ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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St. Peter's Basilica at dusk. Photo by Msgr. Rossetti A family of four with symptoms of a demonic oppression came for help. Trying to find out the cause, I finally asked, "Did you or any member of your family ever belong to the Masons?" They had some symptoms which were typical of Masonic-related curses. "Yes," the father said, "I joined but it was just for social purposes." In another situation, a woman started practicing Reiki, and then began summoning the spirit of her deceased father, whom she loved and missed. However, she ended up in relationship with a demon instead, who taunted and tormented her. She was terrified and seeking our help. Another family came with common symptoms of a demonic oppression. Things had gotten so bad that the wife, feeling desperate, had asked a local bruja (a witch) for help. The woman did her magic rituals over the family, trying to rid them of their problems. Immediately after, their symptoms became much worse. In each of these cases, and many others, the people were well-intentioned. Yet all of them made their situations worse by engaging in forbidden practices. Regarding these, the Catholic Church has given explicit public warnings: *The Holy See has forbidden membership in the Masonic associations and, as recent as 1983, went so far as to state: "The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin." *The USCCB published a document denouncing Reiki and warned against invoking "universal life energies." *The Catholic Catechism (#2116) rejects all forms of divination and conjuring of the dead. *The Catechism (#2117) also warns against all forms of "magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others -- even if this were for the sake of restoring their health -- are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion." While some might view these documents as examples of ecclesiastical heavy-handedness and/or an over-reaction, our direct experience suggests that they are timely warnings for our protection. At root, the commandments of God and the teachings of the Church are designed to keep us safe and are guideposts for a successful journey to the Kingdom. Our team is very careful to conduct our ministry in complete obedience to the teachings of the Church, not straying to the right or to the left. We know of exorcists who have not, with predictably disastrous results. Humble obedience is a great protection and a powerful weapon in casting out evil.

Witches' Sabbath, 1821–1823, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Francisco Goya Several young people who have been practicing witchcraft and divination for years have come in for help. They are all sullen, dark and depressed. One came in because he was afraid of being possessed. Another because of a powerful graced experience of Christ. Still another started to manifest demonic symptoms. There is a spiritual darkness around them which is hard to dispel. Witchcraft and divination are serious sins. They plunge the soul deep into the dark world. The road back to the Light is possible, but typically a long one. Witches claim to get their power from pagan deities, a "feminine energy" in the Universe, or from some ancient spiritual power in the world. They believe they are manipulating and controlling these energies. In reality, it is they who are being manipulated by the Father of Lies. Many object and say that they are "good witches." But recently a family came to us who had been experiencing some spiritual difficulties. They had gone to a bruja (i.e. witch) who attempted to heal them with incantations and spells. Shortly thereafter, "all hell broke loose" in their lives. Witchcraft, always allied with evil, can never produce anything good. Fortunately, after a few exorcism sessions, the evil appears to have been lifted. I am a bit downcast by the proliferation of witchcraft. One online practitioner of witchcraft and magic has over 400,000 followers. There are only about 120 exorcists in the USA. Where will all these people eventually find help? Halloween is upon us. Witches' conferences and gatherings will most assuredly take place in great numbers. One diocese estimated that there are more witches' covens in the diocese than Catholic institutions. On the eve of All Saints, our little team will gather in Eucharistic prayer. I take confidence in knowing that one small ray from the heart of Christ can and will cast out all the darkness.

Madonna of the Rosary, c. 1605, Caravaggio Our Team has exorcized a number of houses, rectories, schools, and church buildings. One of the Team members present is usually a gifted spiritual sensitive. Such people can often tell us where the demons are located, what kind of evil spirits they are, and perhaps when they are cast out. Invariably, demons will be concentrated in areas where sinful, and especially occult, behavior have taken place. For example, we found demons in known places of illicit sex. We found a demon in the office of a practitioner of Reiki. A possessed person had several in her work space. The worst was an area where occult rituals had been performed and religious statues defaced: it was totally infested! After doing these exorcisms of a place for some years, I noticed a pattern. In places where there were televisions, regardless of which spiritual sensitive was present, he or she always noted a demon on the main chair in front of the TV. Sometimes I knew the individuals involved in that place and I do not think the majority of them were watching pornography or explicitly sinful material. Why then was there almost invariably a demon in that place? Upon reflection, what we are viewing on our screens today, and what society considers "normal," is often sexually arousing and filled with violence. What was considered objectionable only a few decades ago is now considered acceptable for daily viewing. Our society may not consider such material as an opening to evil, but apparently demons do! Watching such material will not likely result in someone getting possessed, but it will invite demons into one's home. And the stronger the demons present, the more chaos, conflict and temptations they will sow. The consistent presence of demons in front of televisions ought to make us more conscious and vigilant about what we watch. There are some fine shows on television, but there are many others that are not. Rather than opening the door to demons by watching such degrading shows, why not recite in our living rooms the daily family rosary instead? Thus, we invite into our homes the Blessed Virgin and her beautiful angels.

