Maximilian Maria Kolbe – The Saint of Auschwitz

St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

1894 –

January 7, 1894: Maximilian Maria Kolbe was born Raymond Kolbe in Zdunska-Wola, Poland to a poor family. Both his parents were weavers – his father, Julius Kolbe, later joined the army and fought for Polish independence from Russia; his mother, Maria Dubrowska, later became a Benedictine nun. He was the 2nd child in a family of 3 children – like him, his brother Alphonse would also become a priest.

Maria Dubrowska

7 Years Old

1906 –

In the town of Pabianice, Poland, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the 12 year old Maximilian. In his words:

“That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me.

Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, and the other red.

She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns.

The white one meant that I should persevere in purity and the red that I should become a martyr.

I said that I would accept them both.”

1907 – Entered the preparatory seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lwow (Ukraine).

Parish Choir (1907)

1910 – Became a novice at the age of 16 and received his name in the Order, Maximilian.

1911 – September 5, 1911: made his first, “simple” vows.

1912 – November, 1912: began the study of philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.

1914 –

November 1, 1914: Maximilian took his final, "solemn" vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He also took the names Maximilian Maria to show his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the same year, his father was hanged by the Russians for treason.

1915 – October 22, 1915: obtained his Doctorate in Philosophy.

1917 –

October 16, 1917: the young seminarian gathered 6 of his friends in a room at their seminary in Rome's Via San Teodoro to establish the Militia Immaculatae (Immaculata Movement) – a movement devoted to the conversion of sinners through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On the same year, he began showing signs of suffering from tuberculosis, a disease which nearly killed him and caused him to be frail for the rest of his life.

1918 –

April 28, 1918: Maximilian was ordained a priest in Rome at the age of 24. The next day, he celebrated his first mass in the Basilica of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte at the “Altar of the Miracle”.

1918

1919 –

July 22, 1919: Fr. Maximilian obtained his Doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. Bonaventure in Rome, Italy. A Marian devotee, he also composed the Immaculata – a prayer of consecration to the immaculately conceived Blessed Virgin Mary; his insights into the Immaculate Conception will later influence the Marian theology of the Second Vatican Council.

1922 – Further spread the Movement through publishing “The Knight of the Immaculata” magazine.

1927 – Founded the Niepokalanow (City of the Immaculate Mother of God) monastery in Teresin, Poland; the community will soon grow to become one of the largest monasteries in the world at that time.

1930 –

Fr. Maximilian travelled to Asia to further spread the Movement.

April 24, 1930: he and his companions landed in Nagasaki, Japan. Despite arriving penniless and not speaking a word of Japanese, he began printing “Seibo no Kishi”, the Japanese version of “The Knight of the Immaculata” within a month.

1930

1931 –

Fr. Maximilian founded a monastery, Mugenzai no Sono (Garden of the Immaculate), on the slopes of Mt. Hikosan in Nagasaki, Japan. His choice of location to build the monastery was ridiculed by many – some thought it was unwise to build on the mountainside facing away from the town; others said it was bad “feng shui” according to local Shinto beliefs. Fr. Maximilian’s choice, however, would later prove to be providential (see 1945).

Later on, he would also travel to India to further spread the Movement.

1936 –

Fr. Maximilian returned to Poland because of poor health. Meanwhile, “Seibo no Kishi” circulation grew to 65,000.

1939 –

September 1, 1939: Nazi Germany invaded Poland marking the start of World War 2.

September 19, 1939: Fr. Maximilian was arrested for the first time and imprisoned.

Friars leaving Niepokalanow (1939)

December 8, 1939: On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Maximilian and the other friars were released from prison and returned to Niepokalanow the next day where they began to organize a shelter for 3,000 Polish refugees – 2,000 of whom were Jews.

Document issued by the German authorities (1940)

1941 –

February 17, 1941: Fr. Maximilian was arrested again and imprisoned at Pawiak in Warsaw, Poland where he was subjected to cruel treatment by the Gestapo.

May 28, 1941: Fr. Maximilian was transported via trainload of prisoners to Auschwitz Concentration Camp where he was branded/tattooed “Prisoner No. 16670”. He was specially hated by his captors for 2 reasons: being 1) Polish and 2) a Catholic Priest. Despite being ill, he was assigned the hardest of tasks and many times was tortured until he passed out. During one such incident, after being beaten and lashed by his captors, he was thrown in the mud and left for dead. He was smuggled by his companions to the camp hospital where he recovered. Upon returning to camp, Fr. Maximilian wasted no time resuming his ministry to his fellow prisoners by hearing confessions and celebrating mass.  

