The Scriptures says that the devil is “like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” and that we should be alert and watchful (1Peter 5:8), also that “the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy” (John 10:10).

Clearly the devil is someone who has a clear-cut goal to get back at God by taking as many people with him to Hell because he knows that he has been judged, and that his time is short (Rev 12:12 & 20:10). Are we as Catholics aware that the devil is the master of deception? How is he carrying out his plans of destroying the people of the nation?

The AIDS virus is rampant among young people killing them daily leaving a huge generation gap. Gang warfare rages with young men killing each other over futile disputes, women are getting pregnant outside of matrimony at younger and younger ages, children are increasingly being disrespectful to parents and any form of authority especially of those in the schools.

Evolution is being taught as fact in the schools and universities, and more and more people have stopped believing in the existence of God. Homosexuality is being accepted as normal and a way of life; it is one of the sins that Sodom and Gomorrah are now paying for in Hell (Jude 1:7).

Sex outside of marriage is not even considered a sin anymore with the excuse “As long as we have love”. Parents are also allowing their sons or daughters to live with their boyfriends or girlfriends at home and condoning blatant fornication in the home whereas, God has made it clear that people who engage in that sin (fornication) will not go to Heaven (1 Cor 6:9 & 18).

Pornography, a sin that is a poison to so many young men and women’s purity, and movies that contain obscene language and sex scenes or sitcoms that have salacious jokes, all of these are used by the Devil to drag people away from God and to the pits of Hell.

Friday and Saturday nights so many Catholics go to the night clubs and fetes, some of which are named “Dutty Friday” and “No Drawers Fete;” the invitations to these events attract mostly women whose clothes can barely cover their private parts and whose suggestive looks invite sex.

Jesus’ standard for sexual purity is extremely high He said if you just look at a woman with lust in your heart you have committed adultery in your heart (Mt 5:28); adultery is a sin for which one was condemned to death by stoning in the Old Testament.

We as Catholics have to avoid sexual immorality with everything we have and be separated from sin and anything that would lead us to sin. Is it wise to put yourself in an atmosphere that is conducive to sin, where there are no boundaries to the consumption of alcohol?

“Free Drinks”, men and women wining and gyrating their private parts on each other to songs of Beyonce, T-Pain, Nelly Furtado, Akon, Tony Matterhorn, Mr Vegas, Sean Paul and Alison Hinds just to name a few, who explicitly sing about sexual immorality also many who engage in dancing the ‘Tremble’ ‘Bicycle Wine’ and ‘Hot Wuk’ which is very lewd and promoting immoral sexual behaviour.

Rastafarian music that openly promotes marijuana, rebellion to police and an indoctrination of the religion that says Haile Selassie I is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ resulting in countless young people saying they don’t believe in a “white man God” but in “Jah.” Many of the road accidents of the young people are the result of a drunk driver returning home from a fete or night club.

Can’t we see that the enemy is right under our noses and reeking havoc untroubled? When we attend Mass many of us are not participating and are contributing to the “dead” or “boring” service which is not Spirit filled and the homilies a lot of the times are not inspiring and faith-building; the Catholic Faith is not presented with enthusiasm and in a dynamic way.

Dynamism is what is needed because the world is dynamic in its lure to lead you to sin and guide you to Hell. Sadly that is why many Catholics eventually stay home because nothing is done at Mass to affect their faith and they get more conviction of their sinfulness and more faith-building sermons from the televangelists. Others simply stay at home unconcerned about their faith.

As someone who goes to the streets frequently to evangelise and has been doing so for some time, I have encountered many former Catholics who have gone over to other churches and openly say that Jesus wasn’t presented to them in a real way under the power of the Holy Spirit and with fire like in the Acts of the Apostles and they get it in the other churches.

And what is worse, they at most times end up anti-Catholic and consider us in error because they see many of the Catholics going to church on a Sunday and still engaging in every sinful activity that the society is in and they realise that Catholics’ standard of morality is very low compared to that of Jesus and the Apostles so they make it their duty to evangelise Catholics!

When are we going to wake up as Church and call on the Holy Spirit to renew the Church? Our human solutions will not work, this is the Church of Jesus Christ and it is only Jesus Christ who can fix the crisis in the Church here in Trinidad!

Let us pray in the Name of Jesus that the Mass would be more alive and that we Catholics would use that time to worship Him with our hands raised and dancing as King David did before the presence of the Lord (1Chr 15: 29).

Let us also pray for those who are not preaching the Gospel as Jesus and the Apostles did and promote their own gospels, that their eyes may be opened and a change of heart may come, that there may be Spirit-filled Catholics on fire preaching the Kingdom of God, not just one of social change but of repentance and of the King of kings ruling in the hearts of men!

Let us break off the shackles of deception and live in obedience to the Author of Life!