ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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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.

"Forgiven" by Greg Olsen I was saddened to hear of another exorcist who left our ranks. Spanish bishop and exorcist Xavier Novell admitted falling in love and intending to marry a divorced woman. It is reported that she writes "Satanic tinged erotic novels" for a living. Similarly, I know of more than one priest who left the ministry because of alleged sexual relationships with possessed or oppressed women. Is it an accident that these women had a connection to the dark world? On a human level, one can understand the human temptation. The relationship between an exorcist and the possessed can be quite intense and lasting many months. A possessed woman is likely to feel vulnerable and frightened, and latch onto the priest to be "saved." Priest exorcists may erroneously justify the crossing of boundaries to "save" the woman. It is fertile ground for Satan's manipulations. As the one providing care, the exorcist is responsible for maintaining proper boundaries, regardless of the energumen's actions. In fact, more than a few of his clients will have suffered sexual trauma in the past and will likely have a confused sense of boundaries. Satan will attempt to manipulate the weaknesses of the exorcist and the possessed to bring about moral destruction. We have thus instituted several rules in our exorcism ministry. Exorcists do not meet with female clients alone; there is always a family member or another female in the room. Between sessions, the exorcist is not in contact with the energumen. If she needs assistance, we provide a trained female spiritual director to guide her. Contact between exorcist and clients are limited to supervised prayer sessions. During the sessions themselves, physical contact is limited to the laying on of hands to their heads or shoulders. And even this should be done with prudence and sparingly. For those women who have a history of sexual abuse, physical touch by a male can trigger a PTSD reaction. These rules have worked out very well for the women who come to us and for our exorcists. In fact, it has promoted a healthier dynamic and a more rapid liberation. It also promotes a realization of who the real healer is. The petitioner and the priest must look to Jesus. He alone is our Savior.

The real confrontation between an exorcist and the demons does not take place in the prayer session. Satan knows, in a face-to-face fight with Christ and his Church, he loses every time. Rather, his best "game" is behind the scenes. As a master psychologist, the Evil One tries to manipulate everyone involved- priests, laity, the possessed and family. He tries to make the family break down in discord. He tempts the possessed person to give up. And he very subtly tries to manipulate the priest and team in a myriad of ways. One of the ways Satan attempts to manipulate the priest is to try to make him into his own image: boasting, angry, resentful, punishing, and arrogant. This is a subtle trap for the exorcist who may feel a tug toward these kinds of demonic emotions, especially when confronting angry, vengeful demons. It is an important reminder that those involved in spiritual warfare must always take on the mind and heart of Jesus. The verses below are an attempt to capture this challenge. These verses are being framed and placed prominently in our little exorcism chapel as a reminder to all, but especially for us exorcists. The Heart of an Exorcist I do not boast of casting out demons, boasting comes from the mouths of demons; I choose to serve the Lord in humility. I do not feel sorry for my little sufferings, it is Satan who plays the victim; I choose gratitude for everything that comes to me. I do not punish demons or chastise anyone for evil deeds, it is demons who accuse and cause suffering; I choose to forgive and to heal. I do not judge the hearts of others, demons constantly criticize and tear down; I choose to strengthen and build up. I do not speak ill of others or curse them, detraction and cursing are the work of witches and demons, I return a blessing. I do not hate … not even Satan and his minions, hatred has its home in hell; I choose to love, my home is in heaven. .

"Conversion of Mary Magdalene," Paolo Veronese, c. 1547 She had been suffering under a witch’s curse for a long time. The witch’s voice taunted her day and night. She had large, unexplained marks and scratches on her body. The last was a message etched on her back. In the hospital, the baffled doctors read it to her father: “She is gone. You lost.” The witch was tempting her to sin and despair, but she valiantly resisted. She confessed everything to a priest and to her Dad. Moments later, she incredibly coughed up what the medical team described as "a black fluid that came out still boiling and a mass that began to move independently and crumble." They did not know what it was. We did. It was a witch’s bolus, by which the witch helps keep the curse in place. Now, the curse was greatly weakened, if not broken. In an exorcism, we use the 70/30 rule. Liberation typically depends about 70% on the efforts of the possessed person and 30% on the work of the exorcist and team. This is not to denigrate the importance and power of the Church’s authority or the power of the Rite of Exorcism prayed by a priest with ecclesiastical faculties. It is irreplaceable. But it is not effective without the possessed renouncing sin, rejecting the Evil One, and receiving the sacraments. I dare say many demonic afflictions would eventually cease on their own if the afflicted person engaged in an intensive process of conversion and sanctification. This young woman rejected the witch and the curse; she confessed her sins; and she resisted the temptations, despite the incredible spiritual evil that was pressing upon her. Her courage and faith were the final catalyst for the witch’s bolus to be ejected. The witch’s message scratched on her back ("She is gone. You lost.") could not have been more wrong. This strong young woman is not gone; she is not lost. God and her family did not lose. She is back and at peace. Love wins...always.