Exorcising a boy possessed by a demon from Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 15th century. "Barbara" had been involved for many years in pagan practices. She was deeply involved in worshipping non-christian "deities". She also spiritually bonded and subjugated herself to a guru who claimed to be enlightened. She said he was a "sort of magician" and practiced sorcery. However, she eventually turned away from these pagan practices and return to her Catholic roots. But the guru and his associates would have none of it. During the nighttime, she was the target of their demonically-empowered obsessions. Invoking their sorcery, (which was really working through demons), they tormented and threatened her. They claimed they would give her cancer. They said she would have a heart attack. They threatened to drag her to hell. She said these gurus were "very powerful" and she was terrified. Barbara not only needed liberation from these gurus and their demons, she needed catechesis on the Truth. The priest working with her, again and again, spoke to her of surpassing power of Jesus Christ. He urged her not to be afraid of the gurus but to trust in Jesus. After many years of being away from the faith and immersed in paganism, this was not easy for her. The priest realized that, in order to be convinced, she had to have a personal experience of the power of Christ. So he said to her, "They are just trying to scare you. They have no such power over you to give you cancer or drag you to hell. The next time they attack you, remind yourself that you are a daughter of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Then, with full trust, say out loud three times: 'In the name of Jesus, I declare that you have no power over me! I am a daughter of God. In the Name of Jesus I command you to be gone-- now!' He promised, 'The guru will run away scared." Barbara responded, "That's good advice. I'll do it." The next day she texted back: "When they started to harass me during the night, I did what you advised and they backed off. Wow!" So many people are afraid of Satan and his minions, including some priests. A critical part of the process of liberation, and the journey of salvation for us all, is coming "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection" (Phil 3:10).

Sienese School of the 14th Century, "St. Michael and the Dragon" A permanent deacon shared this encounter with me. It occurred before he was involved in our deliverance ministry. At the time, he was also an active duty policeman: I walked in the side door of our church about 4:20pm to set up for the 5 o'clock Mass. My mood was ho-hum and I was sad to have to leave my children back at the house having fun. But with Providence, there are no accidents. Entering the church I encountered a young lady who had obviously stepped down from the sanctuary and was in the aisle. As she approached smiling, she looked like another misguided, poorly-dressed youngster with baggy pants, a tank-top, and medusa-like hairdo. As we closed the gap walking toward one another I (being a trained police officer of over ten years) observed a tattoo at the base of her neck. I immediately recognized it as a symbol of Satan- an inverted cross. She then uttered some blasphemies about God and Jesus. I glanced at the altar to see if the tabernacle had been disturbed or if the altar was defamed. Confident that nothing serious had taken place, I asked "What do you have in the cup?" (She was holding a child's sippy cup full of clear liquid and a white lily that came from our altar arrangement.) She smiled again and said, "It's just some [profanity] holy water." "Why would you want that?" I asked, not batting an eye at her blasphemies and profanity. "I need it for exorcisms. I'm a witch. I worship Satan." I reached my hand into the holy water font and blessed myself. She said, "Keep that [profanity] away from me" and she backed up two paces. She was undoubtedly looking for access to the Blessed Sacrament and settled for holy water. I put on my work face and said, "I am a police officer and I'm giving you an official invitation to leave here and not return." She appeared shaken and obeyed immediately. She wrote in our Prayer of the Faithful intention booklet at the entrance to the church. She scribbled across the sheets an invitation to pray to Satan and "indulge in life". She also wrote, "God [profanity], burn the bible, hail Satan. Satan loves you, kinda." This woman was not a nut. She was cheerful, smiling, profane and on a mission. Her presence made me feel the total absence of love, warmth or goodness. I have seen bad and evil in people plenty of times in my tenure as a cop. This was the first time I felt anyone absolutely revel in it. She had an aura of malevolence. I felt soiled by her presence and wanted to shower. I informed the Pastor of the "invasion." He then told me of a priest friend of his whose parish secretary turned out to be a satanic priestess. She had taken the job solely to gain access to the Blessed Sacrament. The church of Satan does exist. They preach an indulgence in all things that make one feel good. I recognized this "dogma" in her note to "indulge in life." Evil comes to us smiling, just as this witch did. I offered up a rosary to Our Lady for her conversion. I am proud of our deacon. He responded to her blasphemies with care for the sacred. He responded to her profanity with respect. He responded to her hatred with a loving prayer to Mary for her.

