“possessed by demons”
Why would someone be possessed? No one wants to be possessed by a demon, and the exact reason why and how someone is possessed is not known. However, we do know that when we sin we give into the devil’s temptation. If we allow ourselves to be consumed with sin, it could be very easy for Satan to take hold of our life. However, we should have hope and take faith that Christ already conquered Satan. Although someone may be possessed by a demon, they are no match for Jesus. He will destroy every demon, because by His redemptive mystery, “he took our infirmities and bore our diseases” [1]
It is interesting to note that at their Baptism, people have an exorcism performed. “Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil, one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the candidate. The celebrant then anoints him with the oil of catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly renounces Satan. [2]
How do we know if someone is possessed? There is a difference between possession and obsession. Possession is “the inner control by the devil of the actions of the body in a human being. The victim’s liberty of soul always remains intact.” [3] Obsession is “a compulsive idea or feeling that persistently urges the performance of some act that is often contrary to what a person knows is the rational thing to do.” [4] Possession is from the inside, while obsession is from the outside. Obsession is similar to temptation from Satan that each soul undergoes.
What are the signs of demonic possession? Signs of demonic possession may include: Speaking in languages the individual has never learned or even heard. Saying things that do not make sense. Physical strength above and beyond what the individual is capable of medically. Loathing the name of God, Jesus, Mary, or the names of any saints or other religious individuals. Pain or physical discomfort when Scripture or prayers are read or the sacraments performed. [5]
What can we do to continually protect ourselves from obsession and possession? The greatest protection is Christ. We want more than anything to stay united to Him. We do this most perfectly through the Sacraments. We can go to confession regularly and receive our Lord in the Eucharist at least weekly, but daily if possible. We can live out our baptismal vows to reject Satan, his empty promises and evil works but praying daily and striving intentionally to live a life of holiness. In our thoughts, words and deeds, we avoid all that is evil and pursue all that is good. We can pray the name of Jesus often throughout the day. We can pray the Gospel Canticle at Night which begins and ends with the prayer, “Protect us, Lord, while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep, that we may keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.” Christ said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned” [6] There are countless ways to “remain in Christ”. Connected to the vine, we have no fear; instead we are full of life, a life protected from the dryness of sin and the evil one.
What can we do when we are heavily tempted and obsession occurs? Some great Saints, namely Saint Padre Pio and Saint John Vianney were both heavily tempted by the devil. St. John Vianney saw obsession as a good sign and it pointed to the fact that the Devil was mad at him because he was doing his job. He would say, "I must be about to reel in a big fish." Meaning a serious sinner was about to convert or repent. Many times prior to a retreat or moment of grace, things will become difficult or everything will seem to go wrong, this is a form of obsession. Prior to our Lord’s death and resurrection, He was heavily tempted, obsession occurred in the garden. Prior to our Lord’s public ministry, He was heavily tempted, obsession for 40 days in the desert. As Christians we will be tempted and obsession will occur, but we can become flustered, loose hope or stop in our perseverance of the good. Do we think that our opponent will just forfeit the game and back down that easily? We should then remember the following when obsession occurs in our life:
1. Remember the temptation of our Lord and His agony in the garden and meditation on those events.
2. Pray, especially the name of Jesus. We can command that in the name of Jesus, Satan be gone. We can pray the protection prayers that are mentioned in this lesson. We can simply continue to repeat the name of Jesus. When Satan hears the name of Jesus or hears the sign of the Cross he flees. We can also pray the prayer of Saint Michael.
3. We can hold onto a sacramental such as a scapular, crucifix or icon and bless our self with holy water, salt or oil.
4. We should ask Our Lady and the Saints to pray for us, and the holy angels, especially our guardian angel, to protect us.
[See also Link to Liturgy Lesson - Temptation of Jesus (Part I and II)]
If we stay close to the Church and Jesus, who is the Head of the Church, we should not fear demonic possessions because Christ claimed us through Baptism. This means that no matter what, God is with us every step of the way. We must remain close to Him by following the commandments and His bride, the Church. Since God is with us every step of the way, we need to make sure we are by Him every step of the way.
Why is the Church against tarot cards, Ouija boards, palm readings, horoscopes, etc.? In some examinations of consciences we may read that this is a grave sin. The reason falls within the first commandment, I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange gods before me. When we dabble or become curious about black magic, white magic, new age practices we are putting someone, something or some power ahead of God. Saint Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Roman’s. “Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals and of snakes.” [7] We have to ask our self if we have ever been involved in magic, Ouija boards, tarot cards, palm reading, horoscopes, the occult, etc. These activities exchange the glory and power of God for a lesser power. These activities also open us up to obsession and possibly possession. They are a mockery of God and His power and these activities need to be confessed. While some may seem harmless, they strip God and turn to a Godless thing and all power away from Him and instead turn to something that is not Him.
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose Trailer The words of the doctor in the trailer says it all when he was asked if he gave her medical help. He replyed, “There are no injections against the devil.” There are no medical injections against the devil and that is why the Rite of Exorcism is given to us by the Church.
Are there cases in which people have been possessed, even though they stayed close to the Church? Yes. One of the most famous cases is that of Anneliese Michel, a young faithful Catholic from Germany who was possessed and in 1975 when through the rite of exorcism. Anneliese’s story was made famous through the movie “The Exorcism Of Emily Rose”. God allowed Anneliese to be possessed in order to show skeptics, particularly those in the medical field, that Satan is real. At the time of Anneliese’s life as is now, many people did not believe in Satan or God, so in their minds demonic possession was not a reality. In the case of Anneliese, the priest attempted to convince authorities that Anneliese was in deed possessed, but the authorities refused requests for exorcisms and continued to treat her medically. When medical and psychological treatments did not prove to work, the exorcism was finally performed. In this case, Anneliese was used by God to prove the existence of evil. If evil exists of course, good exists, if Satan, of course God. Her life also proves the primacy of God over Satan and that the exorcism worked, the power of God worked. We can begin to feel as humans that we have the answers to everything, especially in the medical field. God used Anneliese’s life to wake us up to the reality of sin and evil, its effects in our life, and the power of God over sin and evil. Anneliese was exorcised of the demons and died in the state of Grace, there are some that have even promoted her cause for canonization. It is said that Our Lady appeared to Anneliese and told her she had an option on whether to go through with the possession or not and if she cooperated it would be for the glory of God. Anneliese said yes. As Catholics we believe in the use of faith and reason, religion and science.
In the time of Anneliese as well as in our own time, there is a movement to eliminate faith / religion and rely solely on reason / science. There is the temptation to focus only on the temporal / material and discard the eternal and spiritual. The life of Anneliese shockingly wakes us up to the reality of the eternal and spiritual and the need for faith and religion.
[1] Mt. 8:17; Cf. Isa 53:4
[2] CCC 1237
[3] The Catholic Dictionary pg. 429
[4] The Catholic Dictionary pg. 386
[5] Read more at Suite101: Signs of Demonic Possession: Catholic Church’s Teaching on How to Identify the Devil’s Influence | Suite101.com http://melissaroberts.suite101.com/signs-of-demonic-possession-a221376#ixzz1kkSzejGb
[6] John 15:5-6
[7] Romans 1:20-23