Satan at His Most Subtle: A Reflection on the Temptations and Traps of the Pious

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 11-23-14 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Satan at His Most Subtle: A Reflection on the Temptations and Traps of the Pious

By: Msgr. Charles Pope

What is temptation? Temptation is the work of Satan to drag you to Hell. And Satan can read you like a book and play you like piano. Do not exaggerate his power, but do not underestimate it either.

Some of his subtlest work is done in the area of religious observance. There, he can cloak himself quite easily in the lamb’s clothing of piety, but, wolf that he really is, distort it, either through excess or defect, thereby destroying you with what is good. Beware what some spiritual writers call the “traps of the pious.” Consider some examples:

• He can discourage you with prayer by saying, “If only you would pray a little longer, God will give you what you seek.” But the deception is that if we can pray a little longer, then we can never have prayed enough. Thus though we pray, we only feel guilty and inadequate. And since we can never have prayed “enough,” prayer increasingly turns into a burdensome task; God becomes a cruel taskmaster demanding longer and more precise prayers. Or prayer becomes a superstitious endeavor whose outcome we somehow control by the length and type of our prayers. Jesus counsels us that the Father knows what we need and that we should not think that merely multiple words and pious actions are necessary. We may need to persevere in prayer over time, but God is not a cruel tyrant demanding endless incantations.
• Satan can take the beautiful practice of praying the rosary, or attending daily Mass, or other devotions and slowly incite in us a feeling of smug superiority, elitism, or pride. Gradually, others are thought to be less devout, even in error, because they do not do or observe what is optional or encouraged but not required. What is beautiful and holy is thus employed to incite ever-growing pride and cynicism. A most extreme form of this comes from those who take the beautiful and powerful devotion to our Lady of Fatima and allow Satan to set them against even the Pope and all the world’s bishops by claiming that they failed, either ineptly or willfully, to properly consecrate Russia. And thus one of our most beautiful and informative apparitions can engender in some people distrust of the Church and disunity from her, from multiple popes, and even from Sister Lucia herself. It is an astonishingly crafty work of the evil one to take what is good and religious and corrupt it in the minds of some.
• Satan can also take what IS required and turn it into a kind of religious minimalism, a way of keeping God at a distance. And thus he tempts some souls with the notion that Sunday Mass, a little something in the collection plate, and a few rushed prayers are the end of religion rather than the beginning of it. Such observances become a way of “checking off the God-box” and being done with God for the week, rather than a foundation on which to build a beautiful and ever-deepening relationship of love with God. Such minimal practices become a form of “God-control” for those tempted in this way; it is as if to say, “I’ve done what I am supposed to do, now God and the Church have to leave me alone. God also needs to take care me now since I’ve done what I’m required to do.” And thus the Church’s beautiful laws and the requirements describing the basic duties or foundation for a deepening relationship with God, become a kind of “separation agreement,” insisting on very strict visiting hours and specifying who gets what.
• Satan can take religious zeal and corrupt it into harsh and uncharitable zealotry. He can take a love for the beauty of the Liturgy, ancient or new, and turn it into a persnickety insistence on exactly the right ingredients, at the expense of charity and at the cost of ridicule, false superiority, and disunity. And thus, charity thrust aside, we say, “Just make sure you celebrate the liturgy the way I like it. Anyone who doesn’t like what I like is antiquarian, a knave, or an uncouth troglodyte and must obviously hate the Church that I love so beautifully …”
• Satan can take the beautiful love for the poor and corrupt it into an enslaving paternalism that locks them into dependency, or does not address their spiritual needs by speaking to them respectfully of their sins, or does not seek to deepen their spiritual and family lives. And thus the beautiful corporal works of mercy are either set at odds with the spiritual works of mercy or are considered adequate in themselves. Satan can send many to serve the poor, armed with half-truths and approaches that merely bandage deeper wounds without addressing them.

Well, you see, in a certain sense, any virtue will do. Satan can make use of any of them and will seek to corrupt all of them, even the religious ones. He will just as surely go to work in the life of someone in a church pew, as in a brothel or the gutter. No one is exempt from his work of temptation; his goal is to drag us to Hell.

