On this beautiful Feast of our Guardian angels, we must remember the invisible role they inevitably play in our lives. On a plane of being that we humans cannot sense, the holy angels thwart the attacks of hellish fallen angels, bent on our everlasting perdition. We should express gratitude to God and to our angels often, and we should call upon our angels in good times and in bad. Even as they work with us, they know God’s will for us and they behold His face (Matthew 18:10).
Now, turn your mind to the fallen angelic agents of Hell, the Enemy of your soul.
Consider not only the unrelenting the malice of the Enemy of the soul, but also the Enemy’s, literal, diabolical genius.
First, the fallen angels never sleep, never tire, are never distracted, have no need to travel from point a to b, and they never miss what you are up to. If a government agency can build a profile of you based on bits and pieces of metadata, try to imagine how a fallen angel sees you. They know precisely where to hit with a suggestion, a tug on an appetite, a prod of perfectly timed deception.
Next, their long term goal (keeping you from heaven) depends on your not paying attention to them. Hence, it serves them and their scheme well to diminish both belief in them as well as understanding what they are. Today we even see TV shows – one is even called “Lucifer” – which will surely twist people’s understanding away from their true nature and motives.
We all face, every day, three great obstacles to our present and authentic and our future and eternal happiness: the world, the flesh and the Devil. Of the three, one is a person, the active subject of its own actions. We ignore the Enemy at our deepest peril.
At Crisis be sure to read today about the crisis we face. Sober and true. My emphases and comments.
A Dark-Forces Assault on the Church?
WILLIAM KILPATRICKFor we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers … against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph. 6:12)
It’s not easy to discern the role played by the spiritual hosts of wickedness in world affairs. No one knows with any certainty what is going on in that realm, or what part the principalities and powers play in shaping events. But these are exceedingly strange times—so strange that it is difficult to make sense of some of what is happening from a this-worldly perspective. So it seems worthwhile to try to understand some
phenomena from an other-worldly viewpoint. [While we cannot detect with our human senses what goes on in the angel “metaphysical” plane, can we doubt for an instant that there’s a lot going on? And are we so naive as to imagine that it doesn’t affect us? Remember: the fallen angels have already received their irrevocable fate in their rejection of God and His plan. The only thing left for them is to try to prevent God’s glory from being magnified in His creature, us. Each time a soul is lost to Hell, the Enemy crows, “That’s one more You don’t have!”]
One of the strangest developments of our times is the Church’s response to Islam and Islamic migration. Since the response runs entirely counter to the Church’s historical response, it seems legitimate to wonder if other-worldly forces are at play. If that’s the case, it should not be unexpected. Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church, but the implication of his words is that hell would surely try. [Not only try, but also succeed in this place and that. There is no guarantee that Hell won’t win in Europe. The Church once flourished in places like North Africa and Asia Minor. Now?]
Over the years, various popes have testified to this effort. In the late nineteenth century, Pope Leo XIII reportedly had a vision of demonic spirits during the celebration of Mass. This led him to institute the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel (“be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil”), which is said at the end of a Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form. In more recent times, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul in 1972, Pope Paul VI delivered a sermon warning that “from some fissure the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God.” [Frankly, if far and wide we don’t get down on our knees and start praying those Leonine Prayers again we are veering towards insanity.]
What may come as a surprise to those who worry about Pope Francis’s liberal tendencies is that he also has frequently warned of Satan’s influence. A few months after his election, he consecrated Vatican City State to St. Michael the Archangel who “defends the people of God from the arch-enemy par excellence, the devil.” When he was a cardinal in Argentina, he described a legislative proposal to redefine marriage as “a ‘move’ of the father of lies who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.” [He seems genuinely to believe in the Devil.]
