A Gospel according to LK 4:31-37
Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue, there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
REFLECTION
In the synagogue, there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Do demons exist today? Have you known or seen a person possessed by a demon?
There are many movies made about possessions like "Poltergeist," "The Exorcist," and "Anabelle." to name a few. So, are people possessed by demons in our time?
Monsignor Rossetti, a Catholic priest, and exorcist worked in the Diocese of Syracuse and now in the Diocese of Washington, DC. He is a licensed psychologist and research associate professor at the Catholic University of America. He has encountered demons who have possessed people today. He has even written a book about his 13 years of experience as an exorcist.
There are three enemies of our souls. They are the world, the flesh, and the devil. How do we protect ourselves from them? Prayer is our best defense, but even more powerful is to know and love Jesus. Msgr. Esseff is the president of the Pope Leo XII Institute and an exorcist for more than 40 years. This institute's purpose, founded in 2012, is to "support the spiritual formation of priests to bring the light of Christ to dispel evil." Msgr. Esseff said, "The only one that can overcome Satan is Jesus. He overcomes the kingdom of evil with light. And every priest represents Jesus. The devil does not see the priest - he sees Jesus."
How do we protect ourselves from Satan and his demons? Prayer is our best defense, but even more powerful is to know and love Jesus. Jesus' name alone will send the devil away. The sign of the cross and saying the rosary are other prayers that are powerful means of keeping close to Jesus. The closer we are to Jesus the further away are our enemies.
PAPA prays for priests to be the "Face of Christ" to all they encounter. We also pray for them because they are the only humans with the power to celebrate the Holy Mass and give us Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. When Jesus is in us we trust that Jesus will protect us from our enemies.
St. John Chrysostom said this about receiving the Eucharist, "This blood, if rightly taken, drives away devils, and keeps them afar off from us, while it calls to us Angels and the Lord of Angels. For wherever they see the Lord’s blood, devils flee, and Angels run together."
Let us pray. for our Priests - PAPA Prayer for Priests.
REFERENCES
PAPA Handbook pp 6,7,10.
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