We ignore evil

I write this entry while my son works on some school projects in an adjacent room.
I can't help but think of the parent whose child may have attended a movie last night in Colorado.

It happens all the time,
The child/teenager leaves the house:
kid:  "I'm leaving for the movie, see ya."
parent: "Whose going?"
kid mentions names
parent:  "What movie?"
kid:  "The Dark Knight Rises"
parent: "Okay, do you have your phone?"
kid: "Yes."
parent:  "Have fun, love you."
kid:  "Love you too."

At the theatre a gunman opens fire--

Evil, demonic, satanic--you name it--it is real and unleashed and has been killing lives and souls since that scene in the Garden.
At one point God became man, broke the chains of bondage and set us free.
BUT WE DIDN'T GET IT.
IT WAS TOO HARD.

So, like a moth drawn to a flame that promises warmth and freedom and another 'way' ---all lies--eventually the soul gets fried--eventually humanity gets fried.

What is our response when evil happens?
Shock?
Dismay?
Or maybe we just ignore it?
USUALLY THE SOCIAL SCIENTISTS GET IN AND EXPLAIN IT AWAY.

Just for the next 24 hours take note of the amount of evil that bombards your life via internet and media.  
--the mentality and the jokes that it is all about you.
--that pride is good and that you need it to survive.
--that you can use others, talk about others, lie about others.
--music and shows and movies that play with the 'lite' themes of sexuality and promiscuity.
--everything is relative.
--envy and sloth and gluttony and lust are all explained and even excused.
Evil thrives on apathy and then eventually it goes for blood.
Like chumming the water--live life in the world of moral relativism--then eventually satan comes for the soul.


Just as Grace builds on nature so can Evil build on our choices that contradict God's will.

And others are left to suffer. Other innocent lives are lost. Families are torn apart.
This is a suffering that only God can redeem.


Usually, when evil happens we blame something else or we ignore it.
It would be easy to blame the movie--
But the movie is a sign of something much more insidious and the demonic is banking on the fact that 'freedom of speech will continue to provide the way for it to spread is culture of death'
Evil is also blatantly ignored as has been proven in recent events both in the church and in academia.  Reputations become gods.

Only God can redeem this suffering.
(that's the second time I've written that)

But God's way is hard.  It takes work.  It means saying 'No' to the ways of the world that are not redemptive.  God's way involves a passion and a cross.  God's way is the way the saints took.
God's way is a way which doesn't ignore evil.  Jesus didn't ignore it, nor should we.
Just the other day I had a conversation with a priest concerning evil.  He really didn't want to talk about it.
"I prefer to focus on our redemption."

Nice.  I agree. Redemption is good.
But--
Redemption from what??? eternal death, sin--and they are the products of what?
It's both.  We can't ignore the elephant in the room.  Evil must be named and called out and expelled AND redemption in and through Christ.

Come on people stop ignoring and excusing the obvious.
When evil happens today use it as a moment to turn away go to God and STAY with Jesus.
Start today, get on your knees, say an Our Father and a Hail Mary, Pray to St. Michael (click the picture).
Pray for the victims, pray for the parents, pray pray pray.

Good Post

The following post is worth a read.

Worth Taking a Look...Strong Words From Vatican Exorcist

Read this "Exorcist laments apathy...."

These are some strong words for everyone--clergy included.

Exorcist Interview

Caution--Depression Ahead

Maybe.

This morning I came across a line in my son's church history book (Story of the Church, Tan Publishers) that addressed the church's need of reform during the time of St. Boniface (680-755 AD).  There existed not only corrupt pagans and political forces but bishops, priests, and religious.  It was ugly.  Of course we live in a different time today right?

Here are my mental notes from this morning...

Church is corrupted--which at first is very well disguised.
Holy person leads reform of the church or religious order or diocese.
Demonic eventually enters--which at first is very well disguised.
Holy person usually martyred.
Demonic does it's best to kill the reform and re-corrupt--which at first is very well disguised.
New holy person is born--leads new reform---demonic re-enters---
and so on and so on and so on.

The battle seems to never end--

Come to think of it--the above cycle is a little like the spiritual life and confession, no?

Here is the "What"

Please, right now,  offer a prayer for all affected by the devastating storms, tornadoes and flooding.

This morning I picked up Time magazine and read the article entitled; Sex. Lies. Arrogance. What Makes Powerful Men Act Like Pigs..
This headline caught my eye simply because I thought someone in the mainstream media had the guts to state the obvious.
But it never came.
It never said the "What" of what makes powerful men act like powerful pigs.

It was a social commentary, on all those public male figures who have fallen and suggested concise behavioral and cognitive correlations.  There were valid points especially when considering entitlement and predator behavior and, don't get me wrong, it is good to heighten the public's attention. 

But it's like a homily that never gets to the next level when all the priest or deacon did was re-tell and re-imagine the Gospel account.   

So, what is the "what" ?

First you don't need to be a powerful man--
Second, Evil is the cause.  More to the point--one's willful cooperation with the demonic.

Pick your poison and then blame someone else for giving it to you or making you that way.
Then allow pride to maintain your position.  

But here is the good news....no matter the poison, no matter the sin--Christ can break in---only when you surrender your will.
"...Thy will be done..."
But the soul needs to do the work--everyday, every moment.
Bring back the ancient practice of making pilgrimages because they outwardly signify the quest, the work, and the sacrifice that the soul needs to undertake.  In the meantime make the Stations of the Cross (they're not just for Lent you know).

I know--i'm preaching--to the choir none-the-less.
(But if you feel like someone needs to hear this--send it to them.)

We are days away from Pentecost--pray for the Holy Spirit to descend.