Blogger Priest

Kim writes the following:

Dear Father,

I need some help. I have talked with a lot of priests and have always been turned down. I’m a medium. I don’t want this gift. It’s more of a nightmare for me and I’ve tried everything to expel these demons out of my life. No matter where I go. I cause death sickness and violence.

Please if you can help me. My family and I would greatly appreciate it.

My initial response:

I think some clarifications are in order here.

First, you do not define in what sense you view yourself as a medium. The Church condemns false worship or the practice of the occult. Thus, so-called mediums are prohibited from fortune-telling or divination, séances, sorcery, and channeling the dead for secret knowledge.

Second, there is no guarantee of spiritual agency, and such operations might be expressions of either deceitful chicanery or mental delusion.

Third, there are those who have opened doors to demonic oppression or worse types of spiritual infection. We see this type of tragedy in Scripture where the oracle or medium has no immediate or personal power; rather, it is borrowed through a devilish entity that postures as the dead or manifests itself in ecstatic utterances, ghostly appearances and/or other strange happenings.

Fourth, even approved exorcists make note of “sensitives” who do not seek out the supernatural but seemed somehow spiritually attuned to its presence. Because they can be useful in rooting out hidden entities, the devil may try to abruptly frighten such people. He desperately would not want them to assist clergy or to answer a religious calling of their own. When filled with faith and love of God, these people seem naturally inclined toward Christian mysticism. They realize that we wage a battle against powers and principalities; they respond with humility and prayer. The Catholics among them make ready recourse to the sacraments. They trust the Church.

Returning to your case, if there is a spiritual agency then your few details would point to the third scenario. I would urge going to Confession, regular participation at Sunday Mass, recitation of a daily Rosary, and having your home blessed by a priest with a consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Further, the prayer to St. Michael makes a good oration that directly seeks protection against the devil.

Kim states:

I was basically born into a family where strange happenings are about. I was one that inherited these things. I have the gift to channel the dead and when I was little I somehow channeled this demon that has been in my life from age 2 till now.

Father Joe responds:

That is not really how it works. The situation is a deception, either a psychological or a spiritual one. If the latter, then know this— demons would not share you with anyone or anything except other demons. If there is a demon involved, then he is responsible for all the strange happenings and may even falsely posture being the dead. Have you been targeted your whole life? What introduced it? Often there is an occult operation that opened the door.

Kim states:

I am 18 now and here in the past 3-4 years it’s been given my family a lot of problems. From family getting sick to our farm animals dying.

Father Joe responds:

God does not work that way… only the devil. That does not make you a medium or even a sensitive. It makes you a victim. What you take for your talent or ability would not be you at all.

Kim states:

There has even been a few things that have great religion value that has come up missing. We bless the house regularly but it seems to have no affect anymore.

Father Joe responds:

How have you blessed the house? Are you Catholic? Is it a Christian ritual? What are the religious items? Occult elements only make such things worse. House blessings by a priest are valuable; however, a home can only maintain the blessing if the people that live there are godly. If there is fear, superstition, mortal sin, etc. then blessings have little or no value. A house blessing and the consecration to Christ is NOT magic. The graces of God must be sustained.

Kim states:

I am a really big Christian and I’ve gotten to the point to where I turn my back on everything that I know is not there. I refuse to help anything or anyone.

Father Joe responds:

I am not sure here what you mean by “turning your back.” I am also unsure as to the meaning of a “big Christian.” We are all sinners and dependent upon the Lord. The power is not ours but ultimately his. We are called to lives of fidelity to Jesus— praising God, thanking God, and serving God. We imitate the mercy and love of Jesus. If you belong to the Lord then mock the devil. He cannot stand mockery. Many homes I bless even establish small shrines where they keep Bibles, prayer books, holy cards, holy water, rosaries, etc. They keep religious pictures in each room as a reminder that the family is the little church. The Lord’s Prayer is itself a powerful deliverance prayer. Pray with the family every day. Trust Jesus and be not afraid.

Kim states:

Because you may recall there aren’t any in-betweens. There is either heaven or hell. Therefore only demons walk the earth and show their face to people like me. I’m only asking for guidance with my next step because I am completely clueless.

Father Joe responds:

Are you well? It is possible that the problem is psychological. Have you seen a counselor? Your words here do not jive with my faith as a Catholic priest. Catholicism permits prayer for the dead (the poor souls in purgatory) but we are not to seek two way communication. We ask the saints of heaven to pray for us. The Church on earth is the pilgrim Church, and we live not by sight but by faith. Demons are fallen angels or pure spirits. They have no material bodies. They are real and destructive but despite their intellectual and spiritual powers, we have something they do not. Christians in good standing with the Lord possess sanctifying grace. It is this grace that protects us. Compared to God and the guardian angels, the demons are poor cripples. They make mischief but the Great War is won in Christ. We have been redeemed from the devil. You still give the devil too much credit.

Seek both psychological and spiritual counsel. Any hesitance to do so is not from God. Try not to be obsessed by such matters— that too can come from the evil one. Place the emphasis daily upon the Lord and push aside an unhealthy preoccupation with demons.

Filed under: Exorcism |