ST. MICHAEL CENTER

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[Joan of Arc, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882 ] "James" is suffering from demonic obsessions or "demon brain." Every couple of weeks, he goes through a spell in which his thinking is strongly influenced by demons. When this happens, he becomes despairing and suicidal. He came up with a five-step process for dealing with these demonic attacks. The five steps might be helpful for anyone suffering such demonic afflictions. He has generously consented to share them with all. The five steps are: 1. Recognize the beginning of a demonic attack EARLY. Once he is in the middle of "demon brain," he cannot recognize it and he mistakenly believes it is his real self. So he is trying to be aware of the initial signs that a demonic attack is coming before it is too late to react. 2. Reach out for help. James recognizes that he cannot deal with the demons by himself. He reaches out to friends for support, his therapist for counseling, and a priest for spiritual direction and deliverance prayers. While these supports do not completely dissipate the attack, they do help him to navigate successfully the demonic onslaught. 3. Honest and open sharing. James knows that isolation can be lethal in the midst of demonic obsessions. When demon brain hits, he has a tendency to clam up. So, he intentionally tries to be open and honest about himself with his support system and what he is experiencing. 4. Reject & let it go. In the midst of demon brain, it is difficult for James to recognize that his thoughts are really demonic and not his own. Nevertheless, he is trying to train himself to recognize the true source of these evil thoughts and to consciously reject them. He said, "I need to reject these thoughts and let them go." Using our prayer formula, he says, "I reject, renounce and rebuke the evil spirits of [name them] and, in Jesus' name, I cast them out." 5. Do things I enjoy and distract myself. His demonic thoughts are dark and despairing. In the midst of demon brain, he consciously chooses to engage in activities he enjoys such as having dinner with friends or outdoor events and/or exercise. These help to elevate his mood and distract him from focusing on the evil demonic thoughts. Moreover, James does his best to continue with his strong spiritual regimen of daily prayer and sacraments. These steps are not easy for anyone who suffers from demonic obsessions, especially in the midst of an assault of demon brain. But, over time he has shown the commitment and courage to do so with positive results. His attacks are shorter, less severe and he is on the road to recovery. I have no doubt that in the future these demonic attacks will be largely a thing of the past. In the meantime, they are actually strengthening him psychologically and spiritually. One day, he will be a battle-tested, strong spiritual warrior for Christ.

[Saint Michael and the Angels at War with the Devil, Domenico Ghirlandaio, 15th c.] When "Joyce" came in for her deliverance session, she looked normal. There were no physical signs of a demonic presence. She appeared to be fully lucid and herself. But on the way into the chapel, she started to spout bizarre ideas. She said in an arrogant tone: "Satan is stronger than your God." She emphatically added: "You cannot expel him." Joyce, who had previously been involved in witchcraft, said: "My spells are stronger than your worthless prayers." At this point, one of the priests started to argue with her, pointing out the omnipotent power of God and the triumph of Christ's death and resurrection. Joyce was unfazed and continued her evil rant. I looked at the priest and said, "Don't waste your breath. You are not talking to Joyce. You are talking to a pack of demons." I led them into the chapel and said, "What we need to do is to pray." When a demonic presence takes over control of a person's physical body, there are typical signs. For example, the body will react strongly to sacramentals such as holy water, crucifixes or the prayers themselves. There may be pains in different parts of the body, especially where the demons are particularly active. Also, there may be marks such as scratches, bruises, lumps that move, and/or burn marks. And more. But sometimes demons manifest without physical signs. Rather, they infect the person's brain. The person starts thinking like demons, a state which our team calls: "demon brain." In the midst of a bout of demon brain, many times people are not aware of it and do not realize the source of their evil thoughts. But our team recognizes that the demons are exercising some control over the afflicted people's minds when out of their mouths comes typical demonic thoughts and ideas. Some common examples of these demonic obsessions or "demon brain" are: *arrogant, haughty denigration of others, especially priests/church *statements exalting Satan's power and dismissing God's providence *statements exalting the power of pagan "gods" or demons, the power of their witchcraft and occult practices. *intense uncharacteristic feelings of despair and thoughts of suicide *intense depressive and dark emotions *a consuming narcissistic rage *extreme feelings of abandonment, rejection and/or hopeless isolation An alert, experienced exorcist will recognize when a client is manifesting such demonic obsessions, i.e. demon brain, even if there are no physical manifestations. He knows that it does no good to try to reason with people in such a state. Only deliverance prayers are effective. Rather than argue with them, an exorcist will launch directly into the prayers. Most people do not suffer from intense demonic obsessions. But when I listen to what comes out of people's mouth on the street, I sometimes hear the voice of Satan. For example, I may hear an arrogant judgmentalism of others, an inner violent rage, a hatred of the Church, a dismissal of God's power and love, temptations to violence and destruction, rejoicing in other people's injury or harm, and/or dark depressive thoughts of a hopeless despair. When I hear these, I hear the voice of Satan. Sadly, it suggests that such people are increasingly under the Evil One's power. As Ephesians 4:29 (RSVCE) says, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear."

