The Crucible that has trapped mankind from Light into eternal darkness

The Crucible that has trapped mankind from Light into eternal darkness

In the days of evil we seem to be drawn into a power of Satanic influence that has overtaken the minds of too many.  The CCC states; “Man,enticed by the Evil One, abused his freedom at the beginning of history.  He succumbed to temptation and did what was evil.  He still desires the good, but his nature bears the wound of original sin.  He is inclined to evil and subject to error:  Man is divided in himself.  As a result, the whole life of men, both individual and social, shows itself to be a struggle, and a dramatic one, between good and evil, between light and darkness.”  (CCC 1707).

“The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit.  By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator.  By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good.  He finds his perfection “in seeking and loving what is true and good.”  (CCC 1704).

Moving ahead in a world filled with temptation that is a force so powerful that the souls of once Christ seeking human beings have found the seduction towards evil to be comforting in a way never intended by our God.

Look around and see the images that used to be just mockery intentions are now blatantly appearing everywhere.  My daughter texted me a picture of an evil fixation of something standing in the appearance of an ugly animal dressed in a red cloak holding a bouquet of roses.  In front of this beastly image is a group of vigil candles waiting for someone or many to light them.  The building reflects a church and could be a future occurrence all over the world.  

God’s first commandment condemns the main sins of irreligion:  tempting God, in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony.  (CCC 2118).

Tempting God consists in putting his goodness and almighty power to the test by word or deed.”  (CCC 2119).  Here is where Satan used this very theme on Jesus in the testing in the wilderness (see LK 4: 1 ff).

Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God.”  (CCC 2120).

Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.  To Simon the magician, who wanted to buy spiritual power he saw at work in the apostles, St Peter responded:  “Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money!”  (CCC 2121).  Peter thus held to the words of Jesus:  “You received without pay, give without pay.” (Mt 10: 8).  

Those last few words are the very proponents of ministry and say a lot regarding too many ministers who relish in wealth at the expense of God’s Word for themselves.

Will we, as followers of Christ, become so enamored with evil that no vestige of goodness will penetrate our warped conscience and turn our hearts back to the Goodness God intended for us?  His grace is necessary to change our direction, but our gift of free will stands as a rampart and the struggle is not with flesh and blood; it is in the arena of spirits and demonology.

What can we as good living souls do when so many young people are committing evil transgressions daily, with no end in sight?  What lies at the foundation to so much evil in a world that God created to be pure, free from the fall of man?  Evil is the result of sin!  Remember, where sin abounds God’s grace abounds even more.  My next article will deal with that issue on a more in-depth synopsis. 

Ralph B. Hathaway