St. Catherine of Siena besieged by demons, unknown artist. c. 1500 I continued to be saddened by the number of people who suffer from mental torments (see Diary #164). I daily receive frantic emails from people who are at their wits end. They have been mentally tormented for years and are losing hope. These mental obsessions typically begin with a "normal" psychological weakness: low self-esteem, depressive thinking, dark ruminations, anxiety and fear, frustrations and anger. However, Satan then takes advantage of this human weakness and exaggerates it. Our low self-esteem becomes self-hatred; our anxiety becomes despair; our dark rumination becomes suicidal ideation. What should have been a typical daily irritant now becomes a full blown crisis. Satan's denigrating messages to us center around six common themes (see Diary #156): "You are a terrible person", "There is no hope for you", "God doesn't care about you", "This torment will never end", "You are going to hell", "You should kill yourself." These demonic obsessions are doubly dangerous because Satan is usually able to hide behind a person's psychic flaws. Individuals do not realize the demonic source and thus they are even more convinced of their hopeless wretchedness. They may sink further into despair. I do not have a quick fix. Real progress is gradual. But I pass on the kinds of interventions we are giving to those in our ministry. Individuals can choose a combination of those which they find most helpful... +Recognize the true source of your mental torments. Yes, you have underlying psychological weaknesses which makes you vulnerable to these negative ruminations. But Satan is tormenting you with them. Once people can recognize the action of the Evil One, they may feel less culpable and more emotionally distant from them. +Let them come....and let them go. Many people find it difficult just to stop these mental obsessions. In fact, the more one tries to stop them, the stronger they often become. Rather, offer no resistance. Let them come in one ear, and let them go out the other ear. Try not to latch onto them. As one Saint said when seeing Satan at the foot of her bed, "Oh, it's only you." +Breathe and relax. Our bodies tense up when we are stressed. Take long, slow deep breaths. Inhale slowly, exhale slowly. Breathe deeply. Exercise the body by walking or whatever exercise works for you. When the body relaxes, it helps the mind relax. +Close the door to the demonic. Satan is taking advantage of a psychological weakness. There are hurts and traumas from the past which have given rise to this weakness. Seek to heal these inner psychic wounds. Psychotherapy, healing prayers, spiritual direction, rituals of forgiveness, and the sacraments can all be sources of inner healing. +Deliverance prayers focused on the particular torment. For example, if the person suffers from self-hatred, then say often, "In the holy name of Jesus, I renounce the evil spirit of self-hatred and command it to leave me." Or if the problem is anger: "In the holy name of Jesus, I renounce the evil spirit of anger and command it to leave me." +Turn to Jesus- repeatedly. Regularly using short exclamatory prayers can help focus the mind on Jesus. Typical prayers are: "Jesus I trust in you" or "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me a sinner" or "Jesus, Mary" or another short holy prayer of your own choosing. +Offer your suffering for others. We all have our own sufferings. Some people have great physical sufferings. You have great mental sufferings. These mental torments, when given to Jesus in faith, can be a source of grace for others, and for you. +Be at peace. You are flawed and broken. You are suffering. It is okay! That is precisely why the Son of God became flesh. He died for your sins. You will not save yourself; you will never be without suffering in this life. Trust in Jesus; he will save you.

911 Flag raising It is well known that Satan hates the Church and is focused on its destruction. I am convinced that Satan has targeted America as well. With our great power and resources, this country has the potential to influence the world for great good, especially in promoting human freedom, equality, and the virtues. But we also have the potential to promote great evil. I see increasing signs of Satan's hand in trying to destroy this country. There is an increasing distrust and denigration of authority such teachers, politicians and government, police, clergy and Church. While there are certainly examples of people in such offices doing evil, a blanket condemnation of people who serve our nation is not warranted and destructive of society. We see also a breakdown of the "domestic church," the family. The lifetime marriage of a man and a woman with the raising of children in the faith seems more like an oddity today. Even those stable families that raised their children in the faith are increasingly distraught at their children, influenced by destructive forces around them, falling into drug abuse, promiscuity, and paganism. There is an increasing erosion of Christianity and religion in general in our nation, with a concomitant rapid rise in those who identify as religious "nones" (atheists, agnostics and unaffiliated.) In filling the "Void of Christianity", the practice of magic, witchcraft and the occult is everywhere. This should not be a surprise. If people do not embrace the Light, the darkness will overcome them. We are embarking upon a new year. Far from being downcast, I feel a great sense of optimism. I have personally seen what a little holy water, the sight of a crucifix, and mere mention of the holy name of Jesus does to Satan and his minions. They are dust compared to the Word made flesh. Despite all the demonic threats, the mantle of Our Lady protects us and St. Michael and the holy angels surround us. But we are fighting for the soul of our nation and its people. Let us begin this year armed with the "sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God" who is Jesus (Eph 6:17). I recommend frequent reception of the Sacraments, the daily rosary, and constant prayer. In response to the hatred, discord, and violence surging up all around us, let us love, especially those whom we find repugnant. Let us stop judging anyone-- judging is God's job. Pray for our country's leaders, they need our support. May we let go of anger toward anyone who may have hurt us. When we pray for them, we ourselves are set free. Satan and his minions feed off anger, discord and fear. In 2022, let us replace hatred with love. I would like to make a special plea that God's pious followers spend this year in frequent acts of love toward Jesus and his Mother. Our little acts of love will be rewarded by a divine torrent of grace. In 2022, we will again witness "Satan fall like lightning from the sky" (Lk 10:18). It cannot be otherwise.

