Friday, January 24, 2020

How Satan tempts mothers to abort their children




Venerable Mary of Agreda, author of The Mystical City of God. From Chapter XV, Book IV:

He misses no chance of causing us damage or leading us into sin and robbing us of grace, even from the moment of our conception until that of our death. Hence so long must last also our defense.

281. All this, especially with the children of the Church, happens in the following manner. As soon as the demons suspect that the conception of a human body is to take place, he first notes the intention of the parents, and whether they are in the state of grace or not, or whether they have committed any excess in the act of generation; he studies also the complexion of the humors of their bodies, for ordinarily these humors influence also those of the body generated. The demons also take note of the particular as well as of the general natural causes and conditions of nature, which unite in bringing about the generation and the organization of the human body. From these different concurring elements of generation, the demons, with their vast experience, judge as much as possible of the complexion or inclinations of the one conceived and they are wont to layout great plans for future action. 

If they fear good results, they seek to hinder as much as possible the last generation or infusion of the soul, waylaying the mother with dangers or temptations to bring about an abortion before the creation of the soul, which is ordinarily delayed forty or eighty days. But as soon as they see God create or infuse the soul, the wrath of these dragons exerts itself in furious activity to prevent the creature from issuing to light, and from attaining Baptism, if it is to be born where this Sacrament can easily be administered. For this purpose they suggest and tempt the mothers to many disorders and excesses, whereby the parturition is forced and a premature birth or the death of the child in the womb might be caused; for among Catholics and heretics, who still administer Baptism, the demons content themselves with depriving children of Baptism and thus withholding them in limbo from the vision of God. Among pagans and idolaters they are not so solicitous, because among them damnation is in certain prospect.

282. Against their malign influence the Most High provides defense and protection in various ways. The most common is that of his vast and universal Providence, which insures the proper effects of natural causes in their time, independently of the perversion or hindrance of the demons. For this is the limit set to their power. Otherwise, if God would give free scope to their implacable malice, they would overturn the whole world. The goodness of the Creator will not allow this, nor does He wish to deliver over his works or the government of inferior matters, much less that of men, to his sworn and mortal enemies. For the demons, in his scheme of the universe, hold the places merely of vile executioners; and even in this office they do no more than what is commanded or permitted them.

If depraved men would not join hands with these enemies, entertaining their deceits and by their sins meriting punishment, all nature would preserve the common order of cause and effect both in general and in particular; and there would be no occasion for such great misfortunes and losses among the faithful, in the diminution of crops, in contagious diseases, in sudden deaths, and in other devastations invented by the devil. All these and many other evils, happening even at the birth of children through vices and disorders, we merit ourselves by uniting with the demons for our own chastisement and by delivering ourselves over to their malice.

                                      

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7 comments:

  1. How does the author know the soul is not infused for 40 to 80 days after conception ?? The teaching of the Catholic church is that God creates the soul at the time of conception.

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    1. Yes that is true. The soul is created at conception.
      Somewhere I have read there are a few mistakes in her writings.

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    2. The first trimester is the time that will determine if the pregnancy holds, it is a delicate time where many pregnancies often failed .
      When the conception did not dislodge then it continues to develope into a human foetus.
      I would venture to guess that its when the feotus is properly attached that the soul is infused.

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  2. The Catechism does not say at the time of conception. Here is what is says: 366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.

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  3. Regardless of exactly when the created soul is infused into the embryo, the Church teaches that abortion is a mortal sin and always wrong, period. Here is the Catechism: 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
    You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

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  4. Created "IMMEDIATELY " BY God. To me that " IMMEDIATELY " infers at the time of conception, not 40 to 80 days later. But then that is my interpretation and I am not a theologian. Just my opinion.

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  5. I also agree that immediately means the time of conception. I think that this writing misses the great protection and graces that are with the child and parents, even during a sinful conception. The baby is immediately invested with a powerful Guardian Angel, and if anyone in the couple's sphere of influence has a sincere relationship with God and prays regularly, there are graces infused to protect this child and the parents. These writings seem to be a bit harsh and colored with Jansenism to me, but that is just how they seem to me.

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