"He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan!'" Mt 16:23 After a recent online deliverance session with us, a woman shared her experience: I've been able to attend most of the sessions and have found that with each successive one, I have been increasingly able to attain spiritual healing. For many years, I have been afflicted with an evil spirit that causes me to hate God and to curse Jesus. I have sought deliverance for a long time. I am learning with each session how to better deal with evil attacks from the devil. I have learned, in particular, that I must do the 3 Rs...I am now able to relate with the Lord Jesus in a loving way, without any sense of the previous hostility, resentment or anger. These three R's of casting out demons are: reject, renounce, and rebuke. In our online sessions, as well as our face-to-face solemn exorcisms, we ask afflicted people to identify the evil spirits present and then say the three R's. So, for example, if an individual identifies the presence of an evil spirit of lust, the person would then say: "In the holy name of Jesus, I reject, I renounce, and I rebuke the spirit of lust. In Jesus' holy name, I cast it out!" To "reject" is to make an act of the will which says in effect: "I do not want this evil spirit." To "renounce" is to give back any benefits desired or received in the demonic relationship. To "rebuke" is sharply denouncing the evil spirit. In deliverance work, an important step in the process of liberation is cutting the relationship between the individual and the evil spirit. While a simple rejection would likely suffice, we have found these three R's to be a bit more thorough and decisive. After the afflicted person has formally rejected the evil spirit, the Exorcist can then invoke the authority of the Church and more easily cast it out. While the entire process of casting out demons can take some time, this formal process of rejecting the evil spirits, using the three R's, is an important step along the way. I have also found these three R's helpful in overcoming the normal temptations of life, which are often fueled by evil spirits. Whenever we are tempted, we can say: "In the holy name of Jesus, I reject the evil spirits of [name the temptation]. I reject them; I renounce them; I rebuke them. In Jesus' holy name, I cast them out!" I have personally found it helpful. I suspect others would as well.

[Return of the Prodigal Son, Pompeo Batoni, 1773] We had been "pounding away" at the demonic presence for almost two years and "M", a young woman in her 20's, was much, much better. The night attacks had ceased; the demonic marks on her body had mostly disappeared; she tolerated an exorcism without completely going "out;" and during the day she had many more lucid moments. But the demons were still hanging onto something. At one point, she asked for a meeting with her parents. As the meeting progressed, it became clear that she wanted to tell them something but was having a hard time getting it out. The parents were patient and encouraged her to take her time. Finally, with much fear and trepidation, she confessed that she had not been honest with them. She had covered up many ugly past behaviors and painted them over with self-aggrandizing lies. She had been living a lie. To her surprise, her parents willingly forgave her and told her how much they loved her. Allaying her fears, they said they would never leave her and she would always be their beloved daughter. Shortly thereafter, arriving back at her apartment, M vomited up huge masses of black globs. Typically, a sign of the lifting of witches' curses and/or casting out of demons. The black masses actually appeared to be moving and undulating. M was then tired but felt a great weight had been lifted. While the demons were not completely gone, a critical milestone had been passed. Satan is called the "Father of Lies," (Jn 8:44), Mendacii Pater in the Rite of Exorcism. I have noticed that demons will sometimes visibly react when the phrase Mendacii Pater is spoken aloud in the Rite. No doubt they feel it as a stinging rebuke and the truth which they are loathe to face. Not only are they compulsive and habitual liars, their entire life has become a lie. Unwittingly, by living a lie herself, M gave the demons a hold on her. Facing the truth and confessing her sin, plus the forgiving love of her parents, was a liberating moment. M's next step was to take her repentance into the confessional to receive the sacramental graces. M is making steady progress. But like all processes of liberation for the possessed, there are important challenges along the way. M faced this critical challenge of facing and letting go of the lies in her life with honesty and courage. I am proud of her and her parents. I have great confidence she will be soon fully liberated. Satan is the Father of Lies. Jesus is the "Truth" (Jn 14:6). We are set free from Satan's grasp when we confess our sins and live in the light of the Truth.

[St. Agape and her two sisters] "K" was possessed. She was consecrated to the Evil One by her biological parents: one was a witch and the other a Satanist. Her upbringing was brutal including a drug habit foisted upon her by her mother and repeated rapes by men. Both biological parents died young. K was, by the grace of God, eventually adopted by a good man who was a devout Catholic. After introducing her to Catholic sacraments and sacramentals, and witnessing her symptoms, he realized that she was possessed. He brought her to an exorcist. In the process of liberation, the team was surprised when K said that a being named "Agape" appeared and was helping her. K did not know who Agape was, nor did most of the team. K thought that she was an angel; when she appeared, she was surrounded by a great light. Only after she identified herself as "Agape" did K realize the person was human. After hearing K's description of Agape and doing some research, the team realized she was describing Saint Agape- the 4th century virgin and martyr. St. Agape was also orphaned at a young age. She and her two sisters led pious chaste lives under the direction of the priest Xeno. They rejected several offers of marriage as well as indecent advances by men. They were martyred for the faith under the Emperor Diocletian. K suffers from demonic physical assaults as well as repeated sexual advances by men, many of whom are demonically inspired. These men are unwitting minions of Satan trying to sexually assault and/or seduce her, including tempting her with illicit drugs. In moments of overwhelming temptation and demonic assault, Agape shows up and whispers special messages of grace into K's ears. When St. Agape shows up, she often sees the demons depart. Saint Agape is the perfect saint and intercessor for K, given both of their histories. K is the target of intense demonic assaults. The presence and intercession of St. Agape is much, much needed. We thank God for her. Many times we nurture a devotion to a particular saint, thinking we have chosen the saint. It may be the other way around. Maybe, by the grace of God, a particular saint is chosen for us. In the future, when we begin our exorcism sessions, or simply begin our daily lives, perhaps we ought to begin by asking God which saint is chosen for us.