When I first heard about the defacing of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., I assumed it was done by a mentally disturbed person. After all, who in their right mind would do such a thing? Then, I visited the statue and looked more closely. It is completely intact except for blows done to Mary's face and both of her hands are missing. In fact, the security video shows the man who was masked climbing over the fence with a hammer. He attacked the face and stole the hands. This does not look random. The face of a person expresses most clearly the person. The beauty of Mary, as Ark of the Covenant, radiates the Divine presence. This is a torment for Satan and his minions. Moreover, the hands are the visible instruments of the person, carrying out the will of the person. In this case, Mary most perfectly does God's will. Her continued action in the world "crushes Satan's head" and confounds his destructive rage. Followers of Satan use sacred objects of the Catholic Church in a blasphemous manner in their rituals. Most notably, the followers of Satan steal a consecrated host and desecrate it in their Black Mass. It is more than likely that these hands of Mary's statue will be desecrated in a Satanic ritual. The reaction of the Rector and leadership to the vandalism was exemplary: "We pray for the perpetrator through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary...."* From May of 2020 until October of 2021, the USCCB reported 100 incidents of vandalism against the Church. We pray that all who perpetrate such evil would turn away from the darkness and find salvation in the light of Christ. I am appalled and saddened at the increasingly number of people who are practicing witchcraft, Wicca, and Satanism. But the words of Scripture echo in my heart, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). *The Shrine intends to dispose of the desecrated statue appropriately and replace it.

"M" is being tormented by evil spirits. Often in the middle of the night, family or team members will receive threatening, tempting, and demeaning demonic texts trying to derail our efforts: To her family, the demons recently texted: "You’re worn down, tired of fighting... she's gone soon... Time to let go... She'll be dead by the end of the month... You need to stop ... or you're going to get hurt." To the exorcist, the demons texted: "You best give up ... It's no use. Stop praying." Sometimes the phone number where the texts originate is listed as "M"'s phone line. However, she is asleep when the texts are sent and there is no record of them on her phone. Other times, the sending phone is listed as: "666-13-666" and "666-00-666." This is just more demonic taunting. To date, much spiritual progress has been made. Many have been cast out. Although the last ones have been tenacious. I asked the Deacon in our last session to read the Prologue of John's Gospel (1:1-14), a powerful text used in exorcisms. He began, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..." When he started, there was a violent reaction. The demons screamed and told him to stop. So we had him read it again and again and again. The agonizing writhing continued. They began to beg and promised to say anything to get him to stop. But he kept on: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (v. 5). "M" then said she saw rays of light streaming from the deacon's eyes. The rays of light were shining on the demons and blinding them. Immediately, "M" stopped manifesting and returned to her self, with a smile and in peace. The demons are not yet gone fully, but they are greatly weakened. "M" says the demons are still blind. Indeed, the Rite of Exorcism warns them: "The longer you delay [leaving], the heavier your punishment shall be." I suspect these demons were blinded permanently as God's punishment for their wicked behavior. "The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us" (v.14). With these great words we approach the Christmas season. Theologians tell us that it was precisely the news of God's incarnation in Jesus that caused Lucifer and his minions to rebel. In an exorcism, it is pure torture to hear it proclaimed. For the demons and all who reject God, the Light is blinding and casts them into darkness. For those who love him, we are transfigured by the Light and it shines through us.

