Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: devil

Sympathize with the young — and do not judge

[A young monk], who was not the laziest of young men, had gone to an old man and had candidly confessed that he was troubled by carnal appetites and the spirit of fornication. He had hoped to receive from the old man’s words consolation for his efforts, and a cure for the wounds inflicted on… Read More ›

Share

Witches, Ghosts and Magic: What Catholics Believe

by Page Zyromski (St. Anthony Messenger) Matt called one of those psychic hotline numbers advertised on television. His parents didn’t find out until they saw the whopping charge on their phone bill. I asked Matt why he did it and he says he was just curious. He’s still delivering pizzas to pay off his debt…. Read More ›

Share

For there were many against me.

Ps 55:18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you? Feelings are very deceptive and can cause us a lot of worry, fear and anxiety. Most of the time when we feel… Read More ›

Share

Moral relativism paves way for Satanism

Rome, Italy, Apr 11, 2011 / 05:55 pm (CNA).- A society dominated by moral relativism “fosters the spread of Satanism,” an expert recently explained. Carlo Climati told CNA on April 5 that Satanism “destroys those universal values that are written in the hearts of each human being.” It creates “a society that is turned on… Read More ›

Share

Be Ever Vigilant

In the nearby desert there is an elderly brother called John who excels everybody in his life, his customs, and his abstinence. When her first came to the desert he stood underneath a protruding rock face for three years continuously, always praying, never sitting or lying down. He took only what sleep he could standing… Read More ›

Share

The devil is no fool

The devil is no fool. He can get people feeling about heaven the way they ought to feel about hell. He can make them fear the means of grace the way they do not fear sin. And he does so, not by light but by obscurity, not by realities but by shadows; not by clarity… Read More ›

Share

Kind and humble speech would turn evil men to better

Once when the Abbot Macarius was climbing up the mountain in Nitria, he bade his disciple go a little way before him. And as he went on ahead, the disciple met a priest of the idols, hurrying swiftly, and carrying a great log. And the disciple shouted at him, “Where are you going so fast,… Read More ›

Share

Exorcist says Satan exists but without ‘horns, wings or a tail’

Bogotá, Colombia, Sep 20, 2010 / 10:03 pm (CNA).- Spanish exorcist Fr. Jose Antonio Fortea Cucurull stated in an interview last week that though Satan does indeed exist, he does not have “horns, wings or a tail.” The priest recommended that the faithful seek the counsel of a priest if they suspect someone is possessed…. Read More ›

Share

Because of Your Humility

As Abba  Macarius was returning to  his cell from the  marsh carrying palm-leaves, the devil met him with a sharp sickle and would have struck him but he could not. He cried out, “Great is the violence I suffer from you, Macarius, for when I want to hurt you, I cannot. But whatever you do,… Read More ›

Share

A Person Who Loves His Neighbor Loves God

Children of the devil know how to cut us off from God, for they know that a person who loves his neighbor loves God. For this cause, as enemies of virtue, they sow in our hearts pretense about what is our own, and this becomes like kindling wood, filling us with great enmity against one… Read More ›

Share