The Dumb Demon of Impurity

Disciple – Father, not long ago you mentioned the dumb demon; who is he?

Master – He is the demon of impurity or dishonesty. Jesus Himself called him that in the Holy Gospel.

D – What is impurity or dishonesty?

M – All the sins forbidden by the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, that is, the actions, stares, words or desires, and the infidelity and malice in marriage.

D – Is impurity a grave sin?

M – It is very grave and abominable in the sight of God and men. He who commits it reduces himself to the condition of the brute. It is the cause of many other sins and of the most terrible punishments, both in this life as well as the next.

The Holy Scripture designates it with the most infamous names: “dismal offence, abhorrent thing, unmentionable iniquity”. Saint Paul clearly states: “Neither those who sin alone, nor fornicators, nor those who sin with someone else, nor adulterers, nor those who are unfaithful to marriage will go to Heaven.”

D – Woe to us! We must be vigilant.

M – Indeed. The Holy Fathers agree that impurity is the sin that drags the greatest number of souls to Hell.

D – Really?

M – Yes, really. Saint Augustine says: “Just as pride has filled Hell with fallen angels, dishonesty fills it with men. And Saint Alphonsus adds that every Christian that goes to Hell is either because of dishonesty, or enters there stained with this horrid sin.

D – What might be the cause of that?

M – There are two main reasons: First, because those who commit the sin of impurity are easily found; Second, because he who makes a habit out of it can hardly stop.

D – Why are these sins so easily committed?

M –Sins of dishonesty do not only consist in fornication, adultery and other similar actions; these are the most serious. To sin against purity, it only takes one lewd gaze, an obscene reading, an indecent song, double-meaning gestures and words, licentious flirting, dishonest actions and even inner thoughts and impure desires, when deliberately made.

D – And, why are they so difficult to remedy?

M – Because one sin frequently attracts another one, an impurity attracts another impurity, until a chain is formed very quickly, and it can never be broken. We may also say: Woe to him that starts committing these sins!

D – But is Confession of no use? Is it not enough to break that chain?

M- Confession is a very powerful means, when it is well made; but herein lies the danger: the deceit of the dumb demon. He silences the tongue so that people conceal these sins or confess them badly, as we have seen before.

D – If everyone who commits these sins always confessed them well, would they not very soon be free from dishonesty, Father? Confession would be enough to counteract their evil inclinations.

M – Exactly. The dumb demon is the friend of darkness; Confession sheds light to the soul and drives sins away.

D – Is it then that God’s mercy abandons the dishonest sinner?

M – No, in fact, the opposite is the case. God does not abandon the dishonest sinner, it is he who abandons God, either because he does not think about Him, or what is even worse, he despises Him; that is why dishonesty is called the mother of final impenitence; and so many saints have said: “a dishonest life leads to an impenitent death”.

D – Why is it the mother of final impenitence?

M – Because, generally, the dishonest who are dying do not want to make a Confession; either because they do not want to abandon sin, or because they do not repent as they should.

D – Not even in that final hour?

M – Not even then. They rather lose Heaven and go To Hell before making a good Confession.

Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk that abandoned the convent because of an impure love, rebelled against the Church, founded Protestantism, and with his broken life, was the cause of the gravest scandals.

One day at night, he was on the balcony of an inn with his partner in sin, Katharina Von Bora. The sky was clear and myriads of stars twinkled happily. She, perhaps disgusted by a life filled with remorse, suddenly turned to Luther and said: “Look, Martin, how beautiful the sky is!” Luther, exhaling a deep sigh, answered: “Yes, Katharina, the sky is beautiful, but it is not for us!” – How miserable! He knew he was losing Heaven and rushing into Hell, but at the same time he confessed his inability to escape from the swamp, and shortly after he would die in that same inn showing signs of the most terrible desperation and swallowing his own feces. A dishonest life leads to an impenitent death.

