[Greek] νόημα (noēma), [Latin] cogitatio, [Latin] sensus, [Latin] mens, [Latin] scientia, [German] wissen: thought, purpose, mind, scheme, intellect, reason; 2Cor.2:11, 2Cor.3:14, 2Cor.4:4, 2Cor.10:5, 2Cor.11:3, Php.4:7
In this day and age, one does not need to be full-blown possessed to be influenced by the devil. The devil makes its influence known by evil, hatred, pride, rebellion, deceit, busyness, and confusion. More subtle and devious forms of influence may include “tolerance”, “inclusion”, “compassion”, and “mercy”. The devil seeks to upend, remake, and destroy the Church. Yet, at the same time, there are now human efforts to remake Jesus’ Church into a more worldly synodal Church (asking what the world wants).
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means perception, thought, purpose, idea, design, concept, and understanding.
Homer’s Odyssey 14.273: “But in my heart Zeus himself put this thought.”
Homer’s Iliad 10.104: “Not all his purposes shall Zeus the counselor fulfill for Hector.”
Homer’s Odyssey 20.346: “Pallas Athena roused unquenchable laughter, and turned their thoughts awry.”
Old Testament: This term means evil plan, attack, and wrath.
New Testament: This term means purpose, perception, thought, and mind.
2Cor.2:11: So that we might not be taken advantage of by Satan, for we are not unaware of his purposes
How to respond to the offender? 2Cor.2:5-11
- The measures taken must be appropriate to the situation
- One should forgive and encourage him
- Otherwise, the person may be overcome with pain (hatred)
- One should reaffirm him
- Then Satan will not be able to take advantage of him
2Cor.3:14: Their thoughts were rendered dull
2Cor.4:4: The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the mind of unbelievers
Satan (god of the world):
- Ruler of the world
- Source of hate, violence, falsehood, selfishness, and pride
- Who led men from light to darkness
- Who works against God
- Spiritual wickedness in high places
- Who has subdued the world to himself
- Who receives homage from his worshippers
2Cor.10:5: We destroy arguments and pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God
2Cor.11:3: As the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts might be corrupted
Etymology: The Latin noun cogitatio means reasoning, thinking, intention, and plan. The Latin noun sensus means perception, feeling, and sensation. The Latin noun mens means mind and reason. The Latin noun scientia means knowledge and reason.
Synod of Synodalities:
A reporter asked the vice-director of the Holy See office: “But how do you know that it’s the Holy Spirit [that is the protagonist of the Synod]? The vice-director could not answer the question! This person’s silence speaks volumes about their erroneous and deceitful claim that the Holy Spirit is present. Rather, they claim that the ‘Holy Spirit of surprises’ is present. Yet, the Holy Spirit cannot bless sin!
Cardinal Tobin says (out of mercy) he hopes that the Synod will “open the doors of the Church” to those who felt excluded from the Church due to their sexuality. This cardinal deviously implies that the Church needs to change its exclusionary, and hateful views toward these people. This cardinal refuses the acknowledge that the Church is already open to the faithful who seek forgiveness. The Cardinal also refuses to acknowledge the sinful nature of homosexuality (which is stated in the Catechism). Sounds like spiritual wickedness (deception) in the high places in the Church for the inclusion for sinful behavior!
Conclusion:
Cogitate, cogitation, sense, mental, science, scientific, wisdom, wise
2Cor.2:11: We all must be aware of Satan’s cunning, deceit, trickery, subtlety, manipulation, seduction, undermining belief systems, taking advantage of souls, transformation into angels of light, and attacking churches.
2Cor.3:14: Thoughts rendered dull: lack of understanding of sin, worldly thinking (values), confusion, distractions, busyness, and lack of faith.
2Cor.4:4: Unbelievers, blinded by Satan, often cannot see the light of the gospel. The gospel is often veiled to these non-believers.
2Cor.10:5: Paul states that we must spiritual weapons (strong persuasion, power of truth, and wisdom) capable of destroying fortresses (false ideologies, philosophies, human wisdom, pride, and self-conceits)
2Cor.11:3: Paul fears a repetition of devil’s deceit, seduction, and corruption of man. Corruption of minds is satanic activity.
