A twelve year old girl who is an acquaintance of my family has twice asked me about selling her soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune. She isn't Catholic, and has never been baptized, but she has been exposed to enough Catholicism in her short life to understand about God, heaven and hell, the devil, and the dangers of evil to the eternal life of the soul. The first time she mentioned selling her soul was months ago, and she recently brought it up again, wondering what would happen to her eternal soul if she exchanged it for fame and fortune.
I told her about the sufferings of hell, as seen through the eyes of the saints, and made sure she understood that eternity is forever; that if your soul goes to hell, it has to endure the most terrible torments for time everlasting. Likewise, I told her that the joys of heaven are forever, and that she could just as easily ask God for what she wants without jeopardizing her soul.
I think she came across this idea from exposure to movies, and clearly she has not yet put it out of her mind, though I think I managed to impart a fear of hell into her with my descriptions of endless sufferings and torments that she would be buying into. One of the questions she wanted answered was how long she would have to live once she made the pact with the devil, clearly wanting to hear that she would have a long life of riches and good fortune, making the trade off more acceptable to her desire for instant gratification. I tried to make her understand that God is the author of life, that He can take a life at any time, and no one knows how much time they have before He calls them to their judgment.
I thought about talking to her mom, but she is raised in a home with no religion, and I'm not sure it would have the desired benefit. I'm hoping that all of you who read this will keep this girl in your payers. I see the innocence of youth in this girl, and I believe she will respond to the grace of God, but she needs our prayers to overcome the temptations she is facing. Please pray for her. Her name is Alycia.
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9 comments:
She is in my prayers PG!
This post has left me reeling, as a parent who once never had religion in her life this scares the heck outta me, just the thought of this girl even thinking about it (even if she does not act on it) is scary. Can you perhaps take her to Mass with you one day (soon)and perhaps have the priest speak with her? Is she showing an interest in the Church at all or just the Devil?
I have taken her to Mass several times, and her knowledge of Catholicism mostly comes from what I have taught her. I even got her to attend my catechism class this year, but she only lasted until Christmas. She is in my daily rosary.
PG-
Good job, but your work is not done my dear friend. We need to get her to realize that what she is pondering is deadly to her soul and human-self.
Let me ask you are there other kids at your Church her age that she perhaps can interact with and attend classes with?
How scary! You may be the only thing between this child and hell.
as the mother of a twelve year old girl I find this terrifying. Many prayers for Alycia.
I will pray my rosary for her. This is truly scary - is she really serious or just trying to freak you out? Even pondering the question is awful. What is the motivation? I don't mean the end result, her desire for fame and fortune - but where does her idea come from? Literature, movies, or has she had an experience or communication of some sort? The origins of the idea must be refuted for her.
Try to get her to wear a blessed Miraculous Medal and pray the prayer for her, if she will not agree to pray it herself.
PG, don't you know that it's child abuse to educate her in religion???
I'll pray for her. ;)
Scary!
She will be in my prayers too.
Some time ago, Jimmy Akin proposed that one cannot sell what one does not own, and since title to the soul is held by God, one cannot actually sell their soul. One can, however, commit mortal sin, which is the goal of all such temptation.
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