When Theodore Beza, the successor of Calvin and spokesman of the Protestant Reformation, was attacked by a terrible disease, was visited by Saint Francis of Sales, who with his apostolic zeal tried by all the means at his disposal to induce him to abjure his error, to enter again into the Catholic Church and to prepare for a Christian death.

Theodore cried when hearing the fervent exhortations made by the Holy Bishop, but from time to time, he sighed and said: “Impossible!” Finally, at the insistence of the Saint, Theodore, making a supreme effort, drew a curtain that hid a room and pointing at a woman that was hiding in there, said: “This is the reason of my impossibility to convert and be saved.” Death and Hell before abandoning sin.

In the city of Spoleto lived a young woman who was beautiful but led a debauched life, completely dedicated to vanity.

She was advised many times to change her life, but she proudly rejected every charitable warning, making fun of them. Her own mother, satisfied with the beauty and nonchalance of her daughter, enjoyed seeing her being courted by young lovers and did nothing about it, hoping that once the passion of youth had passed she would come to her senses.

Woe to you blind mother, who instead of correcting her error, deceive your own daughter and let her run towards dishonor and ruin! What happened?

The girl fell seriously ill. Some of the respectable persons that went to help her advised her to call the priest to receive the Sacraments and prepare for death. But the wretched stubborn answered: “I am too young and beautiful to die. It is impossible! I do not want to die!” Finally, the priest arrived; he exhorted her to be sensible, to entrust to the Holy Virgin Mary, because death could come at any time… “Death, my foot! I will get better… I am not going to die, I do not want to.”

At last, seeing that everyone kept insisting, and noticing that her strength was abandoning her, making a supreme effort she exclaimed, full of rage: “Well, if I am going to die, come you, O satan, and take my soul with you!” A dishonest life leads to a desperate death.

Listen to this last story and let’s horrify.

A young man who led an evil life had a maid who was as evil as him. He answered to everyone that talked to him about firing her: “I cannot”. But death came. The poor wretched fell seriously ill, and in his last moments a priest came to prepare him for eternity. He treated him with such charity that the sufferer said to the priest deeply touched: “Even though I have led such a scandalous life, I want to die well making a holy Confession.”

- Do you want to receive the Sacraments as befits a good Christian?

- I will gladly receive them, if you give them to me.

- But first you need to fire that young woman, who is the occasion of your sins.

- Oh, Father, that I cannot do!

- And why not? You can and you must, my dear sir, if you want to be saved.

- I tell you I cannot!

- Do you not understand that death will take her away from you by force?

- I cannot, Father, I cannot!

- Then, I cannot absolve you nor can I give you the Sacraments, you will lose Heaven and rush into Hell.

- I can’t!

- Is it possible that you will not change your mind? Think about your honor and esteem if you die.

- “I can’t”, said the wretched one last time, and holding her by the arm, he got her closer to him and hugging her vehemently he sighed out his impure soul between those impure arms. A dishonest life leads to an impenitent death.

D - Such a terrible but fair punishment from God. Is it possible, Father, not to be able to abandon sin?

Saint Augustine tells the following story: There was a man that refused to abandon a house where he frequently went causing grave scandal, however much people begged, advised and exhorted him to stop doing it, he could not be convinced, saying that it was impossible for him to do it. One day, while being in that house, he was brutally beaten up.

Can you believe it? He never went there again, his alleged impossibility vanished immediately, and he did not even walk in front of the house.

“Quod non facit Dominis”, concludes the saint, “facit baculus.”

What God did not do, was achieved by the stick.

D – What an excellent means, Father, to take away the impossibility to abandon sin and its occasions! The stick would be such an effective preaching!

CONFESS WELL!

Fr. José Luis Chiavarino

The Holy Virgin Mary is a great help to stop sinning. Practice this simple devotion: CLICK HERE http://www.catholicityblog.com/2016/01/the-three-hail-marys-devotion.html