Update: The LGBTQ lobby continues to promote the notion of same sex unions, which offend God’s moral laws of marriage and procreation.
Rather than pointing out their sinful behavior, the Vatican has instead made a concerted effort to de-stigmatize and normalize homosexuality in their outreach to the LGBTQ community. Under the guise of mercy, the Vatican, failing to uphold Jesus’ command to sin no more (Jn.8:11), is now accepting their sinful lifestyle.
Insidious wickedness (under the guise of “mercy” and “inclusion”): In 2019 Cardinal Tobin called for changing the Catechism’s teaching because holding to the Truth was “not welcoming”! This cardinal saying it is Ok to bring in sin and sinful behavior into Jesus’ Church. Is Cardinal Tobin implying that the Church (and even God) is “hateful”? That certainly sounds like human thinking. Let that sink in!
Rather than calling out abortion supporters receiving the Eucharist, some clergy will say: “You are politicizing the Eucharist”. They ignore this sacrilege in order so as to seek favor with the culture.
Many people’s thoughts are rendered dull by gender ideology in not accepting the objective reality of two sexes: male and female. Instead, many just claim any gender they want.
Many may not be aware that Satan (god of this age) can sow confusion, distraction, mental dullness, busyness, rebellion, pride in the minds of people.
Many are not aware that Satan seeks to undermine, to upend, to oppose God’s laws and remake Jesus’ Church in man’s image.
What are some fruits (results) of Satan’s efforts:
- Homosexuality and gay marriage: upending God’s plans for marriage and procreation
- Abortion: devaluing the unborn life
- Euthanasia: devaluing the elderly
- Upending Church teachings and remaking Jesus’ Church in man’s image
We must not forget what Jesus said to Peter when he tried to prevent Jesus from carry out His mission by His Father: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are thinking but as humans do.”
The Church has been diminished by poor catechesis, liturgical sacrilege, Modernism, fewer vocations, and diminished focus on traditional teachings and practices.
True accompanying means forgiving, conversion (and sinning no more), encouraging, and bringing one back into the fold. Accompanying does not mean welcoming (accepting) the sin and sinful behavior.
In its efforts to be a listening and accompanying Church, the Vatican is welcoming sin and sinful behavior. The Vatican is deceiving others in saying that is ratified by the ‘Holy Spirit of surprises.’ But the Holy Spirit cannot bless sin!
The Hamas attack on Israel is the embodiment of pure evil!
The Vatican is being deceitful in remaking Jesus’ Church into a synodal Church into man’s image under the guise of accompaniment and mercy.
Vatican II’s effort to renew the Church in the world has been a catastrophic pastoral and theological failure. This has led to more and more people leaving the Church.
Oct 13, 2023: Today is the 50th anniversary of the final message from Our Lady of Akita. The Blessed Virgin Mary said to Sister Agnes Sasagawa:
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres…churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.” (It seems that this prophecy has come to fruition!)
- We have cardinals, bishops, and priests opposing other cardinals, bishops, and priests promoting the Synod of Synodalities.
- We have some churches being burned or vandalized.
- We have clergy changing (compromising on) church teachings and listening to the culture as to what it wants in the Church.
- Under the guise of “listening” and “accompanying”, Jesus’ Church is now being re-made into a synodal Church into the image of man.
- We have faithful cardinals, bishops, and priests being criticized for upholding traditional Church teachings.
- Under the guise of “compassion” and “inclusion, we have clergy seeking to dilute and mix Church teachings with worldly values.
- We have clergy welcoming sin (and sinful behavior), and de-stigmatizing, re-defining, and normalizing the sinful nature of homosexuality.
Perhaps it is time to renew the Church again, going back to tradition and traditional practices. We must come up with some better spiritual weapons (tradition and sound doctrine) to destroy this secular post-Christian fortress in which we live in.)
“Our future is our past.” Archbishop Lefebvre