Jesus performed many exorcisms as part of His public ministry. These were signs of His divine power, as He had, in himself, full power over demons. He had no need of any object, name, incantation, or prayer, like the other exorcists of His time. Jesus also explicitly empowered His twelve disciples with authority over demons
St. Paul advises us to think about whatever is dikaia, which is justa in Latin and just in English. So just what is dikaia, justa, or just? Let us begin by examining definitions of justice from great thinkers, including a great Greek philosopher and two great Latin-writing theologians, all of whom are addressed in the
Many people would agree that being “active” is better than being “passive,” as being “active” is more proactive. When we assess a person’s personality, being active is regarded as merit, and being creative in such “activeness” is even more appreciated. Yet many things in life require you not to do but “to tolerate.” You have
The science of prayer is the science of the conversation of man with God. Prayer itself is the unfolding of our mind before the Most High and in His presence. It begins by a desire on the part of the soul to put itself in the presence of its Creator; in its development, it tends
It was July 2, 1945, at eight o’clock in the evening. It was time to lock the doors of the shrine for the night, and as I came out of the chapel, I saw that it was raining—soft, summer rain, cool and refreshing after the heat of the day. It was almost symbolic, I thought,
We were made to ask the big questions: For what purpose do I exist? What happens to me when I die? Is there an all-powerful God who loves me? If we accept the lie that life has no meaning, that this is all there is, we’re led into what Pope St. John Paul II described
The Synoptic Gospels present Jesus as a teacher, healer, and exorcist. He was not very unusual in that. There were other charismatic healers and exorcists at the time. There was, however, something very unusual in the way Jesus did exorcisms. We can best see this in His first public miracle in the Gospel of Mark
Although we should do what we can to avoid the temptations we are able to foresee, temptations will nevertheless arise that we are unable to avoid. These we are called to resist. The first measure in resisting temptation is to seek the help of God. If we think that we must resist all temptation by
Our interior conversations come to silence when we learn to transform them into prayer. As a rule, only God can have direct access to the hidden thoughts of our hearts and minds. But it is commonly held that the saints and angels can also know our thoughts when we freely choose to speak to them
In prayer, the Church turns toward Almighty God; accordingly, prayers are part of the Church’s liturgical action. Sacramentals “always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).” At this point, a first and