["St. Michael Fighting Demons," by Master of the Legend of Saint Ursula (Bruges), 1480-1500] One of our exorcists shared a recent experience: "Last night, a feeling of depression and hopelessness came over me. I was hardly aware of it in the beginning; it started subtly. Eventually, I found myself in the middle of a dark despair. I felt enervated and done in. This is surprising for me because I really don't have a history of depression." He went on, "I finally recognized it as a possible demonic obsession and commanded the evil spirits of depression to leave. After a few deliverance prayers, the evil mood lifted." Once a month St. Michael Center offers a live online deliverance session. These sessions are much appreciated with several thousand attending. After the sessions, we typically receive scores of email testimonies of healings, thanks be to God. One of the most common experiences is the lifting of a depressed or anxious mood. For example, here are some excerpts: *I started with anxiety, worry and depression. I feel peace now. Thank you! *Very uplifting. I am more joyful. Less oppression. Thank you. *I felt relief and gratitude for this session. I've been suffering from great anxiety and anger issues. Thank you. *My body felt like I'm carrying a heavy boulder on my shoulders. After the session, I felt light, like the boulder was removed. *During the session I felt such energy and renewal as though a kind of electricity was passing through my body. Presently I am witnessing energy like never before. Thank you." *I felt a loosening of the bondages of depression ... and divisions within our family. Thank you! *I experienced an inner joy and peace and hope. A knowledge that Jesus has freed me of my scruples, anxiety and sadness and He is looking upon me with love." Most of the time, feelings of depression and anxiety have psychological roots and need to be treated on the natural level. But our experience suggests that demonic obsessions accompanied by feelings of depression, anxiety and despair are more common than we realize. Four signs that the mood has demonic roots are: (1) it being out of character for the individual, (2) it begins and ends without a natural trigger, (3) it is unusually intense, and (4) it responds to prayer.... In these cases, medications and psychotherapy might have some limited effect but ultimately are not fully successful. Only prayer and a spiritual healing will lift it. In more resistant cases, afflicted people may have a combination of psychological pathology and a demonic obsession. Satan is an opportunist and takes advantage of our psychological weaknesses. He will exaggerate the natural dynamics and torment the soul with an intense depressive and/or anxious mood. These folks need both natural healing remedies such as psychotherapy and medications, plus a healing spiritual regimen. The exorcist then said: "My experience reminded me of my new client who also suffers from intense demonic obsessions with depression, despair and suicidal thoughts." (This exorcist has a spiritual history of being a burden bearer.) He went on, "Perhaps my experience was God's way of allowing me to help by carrying a little bit of her burden. I pray for her every day."

["St. Catherine of Siena beseiged by demons," detail, unknown artist] It was a rough case for sure, but much progress was being made. Several team members of laity and priests were present for the sessions. For this session, the afflicted person’s priest-spiritual director was also present, which we encourage. It was his first participation in a solemn exorcism of a possessed person. For solemn exorcisms especially, we carefully screen who is in the room. We admit only mature Catholics who are strong in faith with a recognized calling for this ministry. Still, the first session can be a bit overwhelming, especially when there is a strong manifestation of the Evil One. Nothing can really prepare you to look into the face of complete Evil. Ugh. When the lengthy session ended, the Exorcist, as always, prayed the cleansing and protection prayers. Then the team adjourned to the next room to meet and recap. The priest-spiritual director was present as well. At one point, the priest tried to speak but kept messing up his words. He said he couldn’t think straight and had problems talking coherently. He was confused and added, “I can’t understand why my brain is not working.” The Exorcist asked him about his symptoms in more depth. He concluded, “It sounds like you've been ‘slimed’" (borrowing a popular movie expression). The Exorcist reminded him of a movie scene when an evil presence went through a person leaving behind a slimy residue which mentally disoriented him. “Yeah,” the priest said, “It kinda felt like that.” So the Exorcist did another round of cleansing prayers for him and the entire team. These “prayers for protection” and the “cleansing prayers” at the beginning and end of an exorcism session are important and largely effective.* But in tough cases, some demonic effects can break through. At these times, a second round of cleansing is needed. As an exorcism team, we endeavor to practice our ministry with integrity. We are obedient to all the Church teaches and to our ecclesiastical superiors. It is important for us to "stay under the umbrella" of the Church's protection. We willingly do so. Nevertheless, in particularly difficult cases, we can get "slimed" and have some passing, limited demonic symptoms. We take it as a small price for being involved in this ministry. And we pray that our little sacrifices are an additional grace to the suffering people who come to us for help. Our hearts go out to them and we pray for their swift deliverance. *Protection, binding and cleansing prayers can all be found on our app: "Catholic Exorcism" or on our website: www.catholicexorcism.org.

["St. Michael and the Dragon," Antonio del Pollaiolo, c. 1460-1470] I strongly encourage those afflicted by demons to regularly attend Mass. But I know that it is difficult for them, especially for the fully possessed. When someone is possessed, there is a kind of interpenetration of the bodies of the possessed with demons. Thus, the possessed will often feel some of what the demons feel. So their lives will, at times, be a living hell-- literally. For example, when placed in contact with anything holy, the possessed will typically say they feel excruciating pain. They will say that cold holy water burns. When looking at a crucifix, their eyes will feel like they are on "fire." When encountering a priest or a Catholic Church, they may feel intense hatred. I asked "David," who formerly belonged to a Satanic cult and is now possessed, to do his best to attend Sunday Mass. He valiantly tries but has only managed to attend once every few months, if that. He said that when he is able to attend, "I can't say the prayers while I'm there or respond to them like everyone else does." David added, "It's torture to be there, with all of the statues, and pictures that surround me." He went on, "All of the people and the priest praying is such a loud noise that it makes me so angry." And he concluded, "When they say the St. Michael prayer, I can hear the demons screaming. It's so horrible and frightening and painful." I love the Church's sacramentals. They inspire and strengthen us. But they also serve an important apotropaic function: they are abhorrent to demons and help to cast them out. I noted especially David's comment about the St. Michael prayer: it frightens demons, causes them intense pain, and they scream in agony. I will be more diligent in using this prayer in our future exorcism sessions.

