Sin and Satan's influence in modern society

Those of us who take our faith seriously and who believe in the Church's admonition to avoid bad companions do not usually run into the satanic elements of society. 

    We are horrified and shocked when we read about the mass killings that take place.  I just read a story today about gangs in Peru that kidnapped people and killed them for their fat to be sold and used in cosmetics.  The only explanation for such horrors is Satan.  There have always been crimes of passion, however the depravity of these crimes have as their source, Lucifer, who takes advantage of their morally depraved state to push them to commit such unspeakable crimes. 

    I am sure that you have noticed, as I have, that the number of these kinds of killings are more and more frequent. That tells me that the influence of Satan over our society is greater and greater and that the sins committed in our society are more and more grave.

    When I learn of these crimes it only strengthens my resolve to fight for Our Lady even more, to offer greater public reparation and prayers and sacrifices for conversion.

    These crimes should also serve as a wake up call for all of us.  It is easy to fall into a kind of slumber and develop a false optimistic notion of the state of our world.  We almost forget that the devil exists, or at least forget the powerful evil influences that he has over the wounded nature of men.  When was the last time that you heard a sermon about the devil?  Certainly some priests do preach about the devil and his "works", but they are by far in the minority. 

    A very good book that I recommend is titled, Evidence of Satan in the Modern World, by Leon Cristiani.  This book originally published in 1959 speaks about the devil and how he attacks Our Lord through his assaults on men.  Much of what the author wrote about takes place in the 19th century.  One of my first thoughts upon reading this book was, if all of this was going on in the 19th century, what is the devil doing today with much more pliable victims?

    This book is an excellent refresher course for us to be reminded of the, "wiles and snares" of the devil.  If you weren't taught about the devil, this will help you be more aware of the strategies he uses as he tries to destroy men's souls.  In order to effectively oppose our enemy we must first know what he has in his arsenal.  He has many powerful weapons, but we should never forget that we have our Guardian Angel and Our Lady.  Tomorrow I will quote from this book, using the devil's own words about the power of Our Lady.