If the smoke of Satan can enter the Catholic Church, [“can”? HAS!] there is no reason to suppose it cannot enter other religions as well. [Not only enter them… START them.] Without getting into the question of whether Muhammad was deceived by Satan, as some maintain, it is probable that Satan seeks to influence the direction of Islam just as he strives to have a malign influence on the Catholic Church. [At least. I’d go a lot farther than that.]
It may be, then, that the current situation of the Church vis-à-vis Islam is due in part to a dual assault—one aimed at heightening Islam’s traditional aggressiveness, [NB:] and the other aimed at weakening the Church’s traditional defenses. The result is a kind of dance of death: a ramping up of Islamic militancy matched by an exaggerated emphasis on tolerance, openness, and welcoming on the part of Catholics. [This is undoubtedly true!]
If this is the case, then one manifestation of the Catholic folly might be the Church’s attitude toward mass Muslim migration. Many Catholic leaders think of Muslim migration as no different from other migrations. For them it is simply a question of being welcoming or unwelcoming, of being charitable or uncharitable. But many Muslim leaders view migrations in a different light. For them it is not a question of loving one’s neighbor, it is a question of who is to be master.
[…]
phenomena from an other-worldly viewpoint. Read the rest there.
May I recommend some reading? Check this out. HERE
Also, get these books and get them also for your family and friends.
Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War by Sebastian Gorka.
Do you know the word “dawa”? More on this HERE.
And get a Kindle! US HERE – UK HERE
I also recommend The Grand Jihad by Andrew McCarthy. He explains how and why the liberal left coddles and cooperates with Islam in the destruction of Western culture.
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“The result is a kind of dance of death: a ramping up of Islamic militancy matched by an exaggerated emphasis on tolerance, openness, and welcoming on the part of Catholics. ”
… this made me think of the Church “aggiornamento” of the ’60s…
While the sexual revolution was starting its unprecedented devastation, the Church decided it was a good timing to stop being salt and light…
In Quebec, where I live, the “quiet revolution” replaced catholic colleges with secular state schools. The architect of this reform was a bishop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse-Marie_Parent)
the 60’s: where pride and will to destroy meets with false mercy and (… how to qualify this…) stup… naivety
another glorious example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg_Statement
One of the strangest developments of our times is the Church’s response to Islam and Islamic migration. Since the response runs entirely counter to the Church’s historical response, it seems legitimate to wonder if other-worldly forces are at play.
This is an excellent observation.
I’ve been pondering the manner in which Pope Francis calls again and again for open arms to an unprecedented inflow of Muslim refugees into once Christian Europe. I have actually prayed about it to see if there were something virtuous to this that I am missing.
My conclusion again and again is that it is a suicidal death wish to which the Pope seems utterly oblivious; akin to a farmer opening the door to the chicken coop and inviting in a flood of foxes.
The Catholic Church has been called to build a Christian civilization, to establish the Kingship of Christ, precisely to provide a tranquil and well-ordered society based upon the Ten Commandments so as to guide souls to heaven and assure their eternal salvation.
Islam opposes itself to Christianity with historically established, proven violence and holds a world view diametrically opposed to the Gospel which Christ directed the Church to preach to all nations.
The vast najority of “refugees” pouring into Europe (at least 85% or more) are young males between the ages of 18 and 40. I watched a European documentary on this very fact being covered by a group of panelists in France, together with video footage of the endless columns of strong, young, male “refugees” pouring in across European borders.
Essentially a standing Islamic army is being invited in through the open gates and into the open arms of Europe and the Catholic Church.
Why would the spiritual Father of so many Catholic souls, especially those in Europe itself, invite the clear and imminent disintegration of Christianity by an Islamic invasion of Europe….?
It is Islamic teaching that once they establish a demographic majority they implement Sharia law by force. I read recently that within two generations they WILL become a demographic majority in Europe.
WHY is Pope Francis encouraging this and even saying it is our duty. with Bishops taking up the call throughout the world………??
WHAT is going on in the Catholic Church?
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“Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church.”