"K" was getting increasingly depressed. She was mentally going downhill and showed signs of suicidality. Her family wisely intervened to keep her safe. But she continued to sink into a hopeless darkness. K texted me and described it, "I was locked in a maze. People get trapped there....I was stuck. I never felt so dark, alone and sad." It was a maze without an exit. She added, "The only way out led me back to the same spot I was in." She couldn't get out. She couldn't eat and cried constantly. "It was cold and dark and scary." K had a spiritual vision of many others stuck in their own mazes. "I saw and heard souls weeping too ... We were all in our own mazes. They were huge." She added that everyone was completely isolated from each other. "I heard screams and cries" from all the others. "And no matter how hard I yelled [no one could hear me]." The next day after our conversation, I personally began to feel depressed. This is uncharacteristic for me. It lasted for several hours. Finally, a light went on in my head, "Ah hah, this may be something from K. Perhaps some of her demons are now attacking me." So, for several minutes I prayed, "In Jesus' name, I command the demons of depression to leave!" I said it over and over again. Then it lifted and I returned to normal. I prayed that this would be a grace for K and help her out of the darkness. The next day, I was in contact with K and asked her, "How are you?" She said she was out of the maze and doing fine. Her face was youthful looking and her eyes were bright. We held a very fruitful session on the great Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Later, she thanked her family and the Team, and the Blessed Mother for "saving my life." While her symptoms were very typical of someone in a severe major depression, the fact that it lifted dramatically in response to prayer suggests it had, at least partially, a spiritual origin. She herself was clear that the maze was one of Satan's tricks to lure souls into hopelessness and suicide. We thank the Blessed Virgin for a special grace that rescued her. K asked me, "You have to tell people about the maze, Father. They get trapped there. That's why I almost committed suicide." And so I have.

Jacopo Tintoretto, Battle of Archangel Michael and Satan, 16th century Italian I was in the midst of an abortion rally. There were hundreds of pro-life advocates and a few handfuls of pro-choice demonstrators. We were in front of a location where much evil and death had been facilitated. I was a low-key presence with a mask covering my face and my jacket zipped up to my neck on that chilly day. Sotto voce, I inconspicuously began the Leo XIII deliverance prayers. After a few minutes, I began to experience spiritually some demonic oppression. So, I figured the prayers were hitting the mark and thus important. So, I launched into the prayers a second time with even greater focus. This time I explicitly included the names of demons sometimes associated with abortion: Baphomet, Baal, Moloch, Abyzou and I added, "All the demons of abortion." I followed with an invocation to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn. Quickly a group of abortion advocates moved next to me and started loudly chanting their slogans. An accident? Likely not. Their chanting was a bit deafening and I was having a hard time concentrating and recalling the prayers, which I was saying by memory. It was a struggle. A group of pro-life young people came over and started their own pro-life chanting. I saw, in them, the angelic Powers of heaven coming to my rescue. Fairly quickly, the pro-abortion group dissipated and it became quiet again. I was able to continue on and finish the prayers. St. Paul instructs us: "For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens" (Eph 6:12). The fight against abortion is waged on many levels, but we ought not underestimate the underlying spiritual battle. On that chilly morning, I experienced it. I also experienced that the holy angels are never far away and come quickly to our aid.

Ghent altarpiece, Singing Angels in Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, 1432. Lucifer, the original "light bearer," was created higher than the other angels, with extraordinary intelligence, brilliance and power. But, for him, it was not enough. He could not accept what God would give to humans. He could not accept that the Incarnate Son would become human and die for them. The light in Lucifer, who is now called Satan, turned to darkness. The praise of God in his heart was replaced by rage. St. Faustina was granted a vision of the seven tortures of hell. The last was a hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. Out of Satan's mouth, and the damned souls, come an eternity of rage against God. They blame God for their hellish lot. On the other hand, the Saved are full of gratitude and thanksgiving. They are forever: "Singing to the Lord ... in [their] hearts, giving thanks always and for everything" (Eph 6:19-20). Mystics having had a glimpse of heaven often speak of the heavenly music of countless souls joyfully praising God and giving thanks. A great sign of the Elect on this earth is a grateful heart. It is no accident that the word for the great sacrament of the Church comes from the Greek, eucharistia, "thanksgiving." A critical part of an exorcism is healing any anger and unforgiveness embedded in the hearts of the possessed. I take them through a short forgiveness ritual. "Repeat after me," I say, "In the holy name of Jesus, I willingly forgive [insert names], and I ask God to bless them." As the Scriptures say, "Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them" (Rm 12:14). Without letting go of inner angers and the cursing of others, I have little hope the possessed, or anyone, will be freed. In our day, we see waves of rage and violence sweeping over the land. At times, I become discouraged at the direction of our nation. But on Thanksgiving Day, a sea of souls gathered around the Table to give thanks to their Creator. I thought I heard an echo of the song of heaven. And I gave thanks.