What makes his work of corrupting virtue so insidious is the subtlety of his work, for he takes something that is intrinsically good and seeks to corrupt it, either by excess or defect, or to turn it into some sort of caricature of itself.

Virtues, of course, are meant to work in combination with other virtues that balance them. For example, charity should be balanced by truth and truth by charity. Without charity, the truth can bludgeon; without truth, charity can become harmful, patronizing, and wickedly affirming. Charity and truth are meant to balance each other and to work alongside other virtues in a delicate interplay.

One of Satan’s tactics is to take one virtue and isolate it from others. Beware of these subtle tactics of Satan, who disguises himself well in the robes of virtue. But they are detached virtues, virtues out of balance and proportion.

Beware the traps of the pious.

[SpirituTuo]

You appear to know many things about the Catholic Church. It is unfortunate that many of things are just not true.

Believe what you wish, but you are misrepresenting Catholic belief. You are posing your opinion as the teaching of the Catholic Church, and that is just wrong.

What troubles me is that you persist in this. If I were to continually make demonstrably false(intentional or otherwise) statements about your beliefs, that would be wrong also.

You may think what you are saying is true, and you may interpret what the Church teaches as true. However, the presentation of your beliefs as to what the Catholic Church teaches is wrong.

As I have mentioned before, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canon Law, and any number of other resources are available, free, and online. Please take the time to test your beliefs against the actual teachings of the Church. Again, you are free to disagree, but at least know what is actually taught.

[Iscool]

Here's what you falsely claimed:

Please also re-read John 2. People at the feast knew Jesus was different, special, and capable of miracles. However, they approached Mary, asking her for the help of her son.

Here's what the bible actually says:

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

No...No one knew anything about Jesus...No one approached Mary to ask her anything...All Mary was to them was Jesus' mother and the servants likely didn't know Jesus and his mother from Charlie Brown and Lucy...

So, it is in the Bible, the KJV Bible, and I didn’t make it up. Do you deny it now? Mary interceded for the host, to Jesus. Jesus did as His mother asked.

Yes, you made it up...You created your own little story which doesn't exist in the scriptures...You tried to make it look like everyone knew Jesus was God but yet those people went to Mary instead of God to give Mary a place to be revered...

[Dutchboy88]

"What troubles me is that you persist in this."

Perhaps you have the wrong FReeper in mind here. Here is the last post between us and you were the poster.

"Thank you for your kind wishes for Thanksgiving. Studying ancient history doesn’t presume not studying Sacred Scripture. On the contrary, they enhance each other.

We will have to agree to disagree as to doctrines we believe."

I let it go at that.

[SpirituTuo]

You missed the first two verses:

1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

Clearly, Jesus was no stranger to the host. To be a guest at a wedding, as the one described, was a very large honor. To be invited along with your entourage would have been an even very bigger deal. So, people knew He was special, or else he wouldn’t have been invited.

A few basic questions: How was it Mary came to know there was no wine? Why was it she told Jesus?

Your criticism is correct that my interpretation isn’t word for word. I overstated the knowledge people had regarding Jesus’ ability to perform miracles.

However, it is correct that Mary interceded on behalf of the host. She petitioned Our Lord to help. He obliged His mother, despite protesting (4 (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 7 Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.).

And so, the Mother of God, has petitioned God on behalf of others, to the Lord. The Lord heard and acted upon her request. If this is true with wine, and on earth, how much more so with her in Heaven?

[CynicalBear]

>>Veneration is different than worship.<<

Only in the mind of a Catholic.

Worship - extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem

Worship - to show profound religious devotion and respect to; adore or venerate

venerate - to regard or treat with reverence; revere. ( Latin venerātus, past participle of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere;)

Veneration - (Latin veneratio or dulia, Greek δουλεία, douleia)

>>Latria, is due to God alone, while Mary is due hyperdulia. When you study those two words,<<

Well, let's do that.

latreia - service, worship

douleia - slavery, bondage

So you say you are a slave to Mary. But let's see whose "slave" we should be.

Paul, a servant (doulos a form of douleia meaning a male slave) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

>>my post will make sense<<

You're kidding me right? What did you think I was going to study? The Catholic lies about those words? Catholics are being lied to.

