“And when the dragon saw that he was cast
unto the earth, he persecuted the Woman, who brought forth the Man-child.”
(Rev.12:13)
 |
| The woman who brought fort he Man-child |
When the ancient serpent saw the most unhappy
place and state to which he had fallen, and that he was hurled from the
empyrean heaven, he broke out in so much the greater rage and envy, like a wild
beast tearing its own entrails. Against the Mother of the Word incarnate he
conceived such a furious rage, as no human tongue or intelligence can ever
describe or understand. But to a certain extent this anger can be surmised from
that which followed immediately after that dragon found himself hurled with his
hosts to the infernal regions.
On the first day, which corresponds to Sunday,
were created the angels; laws and precepts were given to them, for the guidance
of their actions. The bad ones disobeyed and transgressed the mandates of the
Lord. By divine providence and disposition then succeeded all the other events,
up to the morning of the second day, corresponding to Monday, on which Lucifer
and his hosts were driven and hurled into hell. As soon as Lucifer with his
followers entered hell, they assembled in general council, which lasted to the
morning of Thursday. During this time Lucifer exerted all his astuteness and
diabolical malice in conferring with the demons and concocting plans to offend
God so much the more deeply, and to obtain revenge for the chastisement, to
which he had been subjected. They came to the conclusion and resolved that the
greatest vengeance and injury against God would be to impede the effects of the
love, which they knew God bore toward mankind. This they hoped to attain by
deceiving men, and persuading them, or even, as far as possible, compelling
them to neglect the friendship of God, to be ungrateful toward Him, and to
rebel against his will.
“This
we must strive to do,” said Lucifer, “toward this end we must apply all our
forces, all our solicitude and knowledge. We will subject the human creatures
to our influence and will, in order to destroy them. I will sow new sects and
errors, and set up laws contrary to those of the Most High in all things. I
will raise up from among men false prophets and leaders, who will spread these
doctrines (Act 20, 30) and I will scatter this seed through them .I will
afflict the poor, oppress the afflicted, and persecute the timid. I will sow
discord, excite wars, and stir up nations against each other. I will raise up
proud and haughty men to extend the dominion of sin.
“I
will wage fierce war against the Jesus Christ, for although He is God, He is
also man, and therefore of a lower nature than mine. I will exalt my throne and
my dignity above his; I will conquer Him and will humble Him by my power and
astuteness. The Woman who is to be his Mother shall perish at my hands. What is
one Woman against my power and greatness? And you, ye demons, who were injured
together with me, follow me and obey me in the pursuit of this vengeance, as
you have followed me in disobedience. Pretend to love men, in order to destroy them;
serve them, in order to ruin them and deceive them; help them, in order to
pervert them and draw them into these my hellish regions.”
No
human tongue can explain the malice and fury of this first council of Lucifer
and his hosts against the human race, which although not yet in existence, was
to be created. In it were concocted all the vices and sins of the world, thence
proceeded lies, sects and errors; all iniquity had its origin in that chaos and
in that abominable gathering, and all those that do evil are in the service of
the prince of this assembly.