[ "The Exorcism of the Garasenes Demoniac", Sebastian Bourdon, 1653] "Sarah's" mother was a high-ranking satanic priestess who introduced her daughter to the practice of witchcraft when she was very young. Sarah said each week six witches gathered to curse priests and the bishops by name. They sat around an effigy of the priest and ritually cursed him. She added that there were many covens in her area and all were weekly cursing different priests. In her 20's, Sarah had been practicing witchcraft for twenty years and it was taking its toll. She couldn't sleep. She had horrible dreams. She had no energy. She was mentally and emotionally a wreck. She wanted out and sought help from a priest exorcist. He welcomed her and prayed over her weekly for a year. It turns out she had been fully possessed but, finally, she was freed. While practicing witchcraft, Sarah did not realize that the person who was first and foremost cursed by her rituals was herself. She did not know that their "powers" really came from the actions of demons. She unwittingly had been a servant of Satan. Upon liberation, she was very grateful to God for freeing her. The Exorcist shared that one of the most powerful interventions during the sessions was the rosary. He said, "It was like throwing petrol on a fire"-- the demons howled in agony. Likely the Virgin Mother's holiness, as the perfect woman and mother, was particularly odious to those demons who promoted a distorted and evil image of both. Priests (or anyone) living a solid Christian life of sacraments and virtue are largely protected from the curse of a witch, although some harassment is possible. We exorcists just assume we are being regularly cursed. If one steps out from under the Church's protection and/or strays into sin, the curses can more easily take root and cause havoc. The number of people practicing witchcraft in our country is rising exponentially. The number of priests is dropping. There are spiritually difficult times ahead. But, in the final analysis, all the witches in the world are powerless in the presence of Christ.

(https://unsplash.com/photos/sZyojGH31U0) There is something fundamentally wrong in this country. In a nation with such abundance and blessings, the incidence of senseless gun violence against innocent people, including our children, is rising rapidly. For 2021, the FBI identified 61 such incidents of mass shootings, which is an increase of 52.5% from the year before and more than one per week. 2022 is shaping up to be even worse. Last weekend alone there were 13 mass shootings in the U.S. recorded from Friday evening through Sunday. In 2020, guns surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for children 19 years old or under. It seems that the United States is "cursed" and it is getting worse. Stepping back, one can see an obsession with gun violence in our nation. Hollywood's products are replete with such violence. Video games are full of guns and shootings. Our culture is bathed in violent images. Last weekend, a 12-year-old boy robbed a gas station at gunpoint. Where did he learn such behavior? Some question why our nation needs 393,000,000 civilian held weapons which is more than one per person and far and away the highest per capita anywhere in the world. U.S. citizens own 46% of the world's civilian held guns. We are a nation obsessed. It is not my place to weigh in on the political or social roots of the mounting human tragedy related to gun violence. That is something for secular experts. But I add something on its possible spiritual roots. I said that we are "cursed" with gun violence, using the word in a colloquial sense. But does it apply in a more literal sense, i.e., are there evil spirits at work in our nation related to gun violence? In a recent scholarly book on diabolic influence, an experienced exorcist speculated that there could be "national generational spirits" that negatively affect a country. These evil spirits might be the result of the sins of the founding ancestors of a nation or subsequent national sins. Particular kinds of demons, based upon the sins committed, can thus influence and infect the consciousness of a nation. Are we afflicted by evil spirits of gun violence and death? If so, perhaps it is because we are a nation founded on a violent revolution. Or perhaps it is because of our bloody civil war, which accounts for more U.S. deaths than all our other wars combined until Vietnam. Or perhaps it has something to do with the extensive involvement of our leaders with freemasonry (see Diary #191) and related generational spirits of death. Or maybe it is a combination of all these things and more. As to why it is surfacing in modern times, perhaps the declining practice of the Faith and the rise of the occult has dropped our spiritual defenses and made us more vulnerable to demonic influence. If we are afflicted by generational spirits, it would help to account for our national blindness to the extent of the problem and our vulnerability to such evil acts. The hidden presence of demons can blind human awareness. However, this does not excuse us from taking responsibility for the problem and fixing it. I leave the important and concrete necessary changes to the secular experts and our leaders. May the Holy Spirit guide them! But I offer the beginnings of a spiritual solution as well. As an exorcist, I will begin to pray regularly to lift any generational spirits of death, murder, and gun violence, and I encourage other priests to do the same. Also, I composed the following prayer which I hope that many of the laity would feel able and willing to pray: A Prayer to Cast Out Generational Spirits of Gun Violence Heavenly Father, we need your help. Our nation is wracked with gun violence, homicide and death. Innocent people are dying. Our children, whom You and we love so dearly, are at risk and many have tragically died. We pray that You would lift any curses and cast out any generational spirits of death, murder and gun violence, and any related evil spirits. We forgive all our ancestors for the effects of their sins on us and our children. We confess and renounce our own sins. Forgive especially the sins of hatred, violence and murder. We renounce Satan and every evil power affecting this nation and our loved ones. We pray that You would restore the peace and tranquility of this land so that we might be one nation under God, united in love. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The Praying Nun, 1829, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, German) The local priest-exorcist received an urgent call from the Convent. That morning the Sisters woke up and went down to their chapel. They found their wood tabernacle upside down on the floor and the Eucharist still in its monstrance standing upright next to it. The Sisters were spooked. The doors to their Convent had been securely locked the night before and were still solidly locked in the morning. Moreover, the handful of Sisters, all strong in the faith, were not awakened to any sounds through the night. The tabernacle had been bolted to the table and its base was now split in two. To split the base of the tabernacle and take it off the table could not have been done quietly. It would have required it being forcibly yanked from its base. In short, what occurred was not humanly possible on several accounts, as the Exorcist quickly surmised. If the attack was demonic, and all signs pointed to it, why did the demons single out the convent? The Sisters live a short distance from the State Capitol and not far from an abortion clinic. They are a quiet contemplative presence and clearly pro-life, participating in local pro-life events. In the wake of the potential overturning of Roe vs. Wade, there have lately been a number of abortion advocates in front of the Capitol protesting. Are such demonstrations an opening to the demonic? Satan choosing to harass these Sisters in such an obvious way tells us several things: *The possibility of Roe vs. Wade being overturned is a huge threat to Satan's dark kingdom. He uncharacteristically broke out of hiding to visibly threaten the Sisters. He must be desperate. *The Evil One recognizes the power of the Sisters' prayer and witness, and believes it is essential to stop them in order to accomplish his goals. Perhaps it is such prayer, as much as anything, that is turning the tide. *While God allowed Satan to break their tabernacle, He did not allow Satan to touch or desecrate the Eucharist. It remained intact and upright in the monstrance. Jesus is Lord! The Exorcist first cleansed their chapel and house, using the Leo XIII deliverance prayers found in the ritual for exorcists. Then he said to them, "These are just demonic antics. Don't let them frighten you. That is Satan's goal: to frighten you into backing off. Rather, it suggests that whatever you are doing is spiritually important and you ought to do more of it! Satan's harassment is a confirmation of you and the importance of your life." Everything Satan does, much to his dismay and rage, witnesses to the Truth and redounds to his own destruction. For the Kingdom of God to triumph, it only takes a few faithful hearts dedicated to prayer and united in the Eucharistic Lord.