Catholics can play all the word games they want. As I've shown above when one studies to find truth instead of studying the Catholic Church lies and propaganda it becomes clear that the Catholic Church twists scripture and words.

[SpirituTuo]

Again, you are in error. Since you want to play around with words, and used a word I didn't (douleia), here are all 3. From freedictionary.com dulia (ˈdjuːlɪə) n 1. (Roman Catholic Church) the veneration accorded to saints in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Churches, as contrasted with hyperdulia and latria 2. (Eastern Church (Greek & Russian Orthodox)) the veneration accorded to saints in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Churches, as contrasted with hyperdulia and latria hyperdulia (ˌhaɪpədjʊˈlɪə) n 1. (Roman Catholic Church) RC Church special veneration accorded to the Virgin Mary. Compare dulia, latria [C16: from Latin hyper- + Medieval Latin dulia service] ˌhyperˈdulic ˌhyperˈdulical adj latria (ləˈtraɪə) n 1. (Roman Catholic Church) RC Church theol the adoration that may be offered to God alone [C16: via Latin from Greek latreia worship] Since I didn't mention douleia, your study of it is off the mark, and irrelevant to the discussion. I never said anyone was a slave to Mary. Those are your words. Perhaps it is you who is accepting the propaganda and lies of your own church. As I have shown, it is you who is twisting words, and putting in words I never used.

[CynicalBear]

I gave you the real meaning of the words you asked me to “study”. Now you want to return with the Catholic twisting of those words that have no base in Greek translation? Give me a break. I don’t fall for he lies or propaganda of the Catholic Church.

[SpirituTuo]

What dictionary do you prefer? I thought I chose a neutral one, thefreedictionary.com. Would you prefer Wikipedia, New Advent, which one? Which source did you use?

You provided definitions for words I didn’t speak of. When I provided you the definitions of words I did use, you call it lies and propaganda.

So, what source can we use to discuss hyperdulia and latria?

So, here is a different source:http://carm.org/dictionary-hyperdulia

Hyperdulia: in Roman Catholicism, the praise and honor that is due to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is greater than dulia (honor given to men) but less than latria (honor given to God alone). Hyperdulia is a form of veneration.

Latria

In Roman Catholicism, latria is a term used to designate worship given to God only. It is the highest of the three designations of worship with hyperdulia (honor given to Mary) which is higher than dulia (honor given to saints).

Oxford dictionaries provide the same definitions.

Also from dictionary.com:

cynical
[sin-i-kuh l]

adjective
1. distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.
2. showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one’s actions, especially by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
3. bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.
4.(initial capital letter) cynic (def 5).

[CynicalBear]

Greek - latreia - English translation - service, worship

Greek - douleia - English translation - slavery, bondage

venerate - to regard or treat with reverence; revere. ( Latin venerātus, past participle of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere;)

Veneration - (Latin veneratio or dulia, Greek δουλεία, douleia)

You are either worshipping Mary and the Saints or you are in slavery to them. Either way you are acting contrary to scripture.

[SpirituTuo]

You continue to avoid the question: what source did you use? The other question you are avoiding is what other source do you consider acceptable?

Why do you keep bringing up doulieia? I didn’t initially bring it up. Oh, and latria, of which I am speaking is not the same spelling as you have.

You are making false assertions based on your insistence of using inappropriate definitions. You also failed to understand the context. You are either doing this by choice, or you really don’t understand.

I have provided you definitions from different sources, none of which are Catholic specific. They all say the same thing. You come up with incomplete definitions, and one for a word I didn’t bring up.

Finally, you persist in the slander that Catholic worship Mary and are slaves to the saints. You are wrong in both cases, yet refuse to accept specific evidence as such.

One last thing, the following link provides and excellent overview of latria and hyperdulia. You will have to resist the urge to believe it is all a bunch of lies and propaganda. http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/news/do-catholics-worship-mary-86005

[CynicalBear]

Aw come on man. I you don’t know the Greek or Hebrew roots of words you us then don’t get in a discussion of those words as if you do. I’ll not continue the discussion with you.

[SpirituTuo]

Of course I know the roots, but those are the roots, and not the specific words. Ambulance comes from ambulare, but that doesn’t mean I walk to the hospital.

