Dear Friends in Christ,
We hear more and more about satanic activity happening around us. People are seeing it even as only fair to put up statues of horned creatures in parks, but it is okay to chop off the head and cover in red paint statues of Saint Junipero Serra. The problem is: evil is real. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391-392, tells us, “Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called ‘Satan’ or the ‘devil’. 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.’ Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. 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.’ The devil ‘has sinned from the beginning’; he is ‘a liar and the father of lies.’” We must remember that the evil one is not on par with Jesus Christ. He would like to think he is, but he is not. After being a liar for these many ages, he cannot see the truth even when it is obvious. This one does not see us as anything but collateral damage in his attacks on our Savior. His attacks on us are so that he bothers Jesus whom he detests. We must not choose this being who said, “I will not serve”, but rather, we must choose everything in life that imitates Jesus who came, “Not to be served, but to serve.” Avoid movies that glorify evil, stay away from superstitions, do not even dream of going to a medium, having your palms or cards read or putting faith in horoscopes. Ouija boards are for the trash bin and any charms or amulets are worthy of destruction. These and other things open the doors of one’s soul to the adversary. Protect yourself and do not give into the fleeting pleasures that are not only fleeting, but which are empty and downright offensive to God. What is our protection? What is our armor against the forces of evil? Frequent confession of our sins to a Catholic priest, the reception of Holy Communion worthily as often as possible, (certainly every Sunday) and praying the Holy Rosary. Faith in Jesus Christ, forgiveness of those who hurt us, living the moral teachings of the faith and being charitable will lead us to Heaven. We are not caught between Jesus and the devil. Jesus triumphed over sin and death over 2,000 years ago! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord! Praised be Jesus Christ, the one and only savior of mankind!
In Jesus and Mary,
Father Szolack