Satan is prowling about, seeking whom he may devour
Parental concerns over Toys R Us’ offering of Glow-in-the-Dark Ouija Board should not be taken lightly for playing with it could lead to disastrous spiritual consequences. When faith wallows in the quagmire of mediocrity; superstition, New Age beliefs and satanic influences take a giant leap forward. Couple all these with man’s puffed-up pride and self-reliance, and we see more and more people abandon God and turn to occultism.
Is it any wonder that incidents of demonic possessions rose dramatically in recent years? Church experts are unanimous on this whether in the US, Italy, France, Mexico, Poland, Germany and even far-away Australia and the Philippines.
More recently, Poland has seen this disturbing trend with increasing frequency so much so that the ranks of exorcist priests have also swollen, thus making it second only to Italy with the most number registered in Europe.
According to a news report, exorcisms rose from 3 per year in 1990 to over a hundred today. In a press conference given at the annual gathering of exorcist priests, Father Andrzej Grefkowicz said with grave concern, “There are so many of us because the problem [of possession] is growing. This isn't funny. Anybody who has come into contact with somebody who is possessed, or enslaved, knows that this is not a joke.”
The Occult and Dissolute Life
According to Church sources on exorcism, demonic forces take hold of a person through various ways: Living a life of hardened and serious sin which include occult practices such as Ouija board or tarot cards, heavy drug or alcohol use, violence, pornographic addiction and sexual perversions. Noted Italian exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth mentions that his experience in exorcising victims guilty of abortion often proved to be a difficult and lengthy enterprise.
Devotions and sacramentals for protection
From Genesis 3:15, we know that the Church has always held that the Woman and her seed would be at enmity with the enemy of mankind, the serpent of old, whose name is called Satan together with his fallen followers, known as demons. Thus invoking Our Lady and having a special devotion to the most Holy Rosary provide us protection from the snares of the Evil One.
Fr. Jocis Syquia, a Filipino exorcist, encourages the use of sacramentals, “Demons are all around us and they can attack us in many possible ways. That’s why we have to have these protections – Rosaries, Scapulars, St. Benedict Medals, Holy Water, etc.”
St. Michael’s power over demons
And lastly, we ought to invoke St. Michael the Archangel, the Prince of the Heavenly Host, who cried out, “Who is like unto God?” in defense of our Creator as he fought Lucifer and the rest of the rebellious angels. We can call out his aid through several prayers composed in his honor and our protection.
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