("An Angel Comforting Jesus Before his Arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane," Carl Heinrich Bloch, c. 1870) The 18-year-old young man, Salvador Ramos, who entered the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas and open fired with an AR-15 style rifle killing 19 students and 2 teachers plus wounding many others, was certainly engaged in a most evil act. All such evil ultimately finds its roots in Satan's dark kingdom. But, as I was recently asked, was he possessed by demons? To date, news accounts have not given any indication of previous symptoms of possession, or even any diagnosable mental illness. His grandfather reported not being aware of any previous serious distress in his grandson, nor did the young man have any reported criminal history. However, there was a constellation of dynamics in the shooter's life that made him at significant risk for such violent behavior. There is a FBI generated clinical syndrome of a "School Shooter." The Uvalde shooter had many of these: *Isolation. Ramos was said to have no friends and called a loner. At work, he intentionally kept to himself. *Distressed family environment. Ramos lived with his grandparents. There were reportedly emotional blowups with him screaming in anger at his mother and the police being called. The father was largely an absent figure in recent years. There was no mention of Salvador Ramos attending church, or any social or religious events. *Low self-esteem. Ramos suffered from a serious stutter and strong lisp. He was on the verge of not graduating with his class, an additional blow to his self-esteem and a source of conflict with his grandmother whom he shot. His failure to graduate may have been the precipitating event for his violence. *Feelings of victimization. Some reports said that Ramos was repeatedly bullied by his classmates. Others report that he was the bully. Perhaps it was a bit of both. No doubt he was isolated from other students. This further damaged his self-esteem. *Inner anger/rage coupled with feelings of powerlessness. Undoubtedly, he had a growing inner anger and rage. He was said to have "anger issues." His likely feelings of powerlessness to deal with this rage thus bottled it up and seethed in his isolation. *Inner distress expressed via externalized violence. Ramos' only way of dealing with this inner turmoil was with externalized violence. He carried boxing gloves with him and was often involved in fistfights with other students. *Narcissism, lacking in empathy, and self-focused. His facebook posts reveal a kind of narcissism and self-focus. He boasted of coming violent acts. Previously, he harassed other employees with the query, "Do you know who I am?" His violent rampage at the school would garner him international "recognition," albeit only as an agent of evil. *Leakage. As part of his narcissism and desire for public notoriety, he posted, "I shot my grandmother" and "I am going to shoot an elementary school." There were previous social media posts by Ramos which in retrospect are alarming previews of his future violence. More than two months prior, on social media, he discussed being a school shooter. This was not an impulsive outburst of violence but a planned event preceded by a purchasing of two semi-automatic weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and an armored vest. We see common characteristics of school shooters and lone wolf terrorists in Salvador Ramos. This profile is also typical of what we, in our deliverance ministry, call: "demon brain." Demons are similarly angry, violent, rageful, feel victimized, isolated, and are hugely narcissistic, lacking empathy. Ramos is reported to have started wearing all black and using black eyeliner. While we cannot blame every evil act on demons, one senses their footprints in this incident and in the perpetrator. There are many people in this world who are victimized and do not end up shooting innocent school children. This act was pure evil, as many have characterized it. At the very least, Satan was certainly whispering in the shooter's "ear," tempting him to such an evil act, as he tries to do to some degree in all of us. But in Ramos' case, Satan likely had a stronger foothold, given his underlying dysfunctional "demon brain" dynamics. Ramos was a more vulnerable target for the Evil One's influence. It is very possible that he was demonically "obsessed" and thus Satan would have a stronger sway over him. Satan then fills the mind with evil thoughts. Finally, as Ramos committed himself to the act of murder, he may even have become possessed. At one point, in the process of killing the children, he is chillingly reported to have said, "It's time to die!" This moment might remind one of Judas at the Last Supper. "After he took the morsel, Satan entered him." (Jn 13:27). Judas' final commitment to betraying Jesus and acting upon it resulted in Satan "entering" into him. These reflections remain speculation, based upon media accounts to date, subject to revision. But we should not underestimate the battleground of spiritual warfare upon which we are all engaged. Moreover, we ought not to give fertile ground for the Evil One to gain a foothold. Had Salvador Ramos been identified much earlier as a person of risk and proper therapeutic and spiritual remedies applied, this tragedy might possibly have been averted. According to FBI statistics, such incidents of violence and terrorism are rising rapidly in our country. Moreover, there are increasing feelings of isolation- especially among the young, a breakdown of the nuclear family, rising teen suicide rates, and a sharp decline in the practice of the Christian faith. As these trends continue, it is likely that such outbreaks and violence will continue on the same rising trajectory. How might we respond? Implement the many necessary changes in our schools and society suggested by health care and law enforcement experts. Build a psychologically and spiritually healthier family, community, and country. Most importantly: pray - pray - pray. We are fighting for the soul of this nation. Never underestimate the importance of a simple prayer. It is the Spirit of God who inspires our prayer and it is God himself who will bring it to fruition. And in Him, we might find some consolation in the midst of this horrible tragedy.

