Most people turn to God when they see the light, others when they feel the heat. It may not be cool or sound intelligent to talk about the devil - as though it is a tale for the superstitious and the gullible. But the reality is, the devil exists and is as active in the world as before. He may not take possession of people as shown in this movie, but he does make us sin.
From Cuskelly's "A Heart to Know Thee"
There are certain artifices of the devil, who, after all, is a very intelligent being....
(i) He takes the soul by its weak point (whence the need for self-knowledge),
(ii) in moments of negligence and distraction (hence the need of vigilance),
(iii) proposing good ends, but indiscreet (whence the usefulness of taking counsel),
(iv) in little things if the soul's resistance to grave falls is proved,
(v) dissimulating vice under the appearance of virtue, which is the same as making us fall victims to illusion.
Fr. Longenecker maps out a methodical approach for disordered lifestyles to gain legitimacy and even acceptance . What is diabolic is the insidious and gradual slide into an infernal d'etente done using a mixture of truths and lies. Click on the title to go to Fr. Longenecker's blog article. (H/T to RAULITO from http://angelicdoctor.blogspot.com/ ) Here are the steps. 1. Natural Law is ignored, undermined... 2. ...laws questioned because they are 'too strict' too 'black and white',... 3. Relativism is therefore introduced. 4. Individualism is the next step. 5. ... who live in a sinful situation demand that they not be judged... 6. Dialogue is demanded. .. 7. ...expect to be accepted ... 8. Equal rights are expected ... 9. Equal rights are demanded. ... 10. ...demand not only that you tolerate, but that you approve. And so, the devil is really in the details.
Micaela, my 13 year old niece, wrote in Facebook, “"God did not create evil, evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart."
There is some truth and a lot of insight in there. However, one might push the idea to conclude that the devil does not really exist because, he simply a concrete representation of this negative concept – a personification of this absence. However, there is the experience of demonic possession that contradicts this - in addition to the Church's teachings.
St . John Bosco wrote about his personal experiences with the devil e.g. that he would lift his bed then drop it. (The Pope ordered him to write his autobiography.)
I know a priest who asked the seniors during a retreat to go and call Satan 3 times. The boys were sent to a room one by one to do this. And one by one they came back petrified. (This is forbidden by canon law and the priest was reckless. He might have been desperate because the boys were not taking the retreat seriously.)
Also, did you know that the movie “The Exorcist” was based on an actual exorcism in Maryland? And "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is generally accepted to be based on the story of Anneliese Michel. The attached video claims to be a recording of that exorcism.
Description:
Video released by Phil R.XP of REQUIEM ETERNAM about the real exorcism of Annelise Michel who inspired the movie Exorcism of Emily Rose. For more information about what is happened exactly all in my blog on MySpace site http://www.myspace.com/requiemeternam7
Spanish commentary and video presentation click here or type http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVd6u-LqoNc
En verano de 1973, los padres acudieron a la parroquia local solicitando a los religiosos que su hija fuera sometida a un exorcismo. En principio, todos ellos lo rechazaron, ya que la doctrina de la Iglesia Católica con respecto a estas prácticas es muy estricta. Entre otras cosas, los poseídos, según la Iglesia, deben ser capaces de hablar lenguas que nunca han estudiado, tener poderes sobrenaturales, y mostrar una gran aversión hacia los símbolos religiosos.
Poco después, el párroco Ernst Alt, considerado un reputado experto en la materia, creyó probar que Anneliese reunía las condiciones suficientes para considerarse endemoniada y consiguió el permiso de las autoridades eclesiásticas para realizar un exorcismo siguiendo los pasos del Rituale Romanum.
Durante las sesiones (muchas de ellas documentadas de forma audiovisual), Anneliese manifestó estar poseída por hasta seis demonios diferentes, incluidos Lucifer, Belial, Caín, Judas Iscariote y Nerón. También afirmó estar bajo el poder de los espíritus de Hitler y de un párroco caído en desgracia. El exorcismo se prolongó durante un año y finalmente Anneliese murió a los 23 años. Está registrado que las últimas palabras que la joven dijo a su madre fueron "Madre, tengo miedo" y que la última frase que dirigido a los exorcistas fue "Por favor, pidan la absolución". La autopsia de Anneliese atribuyó el fallecimiento a la desnutrición y deshidratación. Antes de eso, se había destrozado las rodillas en ataques de genuflexión (Acción de doblar una rodilla en señal de adoración a Dios. www.iglesia.cl/especiales/canonizacionpr ensa/docs/glosario.doc)compulsiva.
Este hecho, inspiró los filmes: El Exorcismo de Emily Rose y Requiem (El exorcismo de Micaela).
I’ve heard of a priest who made the boys call the devil during their annual retreat. These seniors were cocky, so the retreat master dared them to call satan. The tough guys went in a room alone and had to call satan trice. They came out frightened because they felt the presence of evil. From then on, they took the spiritual exercises more seriously.
However, if one is a big time wrong doer, then one also calls the devil not by word but by deeds. And if that ever grows old, then know that one can always call on Jesus. He came for the lost like that black goat over there. =======>
Back when I was a novice, I was cleaning the study hall when my Novice Master pointed to the lopsided crucifix at the center of the hall. "That's how much he means to you." he said as he walked out in disgust. Yesterday, we went to an amusement park and almost had a perfect family day. It was ruined by a stage show "Disco Inferno" where the demons had huge crosses on their capes. I wanted to walk out but my wife wanted to finish the show, after all the demons already took off the capes. This morning I am writing to everyone who can stop or change this. Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God, obeyed the Heavenly Father to the point to dying on a cross as a restitution for our disobedience. Because of that, we all can become children of God once again and inherit eternal life. And even if you were the only person around, Jesus would become a man to carry & die on that cross. He is your personal Savior. That is how the cross has become a symbol of God's great love - that He would give up His only Son to pay for our sins.
