While it's a matter I've long had an interest in, I've been very hesitant to write on the topic of the occult and possession up to now for many reasons. First of all, I learned a long time ago that an inordinate fascination with the subject is dangerous. Many begin what is intended to be a purely intellectual investigation into the subject of the devil and the occult that turns unintentionally real. Secondly the subject lends itself to sensationalism and curiosity that obscures the truth and can also serve as a doorway for unintended consequences. Lastly I do not want to sell myself as some kind of expert. I had about forty-five minutes of instruction on possession and things demonic in four years of seminary study. I have read a few books; books that anyone could pick up at Barnes & Nobel or order from Amazon. But I feel now is the time to address this issue. I am reticent to go into the reasons why this is the moment to tackle the subject, beyond the fact that there has been an increase in occult activity around the parish, and a general warning against getting involved in such things, even in a remote way, is in order.
First, and this is terribly important; Jesus has won the victory already. Satan is active because he knows his time is limited. He can not see the future, but he understands what Christ's death and Resurrection means better than we do, and that the Second Coming is inevitable. It's just a matter of when, so he wants to destroy as many souls as he can. Possession is real, but rare. He works more through temptation to sin, and leading us way from God through living an immoral life. A consistent message I've heard and read from various sources is that a good confession is more powerful than exorcism. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist unite us with Christ and do not give the enemy an opening to enter into our lives. Plus, we are not dealing with two equal forces. It's not a yin and yang situation. As long as we cleave to Christ Satan doesn't stand a chance. The sacraments close off what ever openings the devil may try to exploit. But sin opens up the doors, doors better left shut. What also does is when people who, sometimes unknowingly, make an opening through dabbling with the occult and the "New Age."
Beyond living a good, moral, sacramental (in the case of non-Catholics a prayerful) life we should avoid anything that even remotely smacks of the occult. I mean tarot cards, astrology, ouija boards, fortune telling, any type of faith healing that involves magic or spells (spells of any kind), seances, and I would even include horoscopes. These are doorways for evil. Do I believe that spells work or that ouija boards can really reveal hidden truth to us? No, not in the way we think they do. These are portals exploited by evil to get in and wreak havoc. People really do go to fortune tellers or seek out people who claim to be able to cast spells. Sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes evil is visited on both the giver and receiver of the spell. Sometimes we're talking about love spells, sometimes about curses, and in the end no one gets what they want but a great deal of heartache and pain.
I mentioned horoscopes; are they really that bad? Like most people I've peaked a look at them in the paper once in a while out of curiosity or as a joke. I've always chalked up any similarities between the predictions made and reality as either coincidence or as the result of the inherent vagueness of such readings. And I agree that most people look at it as entertainment. But in the end, I look at it like playing with matches in your kitchen sink; the chances of burning your house down are remote, but why take the chance. More serious things like consulting with mediums, card readings and other such attempts to know the future through magic are grave sins to be avoided.
God calls us to faith in Him. Jesus never promised us a smooth journey, but to have confidence that if we persevere by His grace there is nothing to fear.
The occult is about power; either gaining power over nature, over others or over knowledge. It is an attempt to be a god, thinking we can control reality to achieve our own ends. It is an expression of Lucifer's defining phrase, "I will not serve." Christianity is about surrender to the will of God. It is understanding that as marvelously created as we are, we are limited. If we are truly to be free we have to come to an understanding of God's will and cooperate with His grace in following it. The occult promises a short cut past the perceived obstacles of life to reach self fulfillment. In reality it is a dead end. Discipleship in Christ makes us face who we really are, accept the challenges of life without avoidance and understand that it is only the power of Christ that can overcome them. When we try to control the invisible powers we are fooling ourselves, because they will ultimately control us. It is only through surrender to Christ that true power is realized. We will serve, don't be deceived. As a wise man once sang, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody.
Second point: sacramentals are powerful, and should not be underestimated as weapons against evil. I've already written about the Sacraments, which give us the grace they represent while uniting us to Christ. Sacramentals don't give us grace, but as the Catechism puts it, prepare us to be more receptive to the graces of the Sacraments. Rosaries, crucifixes, holy images, holy water, blessed salt and oil are all great weapons we've been given in the spiritual combat. God created the physical world and works through it. Sacraments are the great sign of this. But blessed objects, while not Sacraments, have been claimed in special way by God. Once blessed they belong to Him to be used for his purposes. This is a reason why a religious article, once blessed, should not be sold. I was visiting a parish that had a small shop off of the vestibule. After Mass people were asking me to bless their newly purchased rosaries and metals. One lady, seeing how I was being swamped, jokingly said, "Father, wouldn't it be easier to just bless the whole store!" "No," I said, "Then they'd have to give it all away and go out of business!"
No, these are not Sacraments, but sacramentals, when we have faith in God's power, repel evil. It's not that the thing itself has any power, but that God uses it as a reminder to us of his love and power, and actually works through it for those with faith. Think of the bronze serpent made by Moses that cured the people of their snake bites. God cured them, not the image, but in His plan God wanted that external sign to be a channel of his healing grace. A priest's stole is a piece of decorated cloth that represents his priestly office, but it causes great pain to demons when the possessed person is touched by one. We don't always appreciate the power of both the Sacraments and sacramentals, but the evil one does.
So, hang a crucifix in your home, along with images of the Blessed Mother and the saints. Keep holy water around. Have a Bible in the house (display it, and better yet, read it). Have your house or apartment blessed. These are not just decorative objects or nice traditions. They have the power of God backing them up to protect us from evil.
I leave you with the reminder that the power of Christ is greater than any evil. We should not be afraid. If we are living the right way, in a state of Grace, no evil can harm us. It may try to molest us, tempt us, lead us off the path, but it really can't hurt us if we are united with Jesus Christ. Be aware, be vigilant and most of all trust in the Lord.
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