"Capitol Cornerstone Ceremony, 1793" by Allyn Cox It is no secret that the U.S. Capitol building was dedicated in a masonic ceremony by our first president, George Washington. One can see today the stone in the Capitol building commemorating this event. It reads: "Laid Masonically Sept 17, 1932 in Commemoration of the Laying of the Original Corner Stone by George Washington." The U.S. Capitol building formerly housed the Supreme Court which is now located across the street. Many of America's most important civic leaders have been freemasons including fourteen U.S. presidents and five Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. For individuals with a family history of freemasonry, our team has been a bit surprised at the extent of spiritual problems they experience as a result. These individuals not uncommonly have a repeating generational history of similar dysfunctions. For some, it is the presence of a spirit of death. These families may have an abnormal generational history of suicides, homicides, early deaths, miscarriages and/or abortions. The experience of exorcists is that individuals can be negatively affected by a generational history of freemasonry. But how about a nation? Our nation's leadership has been strongly influenced by this organization, which has been condemned by at least eight Popes. As recent as 1983, the Holy See has said that the principles of Masonic organizations remain "irreconciliable" with the teachings of the Church and membership is forbidden. Could it be that we, as a nation, are tainted by such a history? Since Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been many millions of abortions. In response to the leaked Supreme Court document likely overturning Roe vs. Wade, some are advocating a "summer of rage" and others are targeting the Catholic Church. From an exorcist's perspective, these attitudes are reminiscent of the Evil One. On our website, www.catholicexorcism.org, there are prayers for individuals to break Masonic curses. There is now a video for lifting Masonic curses on our website including a priest ratifying the prayer at the end. But how about for a nation? I plan to pray these prayers to lift these curses from our nation. Perhaps other priests will do so as well. In the wake of all that is taking place, our response must be fully Christian. In response to rage, we offer peace. In response to persecution, we forgive. In response to death, we promote love, reconciliation and unity, which are constitutive of a culture of life.

The exorcism sessions were intense, but God bless the young afflicted woman who turned out to be a real spiritual warrior. She had, through no apparent fault of her own, generational evil spirits including freemasonry from the family line. She was determined to follow a religious vocation and the demons were having none of it. The battle ensued. She held up her end with valor. Much initial progress had been made, although the intensive sessions took a toll on everyone present. At one point, an attending priest took out a relic of Fr. Michael McGivney, recently beatified founder of the Knights of Columbus, and handed it to the Exorcist. Interestingly, Fr. McGivney originally founded the charitable Knights of Columbus partly as a Catholic alternative to the lure of the secretive, cultic Freemasons. The Exorcist took the relic and said, "Through the intercession of Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney, I command the demons to leave!" The young woman said she heard the demons mocking him, "That country priest, are you kidding me!?" (Exorcists recognize in demons' mocking behavior often their underlying terror of what is to come.) Then the Exorcist said, "I ask the Lord to manifest the sanctity of Michael McGivney through the pain the demons endure." The demons let out a blood-curdling scream. More so than during the previous prayers, these screams were louder and tinged with desperation. It was clear to everyone in the room that something important was happening. The relic was then placed on the crown of the afflicted woman's head and the demons let out another blood-curdling scream. As the same time, the attending priest read the "Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Michael McGivney." Each time the relic touched her body, she writhed and screamed. The Exorcist again commanded the demons to leave through the intercession of Fr. McGivney. She convulsed and started to cough up a white frothy foam- typical in an exorcism especially as demons begin to leave. Then the writhing and screams stopped. The woman came back to herself and was at peace. It was clear that a number of the demons had just departed. The exorcism was moving forward but when Fr. McGivney was invoked, it was taken to a new level. Upon reflection, we were not surprised that Fr. McGivney was so effective against demons of freemasonry, since he had dedicated his life to an alternative: the Knights of Columbus. Moreover, the reactions of the demons confirmed our own conviction of the sanctity of Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney. We will certainly invoke this holy priest's intercession in future exorcisms, especially when the demons of freemasonry are involved.

