end for which they have been created. During this pause, instant or interval, Saint Michael and his angels fought that great battle with the dragon and his followers, which is described by the apostle Saint John in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse. The good angels, persevering in grace, merited eternal happiness and the disobedient ones, rebelling against God, merited the punishment, which they now suffer.

    At first they received a more explicit intelligence of the being of God, one in substance, trine in person, and that they were commanded to adore and reverence Him as their Creator and highest Lord, infinite in his essence and attributes. All subjected themselves to this command and obeyed it, but with a certain difference; the good angels obeyed through love and on account of the justice of it, offering their love and good will, freely and admitting and believing what was above their intelligence, and obeying with joy. Lucifer, on the other hand, submitted himself, because the opposite seemed to him impossible. He did not do it with perfect charity, for he, as it were, was divided in his will between himself and the infallible truth of the Lord. In consequence it happened that the precept appeared to him in a measure difficult and violent, and his fulfilling of it was wanting in love and in the desire to do justice. Thus he exposed himself beforehand to the danger of not persevering. Although grace did not leave him on account of this remissness and slowness in the accomplishment of these first acts, nevertheless his bad disposition began with them; for there remained with him a certain weakness and laxity of virtue and spirit, and the perfection of his nature did not shine forth as it should. It appears to me that the effect of this remissness in Lucifer, is similar to that which is caused in the soul by a deliberate venial sin. I do not say that he sinned mortally, nor even venially at that time, since he fulfilled the precept of God; but this fulfillment was remiss and imperfect, springing more from a sense of overwhelming compulsion, than from a loving willingness to obey. Thus he put himself in danger of falling.

    In the second place, the angels were informed that God was to create a human nature and reasoning creatures lower than themselves, in order that they too should love, fear and reverence God, as their Author and eternal Good. They were informed that these were to stand in high favor, and that the second Person of the blessed Trinity was to become incarnate and assume their nature, raising it to the hypostatic union and to divine Personality; that therefore they were to acknowledge Him as their Head, not only as God, but as God and man, adoring Him and reverencing Him as God–man. Moreover, these same angels were to be his inferiors in dignity and grace and were to be his servants. God gave them an intelligence of the propriety and equity, of the justice and reasonableness of such a position. For the acceptation of the merits foreseen of this Mangod was exhibited to them as the source of the grace which they now possessed and of the glory which they were to obtain. They understood also that they themselves had been, and all the rest of the creatures should be created for his glory, and that He was to be their Head. All those that were capable of knowing and enjoying God, were to be the people of the Son of God, to know and reverence Him as their Chief. These commands were at once given to the angels.

    To this command all the obedient and holy angels submitted themselves and they gave their full assent and acknowledgment with an humble and loving subjection of the will. But Lucifer, full of envy and pride, resisted and induced his followers to resist likewise, as they in reality did, preferring to follow him and disobey the divine command. This wicked prince persuaded them, that he would be their chief and that he would set up a government independent and separate from Christ. So great was the blindness which envy and pride could cause in an angel, and so pernicious was the infection that the contagion of sin spread among innumerable other angels.
     
  17. padraig

    padraig Powers

    Then happened that great battle in heaven, which St. John describes (Apoc. 12). For the obedient and holy angels, filled with an ardent desire of hastening the glory of the Most High and the honor of the incarnate Word, to resist and contradict the dragon, and the permission was granted. But also another mystery was concealed in all this: When it was revealed to the angels that they would have to obey the incarnate Word, another, a third precept was given them, namely, that they were to admit as a superior conjointly with Him, a Woman, in whose womb the Only begotten of the Father was to assume flesh and that this Woman was to be the Queen and Mistress of all the creatures. The good angels by obeying this command of the Lord, with still increasing and more alert humility, freely subjected themselves, praising the power and the mysteries of the Most High. Lucifer, however, and his confederates, rose to a higher pitch of pride and boastful insolence. In disorderly fury he aspired to be himself the head of all the human race and of the angelic orders, and if there was to be a hypostatic union, he demanded that it be consummated in him.

    The decree constituting him inferior to the Mother of the Incarnate Word, our Mistress, he opposed with horrible blasphemies. Turning against the Author of these great wonders in unbridled indignation and calling upon the other angels, he exhorted them, saying: “Unjust are these commands and injury is done to my greatness; this human nature which Thou, Lord, lookest upon with so much love and which thou favorest so highly, I will persecute and destroy. To this end I will direct all my power and all my aspirations. And this Woman, Mother of the Word, I will hurl from the position in which Thou hast proposed to place Her, and at my hands, the plan, which Thou settest up, shall come to naught.”

    This proud boast so aroused the indignation of the Lord that in order to humble it, He spoke to Lucifer: “This Woman whom thou refusest to honor, shall crush thy head and by Her shalt thou be vanquished and annihilated (Gen. 3, 15). And if, through thy pride, death enters into the world (Wis. 2, 24), life and salvation of mortals shall enter through the humility of this Woman. Those that are of the nature and likeness of that Man and Woman, shall enjoy the gifts and the crowns, which thou and thy followers have lost.” To all this the dragon, filled with indignation against whatever he understood of the divine will and decrees, answered only with pride and by threatening destruction to the whole human race. The good angels saw the just indignation of the Most High against Lucifer and his apostates and they combated them with the arms of the understanding, reason and truth.

    The Almighty at this conjuncture worked another wonderful mystery. Having given to all the angels a sufficiently clear intelligence of the hypostatic Union, He showed them the image of the most holy Virgin by means of an imaginary vision (I speak here according to our way of understanding such things). They were shown the perfection of the human nature in the revelation of an image representing a most perfect Woman, in whom the almighty arm of the Most High would work more wonderfully than in all the rest of the creatures. For therein He was to deposit the graces and gifts of his right hand in a higher and more eminent manner. This sign or vision of the Queen of heaven and of the Mother of the incarnate Word was made known and manifest to all the angels, good and bad. The good ones at the sign of it broke forth in admiration and in canticles of praise and from that time on began to defend the honor of the God incarnate and of his holy Mother, being armed with ardent zeal and with the invincible shield of that vision. The dragon and his allies on the contrary conceived implacable hatred and fury against Christ and his most holy Mother. Then happened all that which is described in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse, which I will explain, as far as it has been given me.

    The literal version of that chapter of the Apocalypse is as follows:

    1. “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:

    2. And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.

    3. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns; and on his head seven diadems.

    4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son.

    5. And she brought forth a man–child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod; and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.

    6. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.

    7. And there was a great battle in heaven; Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels.

    8. And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

    9. And the dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

    10. And I heard a loud voice saying: Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ; because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night.

    11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.

    12. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you that dwell therein. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having a great wrath and knowing that he hath but a short time.
     
  18. Blue Horizon

    Blue Horizon Guest

    No worries Padraig...though its concerning such a small thing as this raises your blood pressure
    If this the green then what of the dry :eek: - lets hold all things, serious or minor, lightly as our hearts are safe!

    I have, hopefully, politely "tapped you on the shoulder" (as you put it elsewhere) re your "teaching" so the rest is between you and God (y).
     
    jerry likes this.
  19. Bartimaeus

    Bartimaeus Archangels

    For the Attention Of Padraig & Blue Horizon:

    Not all saints have the same sort of holiness. There are those who could never have lived with other saints. Not all have the same path. But all arrive at God.

    St. John Vianney , quote taken from Youcat.
    I love you guys :love:
     
    Jeanne, jerry and Blue Horizon like this.
  20. padraig

    padraig Powers

    :)
     

Share This Page