"Temptation on the Mount," detail, Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 1308-1311 Several of our clients are being tormented by high-level witches. It's ugly stuff. Some of their tormentors self-identify as witches, while others claim to practice Eastern religions or pagan spiritualities, such as Wicca. But they are cursing and hexing our people, and the effects are very real. For example, one victim has intense, medically-unexplained pains plus other family members are physically and mentally suffering as well; all the while the witch sending gloating texts. Another victim nightly hears a witch's threatening voice telling her she will be damned to hell. A third person suffers from regular visitations from a witch with a variety of physical tortures and manifestations. In each case, an active witch claims to be tormenting them and verifiably so. In the process of liberation, several have dramatically excreted from bodily orifices a kind of "bolus"- a mass or blob used by the witch to curse the individual. As long as the bolus remains inside, the process of liberation is hampered. While the excretion is messy and embarrassing, getting rid of it is a great relief. If they are faithful and persevering, the saving power of Jesus Christ will eventually free them from the witch's grasp. But the liberation process can, like a case of full possession, take quite some time. What is striking in these cases is the real power of the witch. Some of these witches have intricate, hidden knowledge of the people they are tormenting and taunt them with it. Some of these witches manipulate objects by the power of demons. For example, one witch materialized a cursed object inside the victim's locked car. And they can make people suffer real bodily ailments. During the process of liberation, we stress that victims must learn to trust in Jesus. The power of the witch, like that of demons, is limited. Witches can harass, torment, and inflict sufferings, but the power of the risen Christ is supreme. Where do the witches get their power? Some of these practitioners of magic claim to be channeling natural energy from the cosmos; others say they are calling on a "feminine energy"; and still others claim to be empowered by pagan deities. But they are all deceived. Practicing magic of any kind does not come from the one true and loving God. What they think are spiritual energies, earth powers or deities are but masks for Satan. All of these pagan "deities" are demons under Satan's control. High-level witches are deeply mired in this dark world of evil. In truth, their lot can only be increasing darkness and slavery to the Prince of Darkness. While they threaten others with hell, it is they who are in the greatest spiritual danger. However, the people who come to us, if they persevere, can re-find true freedom, light and peace in Jesus. The road begins with repentance for any sin they may have committed which made them vulnerable to the witch's power. It also includes a spiritual cleansing and sanctification through the sacraments and sacramentals. It should add forgiving the witch who is tormenting them, just as Jesus forgive those who crucified him. We are truly followers of Jesus when we "bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them" (Rm 12:14). Curses, hexes, and magic are the tools of Satan and his witches. The tools of the believer are faith in God, trust in Jesus, and love of neighbor, including one's persecutors.

Christ blessing, El Greco, 1600 A possessed woman was away from her room on an errand. Not known to her, I blessed and exorcized it using holy water. I also sprinkled exorcized salt in the corners on the floor. Then I took exorcized oil and made a sign of the cross on the door, windows, and lintels. But when I left, nothing different could be seen by the human eye. The next day, she texted me: Possessed Woman: Did you do something to my room? Priest-exorcist: Why do you ask? Possessed Woman: You blessed my room. Priest-exorcist: How could you tell? Possessed Woman: Something changed. They [the demons] hated it They still do. This brief exchange was illuminative. First, it helped confirm the woman was possessed. She had "occult knowledge." There is no way she could have known I blessed and exorcized her room. She received this knowledge through the demons. Having occult knowledge is a strong sign of true possession. Second, it confirms the power and importance of having a priestly blessing, especially blessing our homes. The demons hate it and are repulsed by it. Another possessed woman said that when she goes near a blessed home, she has great difficulty entering it, much like a church. A third said when she entered a blessed house, she could see the demon, that typically tormented her, stay outside. It peered through the window while she was inside but did not enter. A blessed home is a holy place and the demons in the possessed are repulsed by anything holy. All should have their homes blessed, preferably by a priest who "should gladly cooperate." But if a priest or deacon is not available, the Church's revised Book of Blessing (1989, pp. 237-242) allows a home to be blessed by a layperson. After an Introduction, Readings from Scripture, and Intercessions, the lay minister, with hands joined, prays the Prayer of Blessing: "Lord, be close to your servants who move into this home (today) and ask for your blessing. Be their shelter when they are at home, their companion when they are away, and their welcome guest when they return. And at last receive them into the dwelling place you have prepared for them in your Father's house, where you live for ever and ever. Amen." Then the people and the home are sprinkled with holy water while the minister says: "Let this water call to mind our baptism into Christ, who has redeemed us by his death and resurrection."