July 28 – August 1, 1941: During this period, a prisoner from Fr. Maximilian’s block (Block 14) vanished, prompting the Deputy Camp Commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch, to sentence 10 prisoners from the same barracks to death in retaliation.

Karl Fritzsch: “The fugitive has not been found! You will all pay for this. 10 of you will be locked in the starvation bunker without food or water until they die!”

One of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, imprisoned for helping the Polish Resistance, cried out: “My poor wife! My poor children! What will happen to my family?”

Upon hearing this, Fr. Maximilian took off his cap and silently stepped forward.

Karl Fritzsch: “What does this Polish pig want?”

Fr. Maximilian: “I am only a Catholic priest from Poland. Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children.”

According to a witness:

“From astonishment, the commandant appeared unable to speak. After a moment, he gave a sign with his hand. He spoke but one word: ‘Away!’ Gajowniczek received the command to return to the row he had just left. In this manner, Fr. Maximilian took the place of the condemned man.”

As the 10 were led off to basement bunker of Block 13 to die, Fr. Maximilian supported a fellow prisoner who could hardly walk.

Karl Fritzsch

Franciszek Gajowniczek

August 14, 1941: After weeks of starvation, Fr. Maximilian and his fellow prisoners were barely alive. Some were so thirsty that they resorted to drinking their own urine. Yet, not a sound of anguish was heard to come from the bunker; instead there were those of prayers and hymns by the prisoners led by Fr. Maximilian. Finally, the Nazi officials decided that the cell had to cleared-out to make room for other prisoners. As the executioner entered the bunker, Fr. Maximilian, the only one left who was fully conscious, said a prayer and offered his left arm to be injected with a lethal dose of carbolic acid. On the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of the one whom he devotedly loved all his life, Maximilian died.

1945 –

August 9, 1945: the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Mugenzai no Sono sustained minimal damage, with the other side of the mountain on which it was built taking the worst of the blast. It remains one of the most prominent monasteries in Japan until this day.

1969 – January 30, 1969: Pope Paul VI approved the heroic virtues of Fr. Maximilian and declared him “Venerable”

1971 – October 17, 1971: Pope Paul VI beatified Fr. Maximilian as “Confessor” at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy

1982 – October 10, 1982: Pope John Paul II canonized Fr. Maximilian, his compatriot, a saint and “Martyr of Charity”.

Pope John Paul II and Franciszek Gajowniczek at the canonization of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe (1982)

Every August 14 (St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe’s feast day), until his death on March 13, 1995, Franciszek Gajowniczek went back to Auschwitz to commemorate the life of the saint who died on his behalf.

Franciszek Gajowniczek (1995)

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.” 
(John 15:13)

Canticum Canticorum (#2): Father's Song (from the movie August Rush) by Leon Thomas III

Father's Song (from the movie August Rush)
by Leon Thomas III

Father hear me when I
Call Your name
I need You to answer me now

Father here I am
Weak in Your sight
Can You rescue me now

I'm crying out
Can't figure it out
On my own

حق الامتلاك

photo courtesy of Dan Ballard Photography

"Maaf zahir dan batin" ("Please forgive my physical and emotional wrongdoings")

Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim brothers and sisters.

An Essay on Morality: The Natural Law (Part 4)

photo courtesy of Chot Touch

Of the natural or moral law, St. Paul wrote: “the demands of the law are written in their hearts” (Romans 2:15). Indeed, that man should “do good and avoid evil” is self-evident to anyone endowed with reason. Natural law gave birth to what is known as natural or human rights. It’s a key element in the creation of the United Nations; its truth makes possible for people from different countries, cultures, ideologies, and religions to come together for a common good.

Man-made laws are valid only if they conform, and not conflict, with the natural law.

And, as with man-made laws, we can also choose not to obey the natural law – to our own detriment. To illustrate, consider the following example:

Alcohol consumption in moderation is acceptable and may even be beneficial health-wise; that being said, drunkenness is wrong and against the natural law, since, besides being harmful to one’s health, it also impairs one’s reasoning which is required for moral discernment. Initially, the penalty for the night’s intoxication is “only” the next day’s hangover. However, the penalties only get worse should one continue a lifestyle of alcohol abuse; it is common knowledge that alcoholics sooner or later suffer serious health problems and personal/social relationships issues.

