Well we know Jesus got a little cranky now and then. Especially in Mark's gospel. He got exasperated.
I think this quality is what I remember most from meeting saints. It is what singles them out the most. Loving attentiveness. For them you are the only person in the entire world and they have all Eternity to spend it with you. You are the centre of a loving gaze , the sun of love. You can see this loving attentiveness in the eyes of a mother as she gazes at her new borne baby.. ...or the faces of visionaries looking at the Virgin Mother.
The Demons have a certain attentiveness too; but I would describe it as a manic, jumping, rage, filled attention. They most especially hate priests, not really for who they are but for what they are, that they say the mass especially, this drives them wild. I notice this when the priest comes on the altar, there is sometimes an outcry against the priest. We should pray very much for protection for priests, they are the demons main target. The devils are very much at war with priests. With bad priests it is somewhat different. I saw a very, very bad priest one time mount the altar. He is very famous in Ireland and the media just adore him. He is the most modern priest in the entire world. You name it he is at it. Before and beside him were demons dressed in Medieval type armour. The one in charge was particularly striking very proud and preening himself that they, 'owned' the priest / They were full of a real glee right through the mass and when he left the altar they accompanied him. I was tempted to leave the mass as soon as I saw but I had such a hunger for the Eucharist I stayed. The demons also notice holy people at mass and comment on them. They are truly outraged when they spot them and cry out to each other, 'Do you see what harm she (he) does to the Kingdom!!' and similar things. The way they talk of the saints in heaven is very striking. They do not talk of them in past tense but the present,as though they had never died. For them death is irrelevant really. ..at least as far as the saints are concerned. They will look at a statue of a saint and exclaim to each other about how much harm they have been done by the saint; truly outraged; but there is a tone of exasperation and giving up as they speak, understanding that these at least are beyond there reach. But with the living it is very different. It is so true as St Peter said that they are like lions on the prowl seeking who they can devour. Especially, priests. Especially priests. But people of prayer too. I take it from scripture that St Peter could sometimes see and hear them too.
It must be a little disturbing to be able to see these things Padraig. I am grateful I haven't been given that charism. As a counterpoint to the priest you saw with the demons, several years ago at Christmas Eve Mass our parish priest Fr. G. a very very good priest, the real deal , was processing down the center aisle to the altar and a little boy sitting in the pew in front of my friend (who told me this story) began tugging on his mother's sleeve and pointing at Fr. G. "Look mommie. Look. Angel's following Fr. G. Look mommie." She was trying to shush him but he kept it up for a bit very amazed his mother didn't think it a big deal. Obviously the mom didn't see the Angels. My friend said he was probably 3 or 4. And quite sincere.
Aww...it is amazing at the mass how often the Holy Angels are mentioned in the Liturgy. Again and again and again. Count them all. The same in scripture. The Christmas story for instance, they are everywhere. But when was the last time you heard angels mentioned at mass in a homily? Dr Scott Hahn gave a great talk on the liturgy and he said mass is like the heavenly court , full of angels. As to seeing and hearing demons, I was surprised to hear Fr Rippenger report it is quite common in the USA for Exorcism teams in the USA have a layperson with the git of Discernment to identify demons and hear them talk. I don;t mind myself I find listening to them very interesting. I don't mind myself they never seem to realise I am listening and watching. The only thing the surprises me is that everyone can't hear them. The most beautiful descriptions of angels I have read was from Pere Lamy: http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/11/pere-lamy-father-john-edward-lamy.html
I saw a demon mouth with spiky teeth come out of a lady’s cheek and call me by my first and last name I wasn’t afraid but I walked away I would have rather seen an angel
These things can be great teachers too. Fr Mark Bozada is so interesting on this. Sadly so very few videos. His Bishop probably shut him down as soon as he opened up talking on this. So sad.
Sounds terrifying. Yikes!! Well after hearing these demon stories, I've mustered up the courage to share my crazy experience. A couple of years back I was watching a live stream Mass online and I saw a demon tucked under the altar. The Mass took place at a cathedral in Europe, and a well know cardinal was the celebrant. The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed the Mass, and the camera was focused on the monstrance, and the altar. I thought I saw something under the right corner of the altar, at first I assumed it was a shadow, but it was a large grey demonic head. I could not believe I was looking at this evil thing, so I closed my eyes hoping it would go away; it did not. It was more frightening than before as I could clearly see the demon's facial features. I was so scared I shut the computer down, and until this day I never told a soul about it. I have no clue as to why I was allowed to see this demon, and I hope I never see anything like it again. I wish I had seen an angel too!
Ditto! I believe that what you saw confirmed the presence of evil in the Church. Pere Lamy, in the book about which Padraig posted, said that he saw satan half in flames in the sanctuary before Mass.
It's funny to think of demons at mass. You'd think that would be the last place they'd be. But everywhere Mary goes the devil follows behind and that at every altar where Mary is present the devil stands at the other side. Oh good! I found this! It looks really excellent. http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/misc/Angels_Demons/ANGES_lamy.pdf 'He often had visions of Jesus (aboveall during the Mass), of the Madonna, ofSaint Joseph and the Angels.He wrote: “With such simplicity andattention the Angels surround the HolyVirgin! There are millions and millions:each one with a particular appearance, butthey are all very beautiful. The Angels call her Queen, with a very respectful tone”.He had a great familiarity with theAngels and sometimes the people close tohim also heard the voices of the Angels thatanswered him. Here is the testimony ofCount Biver, from 1924, regarding this: “At10:15pm I was in bed and I turned out thelight. Two or three minutes went by andthrough the two doors I heard an animatedconversation in the room of the old priest...Although when I left Fr. Lamy at the thresholdof his room, I had seen him completelyalone! The next morning, around 5 o’clockwhen we went to church, I asked Fr. Lamy:‘Father dear, last night, after saying goodnight, I heard you talking and I heard other voices too...were they your GuardianAngels?’ During the day Fr. Lamy confidedin me that I had heard the voices of theArchangels Saint Gabriel and that of hisGuardian Angels and not to speak of thesethings to anyone else.”'
Funnily enough today's Gospel mentions this coming of Satan...and indeed he is mentioned in the Gospel as being present at the very first mass, the Last Supper, where , we are told he entered into Judas...well he could not have entered in if he was not present. ..and in today's gospel we are told by Jesus that Satan was coming... Gospel, John 14:27-31 27 Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace which the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. 28 You heard me say: I am going away and shall return. If you loved me you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. 30 I shall not talk to you much longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, 31 but the world must recognise that I love the Father and that I act just as the Father commanded. Come now, let us go.
Usually the devil hides. This is in line with his current strategy as a General in our present Faithless Generation to encourage the notion that he does not exist. However when in prayer the soul draws closer to God there is no longer any point in him going into hiding. Why hide when the soul already knows he exists? So he comes out into the open. The mass is the Prayer of Prayers. It is a prayer of pure Faith in the Eucharist. Which is why at mass our eyes, through Faith , pierce the curtain around us. The very last place the devil wants to be is at mass, but he is dragged there a slave of Christ, who had put all things under His feet, including the demons. Ephesians 1:22 …21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.…
This makes perfect sense, no point in the devil showing his face to the faithless. My prayer life had greatly increased when I saw the demon, now I know why. As HH pointed out, I saw the evil in that is present in the Church. Well it was a real eye opener for sure.
This is one of the first Catholic books I was able to get many years ago when living in the far north woods. I was so moved by it and struck by the fact that Our Lady showed him the seminaries and how corrupt some of them were. This was before WWI. I think. I should go back and reread it.