"The Torment of St. Anthony" believed to be the first known painting by Michelangelo when he was 12 or 13 years of age. It is becoming apparent to me that more than a few of those mentally tormented by their sins and failings of the past are actually suffering from demonic obsessions... There is a normal type of real-event OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) where a person obsessively ruminates about a real, or imagined, failing from the past. In the more severe cases, these ruminations, and unsuccessful attempts to rid one of them (compulsions), can be debilitating. Such individuals are usually best treated by a combination of CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) and medications. But there is sometimes, masked within the deceptive trappings of an OCD disorder, an actual attack by the Evil One. One senior exorcist estimated that 25 percent of the population is suffering from some form of demonic obsessions. I have no reason to believe that figure is exaggerated. For example, "John" was tormented by evil and blasphemous thoughts to the point of no longer being able to function. Years of psychotherapy brought no relief. It was noteworthy that these obsessions began after his having relapsed into pornography. Confession, amending his life, and several deliverance sessions all but extinguished the mental obsessions. Similarly, "Alicia" was tormented with thoughts of self-hatred and despair, often bringing her to the brink of suicide. While psychotherapy was helpful, the mental attacks were intense, out of proportion to her psychological state, and the attacks began whenever she tried to pray or go to Mass. She, too, found considerable relief through renunciation of the demonic and subsequent deliverance prayer sessions. In both cases, the mental obsessions are not completely gone, because their root is in their normal psychological weaknesses. But it became clear that Satan, being an opportunist, was exploiting these human weaknesses. He exaggerated these weaknesses to the point of complete dysfunction, despair, and suicidality. Now, Alicia and John suffer with a much reduced, normal, human weakness. The demonic ferocity of the attacks has dissipated. Demonic obsessions can be distinguished from psychological OCD ruminations by their intensity, being out of proportion to one's human state, and often brought on by engaging in holy practices. Also, there is usually an opening to the demonic that can be identified, especially in recent sinful practices and/or occult practices. Finally, the intensity of the mental attacks dissipates in the wake of deliverance prayers. At the end of one's life, this demonic obsessive assault is no longer hidden. As one enters the final judgment, Satan, the great accuser, accuses the soul of all of its infidelities in life. He demands that it be justly consigned to hell. As St. Catherine of Siena relates in The Dialogue, the Lord revealed to her that: "In the moment of death...the Devil accuses them with great terror and darkness...the Devil torments him with [his] infidelity in order to bring him to despair." The soul's recourse in extremity, and always, is the mercy of God. Jesus paid the price of our sins. We are saved in this life, and the next, by the Love of our merciful God.

Regina Angelorum, William-Adophe Bougeureau, French, 1900 Today I was in the presence of an angry man who believed he was being ill-treated. I was stunned by the anger and violence in his voice. He distorted the words and actions of those around him, and responded with arrogance and disdain. Just hearing him, I felt wounded. I recognized the voice. When demons manifest in the midst of an exorcism, their presence is unmistakable. The look in their eyes is murderous. The hatred and arrogance is their voice is palpable. Their hearts are blacker than any darkness we know. The true ugliness occasioned by sin, demonic or human, is beyond words. In this life, based upon our choices, we already begin to manifest heaven or hell. St. Catherine of Siena in her Dialogue relayed that God told her that souls receive the "earnest money" of the next life while still on this earth. Those who do evil already experience the "earnest money of hell," while the servants of the Lord "taste the earnest money of eternal life." Already in this life, we begin to sing the song of the angels, or we begin to rage with the demons. In the Rite of Exorcism is the Trisagion- "Holy, Holy, Holy." It is the song of the angels praising God that the demons refused to sing (Rev 4:8). Exorcists have found it a powerful moment in an exorcism and often repeat these words many times. Just hearing the words is a great torment to the demons. The longer I spend in this deliverance ministry, the more sensitive I am to the presence of the angelic and to the demonic. I am temporarily wounded by dark encounters with the demonic. I am daily buoyed up by many more people who reach out with a kind gesture and caring words.

