Not too long ago we were talking about fallen angels. We have a little clean up work to do on the subject.But before we launch into that, how is everyone enjoying fall and the start of a new school year and season? I thoroughly enjoy the change of seasons, even though nothing much has changed yet. Apples are arriving at the farmer's market, at least. I am an "apple a day" girl from way back. Years ago, I would have also enjoyed the arrival of Halloween decorations and maybe even scraped up a dollar to spend on some fake cobwebs for the end of next month. I think the Halloween decorations have been at Walgreen's since the Fourth of July. I like my seasons seasonal and I do not approve.
What was I talking about. Oh, yes, the dreary world of the devil. Here we go:
On the topic of fallen angels, I was just wondering if it is true that we have all been assigned a fallen angel, much like we're assigned a guardian angel in that it always stays by your side, but instead of protecting you it is always tempting you?
You have too much time on your hands. Maybe you want to do some volunteer work or add some rosaries to your day.
No. Contrary to popular belief, God is not mean. God wants you to go to Heaven. He wants you to be a better person and to protect your soul. He sent us His Son and and whole Church and a big book to follow along. He set up a whole road map of what to think about each day to bring us closer to Him (which doesn't involve wondering if He's working over time to trip you up). He gave you your own personal angel. Sending each person their own personal temptor is just not in God's repertoire.
Don't confuse what people refer to as 'personal demons' to be quite so literal. Just because it's hard for me to resist a big piece of chocolate cake doesn't mean there is a little red thing with an arrow on his tail standing there with the plate.Although, I think I like red cake even better than chocolate cake....still, no demon.
Now I want red cake. I'll offer it up.
Hi Sister,I really enjoy your blog. after reading your entry on demons I wanted to ask you a question that has always bothered me: why didn't God destroy the fallen angels like he destroyed the evil in Sodom and Gomorrah? Just wondering if the Church teaches anything about this. Thanks for any help you can give.Your faithful reader
You know, I never thought about this ever in my life. Here is why: God hasn't ever destroyed any of his immortal creations. Has He? I can't recall Him doing that. Maybe my desire for red cake with cream cheese frosting is clouding my memory banks. Once He has created a soul, that soul is eternal.
I suppose He could destroy it. He could have destroyed Adam and Eve and just started all over again, too. Destroying immortal souls doesn't seem to be part of His repetoire either.
To me, if you'll bear with me, the question is how disappointed God must be so much of the time because He doesn't do that and why He didn't just erase the chalkboard and start over in the hope of having what He set out to do, because we are just so very....disappointing so much of the time.
Until we aren't. And then we are so thrillingly merciful and loving against such long odds.
Whenever you feel like the world is a terrible place full of nastiness and temptation and red cake, spend a little time with the saints. You'll feel so much better and have a glimmer of understanding as to why God sticks it out with all of us.
7 comments:
Sister, here is a red cake that you might feel virtuous eating:
Beet Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3 cups shredded beets
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease 2 8 inch cake pans or a 13x9 sheet pan. Whisk dry ingredients together. Melt chocolate. Cool and add to eggs & oil. Shred beets. Mix flour mixture alternately with the chocolate mixture and the beets. Pour into pans. Bake until knife is clean when placed in center of cake, 40-50 minutes. Cool & frost.
This makes a nice dense moist cake (like a carrot cake) and no one can guess it contains beets! Just think of the lovely anthocyanins and other phytochemicals!
You could just dust it with a little powdered sugar, but I frosted it with this:
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream 8 oz cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter till combined. (I use Neufchatel cheese, so it's a little lower fat). Add 1 tsp vanilla. Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar and 1/2-1 cup cocoa powder (till the consistency is spreadable).
I hope this isn't too much temptation. It really doesn't taste like beets!
In support of the first questioner, I don't think that he/she was asking if God assigns the tempter, but if maybe Lucifer does his own assigning, as in books like "The Screwtape Letters" or "The Gargoyle Code". Of course God wouldn't tempt us, but unfortunately, the battle for our souls is not one-sided.
Sister, I was going to ask about the Patron Saint for psychiatrists and I googled it and came up with Saint Dymphna? is that right...I got it from here http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron00.htm
Bryant,
St. Dymphna is the patron saint of mental disorders. Google her and see all her patronages.
dre-
Thanks for the recipe; I'm going out to the garden tomorrow to pick some beets for this cake!! I LOVE red devil's food, but the red 40 scares me. Thanks again!
Some thoughts on why God wouldn't destroy any of his creatures:
1. Even the creatures who have chosen to reject God still have a role to play in the plan of salvation (everything works for the good of those who love God - even temptation).
2. Existence is good; evil is something that cannot totally take away that good; so if God were to annihilate any of his creatures, he would be annihilating something good, which I think would be contrary to his nature.
3. God did not create anything in order to destroy it. I think Scripture says something like that (Wisdom?)
God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah not because they were sinful, but because they no longer resisted sin.
They were totally given over to sin without consideration for the consequences.
Not all the inhabitants of those cities were homosexual. Many sympathized with the homosexuals and had included them in their everyday life, much the same as homosexuals are heroes and adored today.
Satan stated “Nonserviam” “I will not serve” when God previewed Jesus Christ to the angels in Heaven.
He did not completely reject God, he reject the second part of the Holy Trinity.
Many people today, besides the Jews, reject Jesus Christ.
Freemasons have taken Lucifer’s side. They will not serve. But they will work with Satan to destroy the Kingdom of Heaven.
All the while claiming to believe in the Supreme Being.
Catholics are prohibited from becoming Freemasons.
I learned this from my traditional Catholic Catechisms, circa 1950s.
*
Post a Comment