Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Today’s Gospel mentions one’s spiritual purity. Think about whether your spirituality is infected with any of the below interventions and whether the enemy has already started his own hidden attack on you.
Although we rarely hear about cases of exorcisms, there are more and more people who are possessed by evil and demonic power. Mental illness or deformity does not have to be possession; many sinful addictions are responsible for our personality disorders. Sin is pathogenic. Human sinfulness is the reason for demonic interference. And sometimes God allows it to happen. God allows the evil spirit to attack man, to test his humility, patience and mortification, or to convert his surroundings.
It is significant that Saint Mark, immediately after the calling of the first disciples, describes Jesus’ exorcism on a possessed man who has previously been hiding in a devout environment. It is characteristic that the demon lifts the boundaries, mixes holiness with the most abominable, acting with sacrilege and blasphemy. This man was religious, but rebellious, he prayed, but he disobeyed the will of God. A terrible contradiction was hidden in him. Extreme emotional behavior, screaming or dark silence to draw attention, blaming God’s for his life mistakes, and at the same time accepting Jesus’ divinity.

An unclean spirit often uses the sexual weaknesses of a man to completely dominate him. Difficulties with sexuality often arise from a family environment in which intellectual demands, the tyranny of ambition, uncontrolled desire of money and power or divorce, prevent a child from experiencing love and tenderness. And this is the gate to slavery of addictions and finally to demonic possession. Superficial religiosity, limited to occasional confession once a year and rare visits to the church, leads to a spiritual emptiness that can be easily invaded by dark spiritual forces. The unworthy reception of Holy Communion when in a state of grave sin or the intentional concealment of grave sin in confession, are the most frequent paths for invitation of evil spirits. It starts innocently, then there may arise a passion for aggressive music, pornography or wearing occult symbols, interest in black magic, demonic images, and amulets. Next, comes fascination with spiritual practices connected with the occult beliefs in Eastern religions, invoking ghosts in seances, tarot cards, horoscopes, clairvoyance, bioenergotherapy, using a pendulum for magic. Finally, all this is not enough anymore, and the human soul is invaded by Satan.

                I invite everyone to take part in the Annual Catholic Appeal 2018. Many of the parishioners have received or will soon receive correspondence from Cardinal Blase J. Cupich with a request to make a financial commitment to the 2018 Catholic Appeal. Please, offer your generous support as much as possible.

                God bless you all!