(Faith, Piero del Pollaiuolo, 1470, Florence) She had been involved with yoga, gurus, practitioners of witchcraft and magic for over ten years. By the grace of God, she had a profound experience of Jesus and it changed her life. Her eyes were opened to the evil in which she had been involved and she stopped all occult practices. She reverted to the Catholic faith with a new enthusiasm and conviction. But the demons of divination, who had remained largely hidden, now made their ugly presence felt.* They mentally tortured her and she suffered demonic bouts of lethargy, mental pain, and depression. After many months of deliverance sessions, she is much better, although still not completely freed. The demons hang on. She is progressively being purified and healed, peeling back inner layer after layer. She recently received a graced, critical insight that especially got my attention. She told me that she realized that, while she had stopped all these occult and magic practices, she still had an underlying magical way of approaching the spiritual life. For example, when praying for someone, she sometimes would send her own "healing energy" directly at the person rather than asking God to help them. When she worried about someone or something, she might try to "visualize" the answer to the worry, trying to divine what will happen in the future, rather than asking God to take care of it. She sometimes found herself using her occult "third eye" to try to spiritually "see" or know something. She then said, "I realized I am still trying to control situations. I realized that I have an issue with real trust in the Lord." She added, "The core issue is really trusting in the Lord- in His omnipotence and love for me." She said, "When I begin to practice a complete abandonment to God's providence like a child, I really feel free from this kind of magical thinking. This is when the demons seem to be the farthest away from me." The difference between faith and magic is fundamental. The Christian trusts in God and humbly receives all graces from God, as He wills. The practitioner of magic and the occult attempts to control spiritual forces and access hidden knowledge, thus trying to gain the desired power and benefits. Her insight is another great grace from the Lord. I am pleased for her accepting this grace. It suggests that her full liberation is one large step closer. *It is not uncommon that a person practicing the occult will be deeply but unknowingly immersed in the demonic world. The evil ones keep their presence hidden. However, if the person then rejects the occult world and turns to the faith, the demons will no longer remain hidden and begin to torment and torture the person. For example, see: https://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/index.php?ArticleSeq=162#featuredArticle.

("Virgin of the Apocalypse", Miguel Cabrera, 1760) The building was deeply infested by demons. It was the site of grievous sins-- murder and blasphemies against God. Not surprising, one of the symptoms in that building was an ongoing divisiveness to the point of scandal and even violence. One of Satan's titles is: "causa discordiae," cause of discord. His presence invariably fosters discord, division and conflict. Our team of priests and laity gathered for a "marathon", i.e., a session of many hours of concentrated prayer to cast out demons. We also had a gifted spiritual sensitive with us. We were hoping to begin to dislodge the entrenched demonic presence. But after many hours of deliverance prayers, there were no signs to her or to the rest of the team that any progress was being made. I felt sure that the Blessed Virgin would intervene and help us. I believed that it was she who called us to be there and she would ensure that our efforts would bear fruit. Still ... after several hours there were no signs of any progress. As our time was almost up, I began to fear that the building was just too badly cursed to be cleansed. Perhaps we were wasting our time... Unexpectedly, in the last few minutes, I felt a surge of love for the Virgin well up in my heart. I turned to her and gave her my love. Just then, our spiritual sensitive leaned over and whispered to me, "The demons are reacting. One just left." When the Virgin shows up, there is love. And it is love that casts out demons.

("Baptism of Christ," Pietro Perugino, c. 1497) Recently a priest working with a possessed woman called and said: "I just got a text from her demons." I asked, "What did it say?" He replied, "She's mine!" My response: "Typical." At some point in an exorcism, the demons will invariably claim the possessed person belongs to them and demand we back off. This also tells us that the demons' hold on the person is being seriously threatened, or else they would have not sent the text. Their control is waning and they are frightened. Every exorcism is, at root, a battle for ownership. Who does this person belong to-- Jesus or Satan? Satan grasps for control; Jesus gives us free choice to choose Him. During an exorcism, we invite the afflicted person to renew his/her baptismal vows: "Do you reject Satan? And all his works? And all his empty show?" The person follows with an affirmation of faith. Then I typically hold up a crucifix and say, as in a baptism: "I claim you for Christ our savior by the sign of his cross." I am alarmed by the increasing number of people who are not even baptized. It is in this fundamental sacrament that the person is rescued from the clutches of Satan. I remind the Evil One of this in our sessions: "This person belongs to Jesus. He/she has rejected you. He/she has been baptized." The response from the demons? Silence. On Easter Sunday, we renew our baptismal promises. We profess our faith. We are sprinkled with holy water. It is a minor exorcism. We have been delivered from the power of evil and saved by Jesus Christ. What a glorious day!

