POPE: Beware well-mannered demons…
During his morning Mass on Friday Pope Francis spoke about how well-mannered demons can lead us to worldliness with guile and persuasion.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-10/pope-francis-mass-santa-marta-demons.html
Pope Francis celebrated Mass Friday morning at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, saying that when the devil cannot destroy head on with vices, wars or injustices, he does so subtly with guiles, gradually leading people into the spirit of the world, making them feel nothing is wrong. He was sharing his reflection on the day’s Gospel reading where Jesus drives out a demon who returns with other more wicked spirits to take possession of his old home.
When the devil takes possession of a person’s heart, the Pope said, he makes it his home not wanting to leave, and tries to ruin the person and harm him even physically. The Pope explained that the struggle between good and evil in us human beings is the true struggle between the first struggle between God and the ancient serpent, between Jesus and the devil. Warning that the devil’s purpose and vocation is "to destroy the work of God", Pope Francis said that when the devil cannot destroy “face to face” because God is a greater force that defends the person, then he, cunning and "smarter than a fox", seeks ways to regain possession of that person.
Focusing on the Gospel episode where the demon returns after being cast out, the Pope said he very politely says he has returned when in fact he was thrown out. Finding the home “swept and adorned", he brings along with him several other spirits worse than him, and they enter and make it their residence, and the condition of that person becomes worse than before. The Pope said he make us feel comfortable that we are Christians, Catholics who go to Mass and pray. We do have our defects, our sins, but everything seems to be in order. Acting like a polite person the demon goes about to find a weak point and knocks at the door, saying, "Excuse me? May I come in?" and rings the bell. The Pope said these demons are worse than the first ones, because you don't realize they are at home. They are the worldly spirit, the spirit of the world. The Pope said that the devil either destroys directly with vices, wars or injustices or he does so politely and diplomatically the way Jesus describes. Working silently, they make friends and persuade you on the road to mediocrity, making you "lukewarm" with worldliness.