by Br. Jacob M. Orcutt, O.S.B.
The Church has never denied demonic possession and to this day the Rite of Exorcism is used in the Church. But most of us are not troubled with actual demonic possession, rather the little devils that come into our lives are fairly easy to get rid of, like the desire to have that second piece of cake, or the craving to tell the overly cautious driver ahead of us just exactly what we think of him.
For some of us the demons are stronger and more wicked than just the occasion to over indulge. They might be called addiction or envy or despair; they dwell in our hearts, minds and souls. Many times it is found that one of the worst features of addiction is that before it destroys you it replaces you. Like demonic possession, it is felt that you have been invaded by an alien being. Somehow this creature (called Id, to coin Freud’s term) is using your face, voice and mind to hurt people you really care about; they just take over your life. Jesus’ generation used the language of devils and possession to speak of similar kinds of self- hostility. So Mark uses the language of exorcism to describe how the healing touch of Jesus helped distressed people to “come to their senses.”
You do not have to believe in devils to acknowledge that there are diseases, like addiction, that seem to take over every strand of a person’s life, thus “taking possession” of them. If healing of these diseases is to occur, that healing must go to the sick person’s foundation. The power of God goes deep. It is precisely Jesus’ “greater power” that excites the crowd in this week’s Gospel, a power mighty enough, yet gentle enough, to reach the most imprisoned heart.
The Church has never denied demonic possession and to this day the Rite of Exorcism is used in the Church. But most of us are not troubled with actual demonic possession, rather the little devils that come into our lives are fairly easy to get rid of, like the desire to have that second piece of cake, or the craving to tell the overly cautious driver ahead of us just exactly what we think of him.
For some of us the demons are stronger and more wicked than just the occasion to over indulge. They might be called addiction or envy or despair; they dwell in our hearts, minds and souls. Many times it is found that one of the worst features of addiction is that before it destroys you it replaces you. Like demonic possession, it is felt that you have been invaded by an alien being. Somehow this creature (called Id, to coin Freud’s term) is using your face, voice and mind to hurt people you really care about; they just take over your life. Jesus’ generation used the language of devils and possession to speak of similar kinds of self- hostility. So Mark uses the language of exorcism to describe how the healing touch of Jesus helped distressed people to “come to their senses.”
You do not have to believe in devils to acknowledge that there are diseases, like addiction, that seem to take over every strand of a person’s life, thus “taking possession” of them. If healing of these diseases is to occur, that healing must go to the sick person’s foundation. The power of God goes deep. It is precisely Jesus’ “greater power” that excites the crowd in this week’s Gospel, a power mighty enough, yet gentle enough, to reach the most imprisoned heart.