When we disregard one of Christ’s “least commandments”, “Be as cunning as snakes.”, we leave ourselves more vulnerable to those who hate The Church.
Catholics have a hard time relating to anti-Catholics. We have a certain love of neighbor that almost automatically keeps us from thinking of those around us as “liars”. We may more usefully understand anti-Catholics as being in various levels of contradiction.
Consider parallels. A huge motor will seize and stop if a tiny pebble gets in the wrong place. Entire electrical grids have been short-circuited by a single squirrel. Vast computer systems are brought down by a tiny virus.
The human mind is similarly vulnerable. Minds paralyzed by contradictions don’t work well. When a pro-choice person goes to church and claims to love God and neighbor, there is a vast contradiction. That contradiction is a virus that keeps the mind from working well.
That, or any contradiction is almost always compounded by another. If the person having an affair, another error is introduced into the system.
More contradictions follow. When the person, for instance, takes a little money from work, the mind works even less effectively as the hypocrisy of pride has been increased by lust and compounded by greed.
Rather than remove the contradictions, ideally and most perfectly through Confession, the person, who by now is generally an anti-Catholic, turns to the usual distractions. They include an excessive interest in sports and other semi-mindless distractions. Expensive vacations, drink, drugs, gambling and sex distract people from bigger contradictions.
(Warning! When we see such things, we Catholics should be aware that the person involved is in hiding, running from what must be done to get rid of the contradictions.)
How many contradictions can a human mind have within it and still function?
Jesus made it clear. Contradictions are errors. Errors are viruses. They are alive. We may properly describe them as “demons”.
The real question is: “How many demons can a person have in their mind?”
Christ drove two thousand demons from the Gerasene man described in the Books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They zipped into a herd of pigs, and stampeded them into the sea.
The most possessed among us may have that many. Most do not.
Our Guardian Angel has the strength to straighten out our own minds. He will be more empowered to do so if we ask God to help him help us get rid of the contradictions within ourselves.
Contradictions, errors, and demons. With them, all Catholics are at war. Our anti-Catholic neighbors are, too. They just don’t know it.
As God helps us get rid of our own contradictions, we may be led to gently point out those that we see are hurting others. We should do so with good humor. Surprisingly, many may be relieved.
A happy smile may destroy a snarling demon far faster than a stern lecture.
(P.S. Demons not only hate the person they’re trying to destroy, but also, they hate each other. When a demon of greed is pushing a person to gamble, a reminder: “If you gamble, you can’t afford that vacation.” gets the demons fighting with each other and may offer some momentary respite to the tortured soul, in which a suggestion to ask God for help may not come amiss.)