"Our Lady of the Rosary," Simone Cantarini, 17th C., Brescia, Italy "The demons were attacking me," said the Exorcist, "So I grabbed my rosary and held it up. Instantly, the demons were undone and fled." St. Bartolo Longo, the Apostle of the Rosary, was being crushed by demonic obsessions. He had been converted to the Faith from his practice of Satanism. But he was haunted by the idea that he remained consecrated to Satan and destined for hell. He was on the brink of despair and suicide. In desperation he began to pray the rosary. His devotion to the rosary cast out the demonic mental attacks and was the instrument of his road to sanctity. Pope Pius XI wrote, "“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight." Padre Pio said, "The rosary is the weapon for these times." In our exorcism sessions, as the priest prays the solemn rite, we often have the laity praying the rosary. Fr. Gabriel Amorth, former exorcist of Rome, recalled an encounter with Satan. The Evil One, being forced to tell the truth, said, "Every Hail Mary of the Rosary is a blow to the head for me; if Christians knew the power of the Rosary, it would be the end of me!" As exorcists, we are a particular target for Satan. Overall, we are protected but there remains a demonic bullseye on our back. Nightly I sprinkle my room with holy water and invoke the Virgin and St. Michael. And I sleep, just as I go throughout the day, with the rosary in my hands.

"Jesus Exorcizing the Gerasene Demoniac," Hitda Codex, Germany, 11th Century It was a wild, dark week... First, at the beginning of a prayer session, an afflicted person received a text from the witch tormenting him. She sarcastically texted: "I am ready for the prayer session. My deity too." She knew the precise moment we were going to begin, which was humanly impossible. The demons gave her this occult knowledge. She was trying to frighten and torment us, suggesting that she and her deity were powerful and in charge. Second, during the week one of our gifted spiritual sensitives was engaged in a holy endeavor which threatened the demons. So, in front of her eyes, they picked up her ceramic dish and flung it across the room. It smashed into pieces against the wall. The demons were asserting their power and trying to frighten her into submission. Third, in the midst of one of our most intense cases, our team received a long demonic text. The message contained typical demonic taunts: "You can't help her; You...failed; Your imaginary truth that being righteous and god fearing...really will work; She'll be dead by the end of the month." A friend of the afflicted was in the room and saw the cellphone on the table by itself. He said it typed out the text without any human nearby. The demons were again trying to make their point: we are in charge and you should fear us. Dishes smashing. Demons texting. Witches cursing. It was wild and dark week. But in each case, our faith-filled team members pressed on with their ministry, undaunted by the demonic threats. They are full of confidence in the Risen Lord. I am blessed to be with such courageous people.

(See: Matador Network) I was walking down the hallway of a deeply infested building with one of our most gifted spiritual sensitives. We were planning on exorcizing the building soon thereafter. She said to me, "I can hear them. They are crying out in fear." I asked, "Why is that?" She answered, "They know what you do." In discussions about this ministry, people often ask me, "As an exorcist facing demons, aren't you afraid?" I respond, "No. It is the demons who are terrified." In a similar vein, I will often ask possessed people how they feel as they approach our chapel for an exorcism. Not uncommonly, the closer they get, the more frightened they become. I explain to them that these emotions are those of the possessing demons. The demons are the ones who are terrified of what is about to occur. Beneath all the bravado and arrogance of Satan and his minions is an underlying terror of Christ and all that is holy. It causes them incalculable pain. And they know that their "time is short" (Rev 12:12). They are rightly terrified of the second coming of Christ. As the demon named Legion said to Jesus, "Have you come to torment us before the appointed time?" (Mt 8:29). Perhaps one of the errors of our day is unwittingly glorifying Satan and his demons. Demons are only angry, narcissistic, evil, little creatures bent on chaos, rage and destruction. There is not a drop of courage in them. Underneath it all, they are cowards. On the other hand, I am often edified by the courage of the possessed people who come to us, many of whom are young people in their 20's and 30's. They are taunted, threatened, and tortured by demons. In the midst of their exorcisms, again and again, they renounce the demons to their face and tell them to leave. The demons retaliate and make them suffer. But these people do not yield. It is a battle. Cowardly demons are no match for such courageous human souls, filled with the strength and confidence of the Spirit. There is no doubt who will win in the end.

