Act like a demon, become a demon; Angels: Day 156

People were often superstitious in St. John Chrysostom’s  day, and many of the uneducated were afraid of  ghosts. St. John says that it’s not dying a violent death that makes you an evil spirit: it’s acting like an evil spirit.

Here, before I go on, I want to remove a wrong impression from your minds. For it is a fact that many of the less instructed think that the souls of those who die a violent death become wandering spirits. But this is not so. I repeat: it is not so.

It isn’t the souls of those who die a violent death that become demons, but

rather the souls of those who live in sin; not that their nature is changed, but that in their desires they imitate the evil nature of demons. Showing this very thing to the Jews, Christ said, “You are of your father the devil” ( John 8:44). He said that they were the children of the devil, not because they were changed into a nature like his, but because they did the kinds of things he did. For the same reason he adds, “and your will is to do your father’s desires.” Also John says: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Matt. 3:7-9).

The Scripture, therefore, usually bases the laws of relationship, not on natu- ral origin, but on good or evil disposition; and if anyone acts like or does the same things as a certain group, the Scripture declares him to be their “son” or their “brother.” –John Chrysostom, Four Discourses, Chiefly on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus,  Discourse 2, chapter 1

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

Angel or demon: which one do I resemble most today?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, send your Spirit to free me from every influence of the devil.

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