Now, I have shown you repeatedly, the meaning of the words in context. You reject multiple, non-religious sources. You refuse to reveal your source.

What it appears is that you only wish to hurl invective, repeat slander, and remain purposefully ignorant. Is that the case? If it is, the discussion is closed. If it isn’t, please answer the previous queries.

[CynicalBear]

Get a Greek and Hebrew lexicon and do some study so you can stop being taken in by the Catholic lies.

[Bayard]

>>>My job is to gently offer this and wait to see if God grants you a change of mind<<

When you used derogatory and inaccurate language to describe the 2000 year old institution by Jesus Christ. You are not being gentle, but making into a mockery what one believes to be a sacred institution. There’s a disconnect in behavior here.

And again, you don’t understand Catholic teaching. You have not even accurately characterized it.

>>>Someday you may wish to read the entire epistle to the Romans<<<

Been there, got the degree. Your interpretation of Romans has so far not refuted anything that characterizes Catholic teaching.

There is a profound difference between exegesis and eisegesis. One is reading and investigating the narrative, the history and purpose, the literary context, and the definitions in order to shed light on their meaning in the context being discussed.

Eisegesis, on the other hand, is reading into the text ones own preconceptions. It can also be called an absurdity, like saying the 2nd amendments right to bear arms only meant hunting weapons. Absurd.

[Dutchboy88]

"Been there, got the degree.

Ditto, my FRiend. Done exegesis in Koine' Greek. But, that is not the point. So far you have not refuted any of those doctrines I mentioned as spurious. Give us the passages which support all that Romish error and you may have something...until then, you are barking at the moon.

[SpirituTuo]

Which one do you recommend?

Secondly, don’t organization often use common words in unique ways? Take for example, the IRS. They use the word “gift” in a way that is unique. Just because it is different from the vernacular, doesn’t mean its use is incorrect.

Likewise, if the Roman Catholic Church uses words whose meanings are different from the common definition, it doesn’t make it a lie or propaganda.

In other words, you may not use it a certain way, but it doesn’t make it wrong.

Something to think about...

[CynicalBear]

>>Secondly, don’t organization often use common words in unique ways?<<

We're not talking about what "organizations" mean. We're talking about what God said. He used Greek and Hebrew because they are specific. Like I said. Those word games don't work well when seeking truth from scripture.

>>Likewise, if the Roman Catholic Church uses words whose meanings are different from the common definition, it doesn’t make it a lie or propaganda.<<

If your eternal future depends on it do you want to depend on "different from common definition" or do you want to depend on what God meant?

>>In other words, you may not use it a certain way, but it doesn’t make it wrong.<<

If it differs from what God meant it most certainly does make it wrong.

>>Something to think about...<<

It may be something for you to "think about". I'll search for the true meaning of God's words.

[Iscool]

You missed the first two verses:

I didn't miss anything...I just didn't make up a story to go with them...

1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.

Clearly, Jesus was no stranger to the host. To be a guest at a wedding, as the one described, was a very large honor. To be invited along with your entourage would have been an even very bigger deal. So, people knew He was special, or else he wouldn’t have been invited.

A lot of unwarranted speculation and wishful thinking...Perhaps it was Mary who called Jesus... A few basic questions: How was it Mary came to know there was no wine? Why was it she told Jesus?

Because she looked in the barrels and saw they were empty...And then she probably called Jesus and his buds to collect some grapes and stomp on them...

However, it is correct that Mary interceded on behalf of the host. She petitioned Our Lord to help. He obliged His mother, despite protesting (4 (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me?

So Jesus tells his mother, ' woman, mind your own business...You have nothing to do with my ministry...

She then throws her hands up in exasperation and tells the servants to do what ever Jesus says...

You have really spun a tale out of just a couple of verses...

[SpirituTuo]

When, in all of your years upon the earth, did you become the inerrant interpreter of the One, True, God?

If it is not you, then from whom have you learned this specific knowledge, and how is it spread? On whose authority do you preach the message that the Catholic Church is a liar?

[CynicalBear]

>>On whose authority do you preach the message that the Catholic Church is a liar?<<

Scripture.