"Song of the Angels," detail, William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1825-1905, French "K," a young woman, was recently liberated from being possessed, thanks be to God. But Satan suffers any defeat badly and is now trying to regain control. The formerly possessed need to be vigilant and live an exemplary life, not giving him an opening. Recently, K turned off her computer and was leaving the room when an image spontaneously popped up on the screen. It was a suggestive photo of a pop music star. This pop star has admitted practicing magic and her music has enticing satanic sounding lyrics. Formerly, K was a devotee of her music. Satan knows our weaknesses and preys upon them. I often get asked about the possible dangers of watching movies/tv shows positively portraying evil or witchcraft. Parents also ask about their children listening to heavy metal, black metal, or music laced with Satanic messages. Can someone get possessed doing so? In recent years, several afflicted adolescents have come in with their parents for deliverance prayers. One commonality among them has been an attachment to such dark music and shows. Some of these demonically afflicted youths had gone so far as to put demonic tattoos on their bodies or take on a Goth look in makeup and clothing. Our experience to date suggests that the mere fact of listening to such music or dressing in such a dark manner would not automatically result in being demonically oppressed or possessed. Rather, such behaviors were part of a larger, troubling picture. Taking in dark music and shows were symptomatic of their overall decline into the dark world. Some of these young people were practicing magic, divination or other occult behaviors. Others joined groups involved in New Age spiritualities. The dark music and videos were feeding their minds with evil messages and strengthened their connection with the Evil One. Satan's little computer trick of tempting K with her attachment to a troubled pop star should be a warning to the dangers of ingesting images from the dark world. As a psychologist, I understand adolescents wanting to rebel against the established society; there is much in our world which has gone awry. But our youth ought to beware of aligning themselves with the Evil One who led the original rebellion. K wisely threw out her collection of the pop star's music and memorabilia. She learned the hard way of the tortured fruits of evil. For both young and old, we ought to fill our minds with images and messages that nurture the person we really want and are called to be.

"Christ in the Wilderness" by Ivan Kramskoy, Russian, 1872 Recently, I was questioned about the efficacy of holy water in an exorcism. The notion was met with disbelief. Perhaps it seemed like Catholic "superstition." So let's take a deeper look.... There is no water in hell. Water is a necessary source of life. In hell, there is only death. Perhaps this is why demons are said to dwell in the desert (Lv 16:10; Is 13:21; Is 34:14; Tb 8:3). It is arid, barren, and lifeless. It would be a familiar abode to hell's demons. The New Testament witnesses to the waterless nature of hell. A pitiless rich man died and was committed to the "netherworld where he was in torment.... He cried out, 'Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames'" (Lk 16:23-24). He begged for a little water but, in hell, could have none. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went into the desert, not just to be alone and pray, but also to confront and conquer Satan (Lk 4:1-13). Exorcizing Satan was, and remains, an essential part of Jesus' mission of ushering in the Kingdom.* Likewise, the early monks in the 4th and 5th centuries went into the desert around Egypt, Palestine, and Syria to engage in spiritual warfare and conquer the devil, just as Jesus their model had done. The desert is a place of solitude; it is also an intensive abode of the demons. Water is an essential element in baptism for the casting out Satan's influence and ushering in God's sanctifying grace. Similarly, holy water is used to cast out demons in the Rite of Exorcism. The new Rite of Exorcism appropriately reflects the baptismal rite. Water is abhorrent to demons on the natural level. But when blessed by a priest, it becomes a source of grace on the supernatural level. The Church has the power and authority, given by Christ, to grace such sacramentals. These include blessed crucifixes, blessed salt and oil, blessed religious statues and many more. One of the lessons I learned after doing years of exorcisms is how much the demons hate the Church and try to destroy it. And I often experience how powerful the Church is because of the living presence of Christ in it: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). A little water blessed by a priest doesn't seem like much. But when it touches demons, they scream in agony. When it touches the faithful, they receive God's blessing. *See In the Name of Jesus: Exorcism among Early Christians by Graham H. Twelftree, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI. 2007.

When discerning whether someone has a demonic problem or not, I typically ask what "messages" they are hearing in their heads. Over the years, I have heard the demonically possessed and oppressed consistently relate six basic messages. Satan whispers (or yells!) these in people's heads without respite: You are a terrible person. There is no hope for you. God doesn't care about you. You're mine. I will never leave. You are going to hell. You should kill yourself. There is a little bit of this mental negativism in all of us, we who are tainted by Original Sin. But when Satan is doing it directly, the message is loud, consistent, and unrelenting. I personally believe that more than a few people take their own lives after being worn down with years of this mental battle. What to do? I recommend people confront this on both the natural and supernatural planes.... On the natural level, Satan gets a foothold in people's psyches through their human weaknesses and sins. In this case, the more damaged our psyches, the stronger this negative self-talk in our heads. Satan will exploit this weakness. So, we should engage normal human remedies for such mental negativity. For example, a variety of cognitive-behavioral interventions can be a help. There are a plethora of these on-line. Counseling by licensed professional, who is supportive of the faith, might bring some healing to the roots. For more serious cases, medications for obsessive-compulsive thinking may be indicated. Ultimately the final antidote to Satan's message is the Good News of Jesus. This supernatural battle can only be finally resolved on the supernatural plane. Once we know deeply in our hearts that God loves us personally, and that we are saved by the blood of the Lamb, then our minds can fully be at peace. There is no other final remedy to Satan's bad news than the Good News of Jesus.