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The Certainty of Satan by Mary Ann Bryant      Not long ago, I received a note from a friend, a Catholic friend, telling me that she was not sure the devil was “real.” She feels that we are the cause of the anger, hatred, envy, etc., that is within us. This, of course, is true – we ARE. The reason we are, however, is because we fall prey to the temptations of satan.      There has been a movement afoot for several years, which I firmly believe is nurtured by satan on a daily basis. It is the “New Age Movement,” which is composed of many facets, not the least of which is the belief that there is no devil – there is no right and wrong – everything is “relative.” A few years ago, Cardinal Ratzinger warned that Relativism would become one of the biggest problems we would be facing, in the Church, and in the world. It appears he was correct.      I do not pretend that my thoughts on the existence of satan are theologically correct. They are only the views of someone who believes with all her heart, the teachings of the Catholic Church – BEFORE they were watered down by today’s plethora of relativism, humanism, modernism, and just plain wrong teaching, in CCD classes the world over.      If satan did not exist, there would be no reason for our Heavenly Father to have sent His Only Begotten Son to redeem us. We would have had no need for redemption, and would be, at this moment, living in the Garden of Eden, eternally reflecting the Glory of God.      However, as we learn in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were tempted by satan, the father of lies – and of the greatest lie – that they could be like God. “….But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3:4,5) This is the same lie he seduces us with today, in various ways. Because Eve was convinced by satan that evil was good (sound familiar? – it’s all over our headlines), she sinned. Satan did not force her to sin – he tempted her, and she gave in to the temptation, and Original Sin was born. We know that Original Sin is washed away, with the waters of Baptism, but because of the SCAR of Original Sin, we are weak. This is why it is so important to be filled with God’s Grace, which we receive through the sacraments, and by asking Him for it. His Grace helps us say “no” to satan. God has given us the gift of Free Will. We are never forced to sin. We freely choose good or evil.      Matthew 4:1 says “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…” (Emphasis added) The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is what Catholic Christians, and Christians of other denominations believe. If the Word of God says there is a devil, and if the Son of God could be tempted by him, then even more so shall we, who have inherited Original Sin, be tempted by him.      Satan is alive and well, and one of his fondest hopes is that we will think of him only as a cartoon character, instead of the pure living evil that he is.      Satan manifests in many ways – sometimes subtly, as I wrote about in my last article, and sometimes not so subtly. I know of a Bishop who, upon angering satan, had claw marks, burned into a table top in his office. My cousin and her husband, who is a Deacon, were witnesses to this demonic act. I have friends who have actually seen the ghastly minions of satan, and satan himself. I have friends who have been physically attacked by satan – I have been physically attacked by satan.      Satan is REAL, he EXISTS, by his very nature, he wants us to THINK that he doesn’t exist. He makes evil appealing – he makes it look good. I will delve further into this in a future article.      Be alert, be aware – the battle that is raging right now, in our country, and around the world, is not just a temporal battle. It is an intense spiritual battle for our very souls. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS!!!!