Several weeks ago I rented the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” It was an interesting movie. Not great, but interesting enough. Apparently, the movie is based on the real life experience of a young woman who suffered demonic possession. At various times, her body convulsed, she went into trances, inflicted injury on herself and even demonstrated a knowledge of ancient languages. But the movie is not just about the strange things Emily Rose did while possessed. The movie asks the question, “Was Emily Rose suffering from spiritual possession or a psychological disorder?” and the movie really focused on secular vs religious beliefs. The question is important because Emily Rose died as a result of her trauma and the priest who was working with her was on trial for negligent homicide.
We may have our own opinions about stories of possession. Most of the movies about this subject are embellished to the point that they seem ridiculous and unreal. And that doesn't help. But, in fact, spiritual possession is a real occurrence and we read much about it in the Scriptures.
The Gospel of Mark includes many stories about Jesus' healing power. He heals the blind and the lame. He heals paralyzed people. He cures people with leprosy. But among his healing miracles are exorcisms-- he was able to expel demons that had taken possession of people. Today's Gospel records an event that occurs at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He enters the synagogue to teach when a person with an unclean spirit cries out: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God! Have you come to destroy us?” In Mark's Gospel, no one really knows that Jesus is divine so it is clear that it is the demon within the person who is saying this. Because of this, Jesus silences the demon, rebukes it and orders it out of the person. We are given a vivid description of the person going into a convulsion while the demon leaves him. This causes amazement on the part of those who see the whole thing and they begin to wonder about the kind of authority Jesus has and who he must be.
Today, we don't hear much about things like demonic possession but that does not mean that people are not possessed. We are all possessed-- either by the Spirit of God-- or by a spirit of sinfulness and evil. We are gifted in so many ways as God's children but we can be emptied of those gifts if they are not cared for. And, once emptied of what is good and healthy, we become vacant receptacles for that which is not healthy. This may not happen in a dramatic way but, more dangerously, it can happen over time in an insidious manner usually by our own choices.
This past week, the clergy (priests and deacons) of our diocese attended a workshop in Visalia which dealt with the issues of addictive behavior. We all know and recognize that there are many forms of addiction and clergy are not exempt from suffering such addictions. What prompted this topic for our workshop is obvious. The Church has become painfully aware in recent years about the addictive behaviors of some of its clergy which have caused much damage to people's lives and to their own. The workshop focused on the variety of addictions confronting contemporary clergy including pornography (most often via the internet), gambling, food and alcohol. And what was interesting to me is that the facilitator, a psychotherapist who has worked for several years with clergy, referred to these addictions as diabolical. That is-- of an evil or demonic nature.
What is an addiction and can it be said to involve a kind of possession of a person's spirit and mind? An addiction is described as a persistent and recurring dependence on something that is not healthy. While addictions can begin in a relatively harmless way, the very nature of the beast is that it takes an increasing hold over a person who becomes increasingly powerless over the behavior. So much so, that an addiction can cause a person to become preoccupied and lose focus on work, people, finances, his/her own well-being and that includes spiritual health. Addictive behaviors can end marriages, careers and even lives. Persons in the grip of an addiction tend to lie, steal and live in denial. That is why it can be said that addictive behaviors are a form of spiritual possession. The sinfulness of the addictive behavior eventually takes over a person's will and makes it increasingly difficult for the will to tend towards God and towards what is holy.
The good news that is presented to us by today's Gospel is that the power of God is stronger than the power of sin and evil. We all have recourse the presence of Christ who can help us overcome our sinful addictions and tendencies. Those who have been delivered from the power of such addictions reveal that a strong spiritual life is key. Along with the help of professionals and support systems, those who are possessed by a sinful addiction learn to get back on track in their faith lives and to reorient their focus on what is truly good. While emptying themselves of that which tends towards sin, they learn to fill themselves with that which is of God. This involves prayer, worship, access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and embracing virtues which can help counter our vices. The person who is possessed by sin has the tendency to draw inward and lives in isolation from the rest of the community while a person who is possessed by God learns to live outwardly in a healthy balance with other people. So, becoming involved with one's neighbor and working on behalf of others is part of the remedy that can counter possessive kinds of behavior. But in order to move in that direction, we must first admit our sinfulness and our powerlessness so that we can learn to become dependent on God and not on something else.
I'm not sure what kind of diagnosis modern medicine would have made about the possessed man in today's Gospel. Whatever it may have been, he was a person who had lost control of himself and, right there in the middle of the synagogue, he squared off against Jesus in a battle between his darkness and the light of God. With only a word, Jesus trumps the man's darkness and frees him from that which had taken control of his life. That's the good news for us today. No matter what kind of sin may take possession of us, there is always the real possibility of being freed from that sin so that the light and power of Jesus Christ can fill us up.