4 E A: YOU can be an exorcist.

Friends

Peace be with you.

On occasion, I get a phone call from someone looking for an exorcist. As I understand it, our Archdiocese does not officially have an exorcist so, if someone calls, I have to tell them that we don’t really have one and I don’t know of someone who is. Anyone can bless objects. In fact, it’s probably better for you to bless and use a rosary or a holy card than to simply have it blessed and hand it off to someone who won’t use it. We do reserve blessing people to clergy so I can do simple exorcisms of people. Prior to baptizing the people at the Easter Vigil, for instance, we had a series of prayers called The Scrutinies during the ten o’clock Mass that contained prayers for exorcism. But, the type of exorcist dramatized in movies involves taking a special class in Rome, a blessing by a Roman Congregation, and official recognition by your bishop. Most of the time, these folks then fold into parish life and go unidentified until a situation that cannot be explained by medicine or psychology takes place in their diocese; where someone is pretty clearly dealing with the presence of a type of evil. Nonetheless, it always seems that when Hollywood releases one of these exorcism movies, I get at least a handful of people who become convinced of their own need for an exorcist.

In today’s gospel, we hear that Jesus is both the Good Shepherd and the gate, both the one who leads the sheep to the Father and the way to the Father. But, he also identifies people who cross the fence in other places that are thieves and robbers. It’s their goal to steal the sheep. Most of the time, these are real people and most of the time, let's be honest, we are our own worst enemies. We choose to do what we know we shouldn’t do. We choose to gluttonously sneak cookies instead of being content that we have had enough food today. We choose to gossip about other people instead of talking about ideas with our coworkers and friends or taking the time to go to adoration and pray for them. We can’t use excuses like “the devil made me do it” to see ourselves as constant victims of temptation by evil forces. We often choose to sin because it seems more fun than a life of grace. We climb over the fence and steal the holiness God gave us in baptism. Nonetheless, there are also evil forces in the world that can be a source of temptation for us. Using a ouija board, visiting a fortune teller or a palm reader or a medium, and even attending horror movies like these exorcism movies can be ways of inviting the evil one into our lives. If you or someone you know has done that or something similar and are worried they may have encountered something evil, here are three things that can be done that don’t involve an exorcist.

First, go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confess the use of these things. Reconciliation is the most powerful tool we have against evil. It’s a moment of sheer honesty with Jesus the gatekeeper and gate. It’s where we admit to being a thief and a robber and hear him invite us back into the kingdom. The saints and angels surround us in confession to celebrate the one lost soul who has found his way. Jesus says, in another part of scripture, that there is more joy among the saints and angels for us in confession than for 99 people who have no need of it. What an awesome sacrament of forgiveness and freedom from evil he gave us and something very simple we can and should use to combat it!

Secondly, go to Mass. Now, I know I’m preaching to the choir because you guys actually showed up to Mass! But you wouldn’t believe the number of people who talk about being possessed and, when you ask if they come to Mass, they say “No”. They may be from a non-Catholic tradition and need a friend to bring them. You could be that friend! Or they may feel unworthy because they are steeped in sin. They probably don’t know that none of us are worthy to be here. It’s the last prayer we pray before we receive Holy Communion, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you…” The Mass is the normal way we encounter Jesus the gatekeeper in the breaking of bread. Have them come to Mass and the devil has no choice but to leave them at that door because he knows better than to come into this sheepfold!

Lastly, if people are concerned that their homes have an evil spirit, take some holy water home with you and pray a blessing of homes with your family. What more powerful statement of the desire for holiness is there than a mother and father joining with their kids to bless their home? Catholic News Agency has a really good blessing that you can find on the internet. You can use blessed salt if you’d like but the biggest thing is to say out loud that your home is the home of Jesus Christ and anything not of Christ is not welcome there. Then walk around and make sure you don’t have any unclean images or any pagan statuary. I think about a couple of guys who invited me into their apartment because they were hearing strange noises at night. I assumed it was a noisy boiler or bats or mice in the walls. When I walked around their apartment, I noticed a picture of a serpent on a black velvet background one of their wiccan atheist ex girlfriends had painted. I told them to ask me to get rid of it and I took it to a cemetery and buried it and suddenly, everything was quiet in the apartment. Replace those types of images with an image of the Sacred Heart or the Immaculate Heart and the evil one will instantly know you hang out with people he doesn’t want to.

Jesus is the gate and the gatekeeper. He is here to protect us from the enemy that is within and the enemy that is without. Do we stay close to the gatekeeper through the sacraments and our prayer life or are we looking at the gates trying to think of a way out?