CATHOLICISM 101 Intro to the Invisible Winter 2020, Class 4 of 5 - St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church

CATHOLICISM 101
Intro to the Invisible
Winter 2020, Class 4 of 5

Nicene Creed

•I believe in one God, the
Father almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, and of
all things, visible and
invisible….

Diagram of Creation

p. 48 of Peter Kreeft’s Angels (and demons)

The “What” Question
• What is evil?
  • Personal Evil
    • 7 deadly sins as a result of fallen nature
  • Natural Evil
    • Natural disasters
    • Effects of sins of others
    • Institutional evil
  • Diabolical Evil (directed and preternatural)
    • Ordinary
       • Temptation in general (pride, money, lust)
    • Extraordinary
       • Focused attack on the human person

What are Angels/Demons?
• Created from the beginning
• Messengers
  • Mediators of God’s actions
  • Protectors of nations, of cities, of people, movers of the heavens,
    voices of God
• Some rebelled
  • Most beautiful and powerful among them (Satan/Lucifer)
  • These are the fallen angels (demons/devils)
  • At some point rejected God and service
       • Saints saying he was given glimpse of Incarnation
  • Now, goal is to corrupt and destroy

What can demons do?
• Infestation
   • Localized effects on a place or thing (senses – cold, odor, etc. - Ap)
• Obsession
  • Constant psychological influence through the mind
  • Even hallucinations or images (Padre Pio – different images)
• Vexation
  • Physical and psychological attacks
  • Vianney (bed), Pio (whip), Anthony (tar)
• Possession
  • Control of body but not soul without consent (Angel of God story)

Exorcism
• “Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the
  liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual
  authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church”
  (CCC 1673)
• Authority is something extremely important
  • Bishop or his delegate only for major exorcisms
  • “Apostle is coming” story
• Classic manifestations during:
  • Uncanny strength, impossible knowledge or languages,
    materialization of vomited items, levitation, trances
  • Appearance of BVM ending
  • Airplane story

Can they read our thoughts?

        NO, but they are extremely observant.

What are Ghosts?
• Ghosts or even some call “wandering spirits”
• Acknowledge connection between living and living dead
• That being said, many saints often connect them what we
  know as “ghosts” as also purgatorial spirits (Pio, Therese)
• Also, many exorcists find the workings of demons behind
  these as well (incomplete manifestations, odors, etc.)
• God works in mysterious ways…..

What NOT to do….
• Don’t open yourself to dark things
  • Séance, Ouija boards (smmcc story), Charlie games (spiritism)
  • Tarot cards, palm reading, any kind of divination
• Magic (CCC 2117)
  • “All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame
    occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a
    supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of
    restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.”
  • Avoid cultivation of the magical mentality (tough one, HP, LotR)
• Tattoos, piercings, horror films (nuance)
• Spells and curses (evil eye, macumba, voodoo, black mg)

What to do!!
• Stay close to the sacraments and prayer (Euch/Reconc)
• Prayer and Fasting (Mark 9:29)
• Devotion to Mary and the Saints and Angels
  • St. Michael and Guardian Angel prayer
• Use of blessed objects (nuance – Don Bosco entrance)
• Destroy questionable items (burn or in flowing water)
• Build a sane environment
  • What you allow to be watched, read, heard, items in house
• Deliverance Prayers

Deliverance Prayer for Laity
• My Lord, you are all powerful, you are God, you are Father.

  We beg you through the intercession and help of the archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, for the
  deliverance of our brothers and sisters who are enslaved by the evil one. All saints of Heaven, come to our
  aid.

  From anxiety, sadness and obsessions, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From hatred, fornication, envy, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From thoughts of jealousy, rage, and death, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From every thought of suicide and abortion, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From every form of sinful sexuality, and lust we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From the sins of greed, gluttony and spirits of ingratitude and complaining, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From every division in our family, and every harmful friendship, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.

  From every sort of spell, malefic, witchcraft, and every form of the occult, we beg You. Free us, O Lord.
  Lord Jesus, You Who said, “I leave you peace, My peace I give to you,” grant that, through the intercession of
  the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may be liberated from every evil spell and enjoy your peace always.
• In the name of Christ, our Lord. Amen.