Which implies that the Church’s job is to *batter* gates of hell unceasingly, break them down, and flatten the place. The present situation feels more like, having opened the windows, we have proceeded to batter down our own gates, widened the “narrow road” and are now busy paving it. All in preparation for Offenbach’s Infernal Galop.
If only it were a laughing matter…
The Kilpatrick article was excellent (and so was the Fr Z commentary), especially after Francis announced that the Islamic invaders were “warriors of hope.” I think that would normally be “jihadis,” but I guess even he thought that would be going a bit far.
I particularly liked Kilpatrick’s calling attention to the sin of presumption. This is actually what is behind Francis’ altered-reality pronouncements: He is a very self-obsessed old man with slender intellectual development, an anti-rational bias, lots of political baggage – and he really thinks God is on his side. He’d throw himself off the parapet at Satan’s urging because he knows he’s right and righteous and God is on his side.
The problem is that he’s throwing all the rest of us off the parapet with him.
there is a problem for you all. The muslims only want to discuss the koran. they will talk a little about sharia. They will never discuss hadiths, and what they mean to any practicing muslim of any sort. Unless they get you to keep away from any discussion on hadiths and what Muhhamid they will always change the subject. Ask any muslim what is taqiyya and make sure you understand it properly. Read , “marked for death” by Wilders especially the chapter labelled , “yoke of Ismael”. It tells us it is moral to lie for Allah even in a court. Taqiyya also allows jihadists, any any muslim is a jihadist by definition, to claim. identify themselves as catholic, christian, buddhist or hindu and join in those religions at worship as long is it furthers the muslim’s Allah and advances Allah’s fooling of infidels
HOW SAD is the day for a Catholic when a commentary on the Pope includes a comment…..”he seems … to believe in the Devil”.
There are no words.
I sometimes say this variant to the well-known prayer:
Angels of God, our guardians dear
Addressed to all, in all times – God has the best “distribution lists”
to whom God’s love entrusts us here,
ever this day be at our sides, to be our guards
Omitted here, “to light” is implied by “to guide”.
and also guides.
“To rule” seems to me more appropriate for young children. Omitting this strikes me as praying for the free-will cooperation of adults with their guardians.
‘“Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church.”
Which implies that the Church’s job is to *batter* gates of hell unceasingly, break them down, and flatten the place. The present situation feels more like, having opened the windows, we have proceeded to batter down our own gates, widened the “narrow road” and are now busy paving it. All in preparation for Offenbach’s Infernal Galop.
If only it were a laughing matter…’
Did Our Lord ever promise that the gates of the Church would prevail against the attacks of Hell?
Ave Crux asks: “Why would the spiritual Father of so many Catholic souls, especially those in Europe itself, invite the clear and imminent disintegration of Christianity by an Islamic invasion of Europe….?”
It’s rather about inviting the disintegration of Europe. Islamization the weapon to achieve this end
The pope, like many Argentinians, holds a long-standing grievance against Europe…somewhat like the left’s grudge again “white privilege” in the USA.
Re “…aimed at weakening the Church’s traditional defenses.” Couldn’t help but think about how it seems that, in large part, we’ve ditched some great sacramentals…like Epiphany Water, scapulars (Carmelite or others), the St. Benedict Medal, etc? Or the changes in how things are blessed…like without holy water, etc? I know these aren’t directly related to the article, but it seems bringing back a solid (not superstitious) use of blessings and sacramentals are also important defenses on a smaller scale.
The comment on Islamic migration reminds me of the original Gothic migration in the first century BC into Roman territory. After a few serious battles, the Goth settled in quite well under Roman rule and even became Roman citizens, a high honor. Unfortunately they were followed later by the Germans, Huns and Vandals with quite different results and by 476 AD the empire was totally destroyed. The “guest workers” of the late 20th century in Europe have morphed into a genuine invasion (with the exception of Hungary which seems to have a long memory), this time with the consent of the invaded. This will not end well.