Evil Hides As Good

Vatican City, Sep 29, 2014 Pope Francis spoke of the ongoing battle between the devil and mankind, asking attendees to pray to the angels, who have been charged to defend us.

“He presents things as if they were good, but his intention is destruction. And the angels defend us,” the Roman Pontiff told those gathered for his Sept. 29 Mass in the Vatican’s Saint Martha residence chapel.

Noting how these are strong images portraying “the great dragon, the ancient serpent” who “seduces all of inhabited earth,” the Pope also drew attention to Christ's words to Nathanael in the day’s Gospel from John when he tells him “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

All of these readings, he said, speak of “the struggle between God and the devil” which “takes place after Satan tries to destroy the woman who is about to give birth to a son.”

“Satan always tries to destroy man: the man that Daniel saw there, in glory, and whom Jesus told Nathaniel would come in glory,” the Roman Pontiff observed, explaining that “from the beginning the Bible speaks to us of this: Satan's (use of) seduction to destroy.”

Envy could be the devil’s motive, he said, pointing to how Psalm 8 tells us ‘You have made man superior to the angels.’ And that angel of great intelligence could not bear this humiliation; that a lower creature was made superior to him; and he tries to destroy it.”

Pope Francis then noted how “So many projects, except for one's own sins, but many, many projects for mankind's dehumanization, are his work, simply because he hates mankind.”

It is therefore the responsibility of the People of God “to safeguard man, the man Jesus,” the Pope went on, because “he is the man who gives life to all men.”

However this is not easy because Satan has invented “humanistic explanations that go against man, against humanity and against God” in order to destroy us.

“This struggle is a daily reality in Christian life, in our hearts, in our lives, in our families, in our people, in our churches,” the Pope went on, adding that “if we do not struggle, we will be defeated.”

Pope Francis encouraged those present to pray to the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and to recite the prayer to Saint Michael often.