(The Resurrection, Piero della Francesca, 1460s) In the light of the Easter resurrection, I am reminded of a previous demonic encounter.* During a solemn exorcism, we were invoking the power of the resurrection of Jesus and out of the demon's mouth comes a jubilant: "We won! We won! He didn't rise." At this, the priests in the room spontaneously broke out in laughter. I added, "This demon needs a history lesson." I do not know if the demon really believed what he was saying. They are inveterate liars. But as a psychologist, I have long witnessed the denials and darkness that accompany sin. Sin clouds the mind and distorts one's perspective. In the bowels of the dark kingdom, truth is clouded over and distorted. Those inured to evil eventually start to believe their own lies. And yet, everything that was happening witnessed to the reality of the resurrection. The mere sight of the crucifix was a torment to the demons: Ecce crucem domini, fugite partes adversae (Behold the cross of the Lord. Depart you evil powers). Why would the symbol of the crucifixion be a torment to evil if not followed by the resurrection? As holy water was sprinkled on the demons, they writhed in pain. Ecce aqua benedicta ("Behold water that has been blessed.") How could the blessing of water in the name of a crucified man be a powerful weapon against evil if he did not rise? I then proceeded to say the imprecatory prayers of the Rite of Exorcism commanding Satan to leave in the name of Jesus. Adjuro te, Satan, princeps huius mundi: agnosce potentiam et virtutem Jesu Christi, qui te ... spoliavit in cruce et de sepulcro resurgens tua tropaea in regnum transtulit lucis , "I command you, Satan, prince of this world: acknowledge the power and strength of Jesus Christ, who...despoiled you on the Cross, and, rising from the tomb, transferred your spoils into the kingdom of light." I commanded the demons to leave in the name of Jesus who died and rose. And they did leave. The demons were cast out in the name of Jesus whose death and resurrection is the foundation of every exorcism and is itself the ultimate exorcism of Satan. It is on the cross and in the resurrection that Satan's kingdom was smashed forever. *See Diary of An American Exorcist, p. 143.

("The Return of the Prodigal Son," Bernardino Licinio, 1535) More than a few people, including priests and religious, suffer from demonic mental obsessions. Satan mercilessly pummels their minds, often with their past sins. The Evil One thrusts into their minds, again and again, images and thoughts of their past sins and failings, confessed or not. What makes these recognizable as demonic, and not just a psychological obsessiveness, is the ferocity, often rapid onset, and unrelenting torment. It is as if there was a pack of demons mercilessly pounding on the person's head. In fact, this is exactly what is happening. So, in the midst of an exorcism, I will lay my hands on the person's head and command the demons to leave. Such a mental pounding is designed to wear people down, fill them with fear/anxiety, and lead them to despair. These mental thoughts are not from the Lord; it is not a true exercise in repentance. In the grace of true repentance, the individual recognizes his/her past sins and feels a graced compunction, sometimes with tears. This leads to a sense of reconciliation with God and inner peace. In our last online deliverance session*, several individuals reported such a graced experience of peace. One person wrote: "I felt contrition for my sins by crying." Another shared: "I just started crying and couldn't stop. During and afterwards I felt a sense of peace that hasn't left me, and all those little irritations that would easily cause my impatience or anger to flare up now just melt away." God gives inner peace; Satan foments torment and despair. Priests are special targets for Satan. It is sad to see how many, usually unaware of the demonic source, suffer these mental torments. Since these men tend to rely heavily on their intellects, the Evil One attacks their minds, attempting to cripple them and their ministries. Given their extensive theological training, one would expect priests to be aware of God's infinite mercy. Indeed, they do realize in their heads that God is all-forgiving, but they don't feel it. As one priest said, "It feels like God's mercy is for everyone else but me." Another priest said, "I intellectually know that God forgives me, but I feel completely overwhelmed and tormented by my past sins." Oftentimes, in those who suffer demonic obsessions, there may be an opening to the demonic such as a specific sin or a deep inner wound. Satan attempts to exploit such a weakness. For example, someone with a past habit of pornography, even after having confessed and overcome this sinful habit, may be pummeled with intense, unrelenting sexual thoughts. The antidote begins with an inner healing of these wounds, deliverance prayers to release one from the demonic, and fostering a deep trust in Jesus. At one point in the midst of such a session, I say to them: "Relax, breathe, and repeat after me, 'Jesus I trust in you. Jesus I trust in you.'" *The next online deliverance session is Tuesday, April 26th at 7-8pm Eastern USA time. Register now at: www.catholicexorcism.org

("Christ Triumphant over Sin and Death," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1618) Discernment in the case before us was a bit complicated. We weren't sure if the manifestations were the result of a demonic presence or of a psychological origin. The team sat down to pray and to discern together. Fortunately, there was a "burden bearer" on the team. She said, "I experienced a spirit of terror, and demonic mental attacks. It was very strong." Her intervention was an important part of our discernment. We decided to continue the deliverance sessions. Later sessions confirmed her experience. Jesus is THE burden bearer. In his death and resurrection, he took upon himself all of our sins and became the source of our salvation. But there are some folks, chosen by him and not by us, who participate in Christ's bearing of people's burdens. More than a spiritual sensitivity, burden bearers actually feel and experience, to some degree, the sufferings of the other. Galatians 6:2 might be applied: "Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ." When the Spirit has burden bearers take on the sufferings of others, it typically helps afflicted individuals with their sufferings. It may give them a slight respite which can be critical in a time of crisis. It also helps to discern what the underlying wounds are and may be an occasion of a unique healing grace. In our exorcism ministry, we have such generous people and we are VERY grateful for them. Their ministry is largely hidden and should remain so. They participate in the cross of Jesus for others. It is not an easy calling.