Considering all the extravagant evil in the world, I have always found it remarkable that so many people do not believe in the existence of Satan and his fallen angels. Pope Leo XIII I believe foresaw this, which is why he gave us the prayer to Saint Michael. In 1942 CS Lewis in The Screwtape Letters wrote what may be an epitaph for the age in which we live:
When humans disbelieve in our existence we lose all the pleasing results of direct terrorism and we make no magicians. On the other hand, when they believe in us, we cannot make them materialists and skepics. At least, not yet. I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalize and mythologize their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, a belief in us (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to belief in the Enemy. The “Life Force,” the worship of sex, and other aspects of psychoanalysis, may here prove useful. If once we can produce our perfect work — the materialist magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshiping, what he vaguely calls “Forces” while denying the existence of “spirits” — the end of the war will be in sight. But in the meantime we must obey orders.
Man without God is nothing but prey for Satan. With God and Man united Satan is impotent. Alexander Solzhenitsyn when asked why Communism seized power in Russia, used to say the following:
In the natural realm, nature abhors a vacuum. I think this is also true in the spiritual realm. If we do not have God to fill up our spiritual emptiness, there is another entity ever eager to attempt to usurp the place of God in our souls.
Forgotten God . . . and decided they were smarter than Aristotle, Newton, Plato, and the gods of the copy book headings.
And, in forgetting God men discerned that all they have is the here-and-now and it is their duty to make it perfect: a fool’s mission.
Unsolicited advice from the Spiritual Works of Mercy: forgive all injuries including imaginary injuries.
The prayer to Saint Michael in the Leonine prayers is a very ancient one. It may be as old as the Lombard victory in the battle of Sipontum in 663.
Here is a version from a Carolingian MS from the diocese of Coustances, in Normandy, which I copied (St Michael being my patron) The spacing is in the original
Sancte Michael Archangele,
defende nos in proelio.
contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium.
Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur:
tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis,
Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos,
qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,
divina virtute, in infernum detrude.
Amen.
I do not think it is Norman, as there he is venerated as the patron saint of seafarers.
Father Barron is always worthwhile.
This is a good commentary of evil and its weapons. May we not lose sight of The Most Holy Rosary and its powers. Our Lady is most powerful in protecting us. May we put on Her Brown Scapular and say Her Rosary as she had asked us so many times to do – especially at Fatima. St. Dominic said that one day through the rosary and the scapular – Our Lady would save the world. We all need to know this – there may be a time soon in history when a priest will not be available for the sacraments even though they are our chief means of God’s grace.
wonderful post.
The evidence of Satan’s work: the war on the Church, the war on Women, the War on Marriage, and I may say the war on poor people which I see as cutting the tendons in the backs of their legs– dis-abled people unable to stand. And the mis-use of people who struggle with SSA ( who will be shortly abandoned by the oh so temporary coalition between radical islam and marxism after they no longer serve the purpose); the mis-use of people hurt by racism; and all those misled by the greed narcissism and disorder of these times.
Satan is working, but thank the Lord God that Mary, Joseph, St.Anne, St. Michael, the martyrs of the 20th century are working too. O. talked about hope, but we, constantly asking God’s providence, are imbued with real Hope.
And don’t forget the “Memorae”. It rolls over and over in my mind and in my heart almost non stop.
The evidence of Satan’s work is in the work of the O administration.
We also pray the Memorarae
This following prayer is prayed after morning mass everyday here:
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care.
Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection.
Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom.
Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God’s law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life.
I, too, have started adding the Memorae to my daily prayers.
Fatigue from hearing what I hear and seeing what I see is so erosive to spiritual life. Tonight, I heard a little snip of sound that included the words ‘snake oil’ from our leader before I got to the off button on the remote. How pathetic of me to think what I think of his talk, and then only wishing to be able to pray for our strength and health.
“In the natural realm, nature abhors a vacuum. I think this is also true in the spiritual realm. If we do not have God to fill up our spiritual emptiness, there is another entity ever eager to attempt to usurp the place of God in our souls.”
Cultivate the garden, and there’s a place for the weeds, too. Can’t forget to keep after it.