As a father of a family and a concerned citizen of my country, I try to keep tabs on the society in which I must raise my children and which they will someday inherit. This can be accomplished rather easily by simply paying attention to general themes in my daily interpersonal interactions and by briefly skimming a few headlines. What I have learned thus far is that our society is almost entirely dominated by satanic influences. I wish to point out two themes in particular which have stood out as of late – corruption of the innocent and an ever-increasing tendency towards violence.
If there is one thing the devil is about, it is destroying what is beautiful. All that is good, innocent, and beautiful comes from God and leads man back to God. The Devil cannot have this be. It is his entire mission to lead men away from God, and he accomplishes this by corrupting and destroying all that is good, innocent, and beautiful. Something as innocuous as a simple letter of the alphabet, a grouping of numbers, or a common, everyday hand motion becomes a means of tempting man to sin. We see this everywhere in our society where some perverted and sinful joke is made in regard to the most innocent human expression or action.
Violence is another hallmark of Satan’s influence on our society. Simply glance over any news headlines and there will be multiple stories of the most brutal murders and the most hateful speech between politicians. There are other examples as well, such as our aggressive driving and rude behavior in places of public use. One could also look at the movies we watch, the music we listen to, and the video games we play. There is no doubt but that our society is a most violent – and I would say satanic – one.
How to respond to these evils? Some make the case that we must shelter ourselves and our children from the corruption this society tries to impose, and this while physically protecting ourselves and our families from the violence with which our society rages. That case certainly has merit and should be prudently considered, but the Catechism teaches me that I must take more care of my soul than my body. The spiritual welfare of my family will always be my primary concern.
If the devil is a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour, and if our society has given free reign to this beast, we must be prepared to fight him. I personally have no doubt that the devil will soon set his sights more on traditional Catholics in particular. This satanic beast will soon have devoured every other member and aspect of society, and there will only remain one small remnant that stands between him and total domination.
I am primarily speaking here of a spiritual warfare, so my tactics must be spiritual ones. The Mass and the Sacraments are my spiritual weapons and defenses. I know that God’s grace is infinitely more powerful than all of the legions of hell combined, so I know that if I ever fall prey to this hellish beast that I will have no one to blame but myself. And this is a legitimate concern. I do not doubt for a moment the power of God’s grace, but I live in constant fear that, in my miserable weakness, I will fail to avail myself of that readily-available grace. I despair of myself but place all of my hope in the infinite mercy and goodness of God!
These thoughts also help to explain the political situation in our country. No matter how well-intentioned any politician may be, he stands no chance going up against all the powers of hell if he be not assisted by God’s grace – the grace that is available in the Mass and the Sacraments. If I saw a truly devoted traditional Catholic politician who placed all of his hope in the power of God’s grace, and if he readily and consistently availed himself of that grace through the Mass and the Sacraments, then, and only then, would I have any sort of confidence that this politician – through the power of God’s grace – could accomplish some lasting and meaningful good. Any other kind of politician is walking into the lion’s den with no protection and no weapons. How could we have any expectation of him thus defeating the ferocious beast that is Satan himself? Would it matter in the slightest how well-intentioned he was or how impressive his background was? No, there is no hope to be placed in politics or politicians, but only in God’s grace.
Another thing to be considered here is those (us) poor weak Catholics who do not avail ourselves of God’s graces as we should. Each time we attend Mass and receive the Sacraments it is as if we are polishing our armor and sharpening our weapons. That is the training camp where we prepare for battle. Those who do not attend Mass and receive the Sacraments as often as they can are letting their armor become rusty and compromised while their weapons become dull and blunt. They are not preparing for the imminent battle with the ferocious beast that is prowling back and forth at the very gates of our city. When – not if – this beast attacks us, so many will be lost through their own negligence.
In closing, it must be said that perhaps I am wrong about all of this. I do not claim to be any great or wise visionary with any special insight. I am merely a concerned father – a very average and ordinary man. But I think that this world is made up of ordinary men, and I also think that ordinary men have the power to alter the course of history. I do not want history to continue down its current path leading us straight into the jaws of hell. I want good Catholic men everywhere to rise up and prepare for the battle that is surely coming. Please do not pretend that things are not so bad. Please open your eyes and see the devil going about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Please attend Mass and receive the Sacraments worthily. Please prepare for the wrestling against principalities and powers that is coming upon us.
“Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect our families!”
TomNaegeleBlogs 