Once again, this illustration makes perfect sense within the Christian religious framework, for to disobey the natural law is to sin and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In light of this, we can conclude that the natural law is “written in our hearts” for our own good. As C.S. Lewis wrote:

“In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or a strain, or a friction, in the running of that machine.”

Therefore, when we’re in disharmony with the natural law, we’re harming ourselves; and when we choose sin, we choose death.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law

Canticum Canticorum (#1): Shifting Sand by Caedmon's Call

Shifting Sand
by Caedmon's Call

Sometimes I believe all the lies
So I can do the things I should despise
And everyday I am swayed
By whatever is on my mind

I hear it all depends on my faith
So I’m feeling precarious
The only problem I have with these mysteries
Is they’re so mysterious

And like a consumer I’ve been thinking
If I could just get a bit more
More than my fifteen minutes of faith
Then I’d be secure

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

I’ve begged you for some proof
For my Thomas eyes to see
A slithering staff, a leprous hand
And lions resting lazily

A glimpse of your back-side glory
And this soaked altar going ablaze
But you know I’ve seen so much
And I explained it away

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

Waters rose as my doubts reigned
My sand-castle faith it slipped away
Found myself standing on your grace
It’d been there all the time

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

My faith is like shifting sand
Changed by every wave
My faith is like shifting sand
So I stand on grace

An Essay on Morality: The Conscience (Part 3)

photo courtesy of JaveFoto

What is conscience?

Conscience is the tool which enables man to discern morality – the distinction between what is good/right from what is evil/wrong.

C.S. Lewis illustrates the meaning of conscience with the following example:

Imagine you suddenly hear a stranger’s voice crying for help.

At that moment, you will probably feel two opposing impulses:

• First impulse is to run towards the stranger and help (herd instinct).
• Second impulse is to run away from the stranger for your own safety (survival instinct).

But then a third voice comes into play, urging you to follow your first impulse and ignore the second; this third voice is what we call the conscience.

Conscience can then be defined as the calling within, to always do what is good/right despite personal inclinations or feelings.

What are the properties of conscience?

The conscience is fallible

Earlier, we defined conscience as a “tool which enables man to discern morality”; and, like any other tool, improper use can lead to serious damage. Indeed, the conscience is not always right and can be mistaken. The conscience, man’s internal moral compass, is said to be broken when it does not point to the “true north” – that which is true and good. This can result from the deliberate and habitual breaking of the moral laws. Within the Christian religious framework, our conscience can be in a state of blindness by constant living in sin.

It is one’s responsibility to ensure the development of a well-formed conscience. For this reason, Christians are called to practice daily self-reflection and examination of conscience; this is necessary as we are often distracted by life’s trivialities. Christians use the Word of God as a guide to determining whether a conscience is well-formed: if in conformity then it is; if in conflict then it is not.

The conscience is authoritative

Peter Kreeft observed that granting consciences may differ, there remains an undeniable moral absolute: “never disobey your own conscience”. Of course one can deliberately choose to disobey one’s own conscience. But to do so is not without consequence. Indeed for some, one time disobedience can lead to a lifetime of guilt. The reason for this is, while the conscience is fallible, it is authoritative. Where does its authority come from? For the same reasons as with morality, the conscience’s authority cannot come from evolution, nature, or culture (man); its only plausible source is God.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience  
4. The Natural Law
   

Quote of the Dei (# 6)

photo courtesy of retooled11

"If the Devil is real, then God must be real, too."

- Ramirez (Jacob Vargas) in Devil (2010)

An Essay on Morality: Christian Morality (Part 2)

photo courtesy of mick y

Is morality only for Christians?

No. It is possible for an atheist to live a moral life, as it is for a Christian (or other theists) to live an immoral one. After all, everyone inherently share the desire for goodness and truth and the disdain for evil and lies. There are however, by default, differences in how morality is viewed by Christian believers and non-believers:

Source of morality

Christians:

• God – Christians believe that moral laws presume a Moral Law Giver.

Atheists:

• Evolution – a poor candidate as the source of morality. Morality simply has no place within the mechanics of natural selection. Altruism, for instance, cannot work within a system of “survival of the fittest”.
• Nature – is amoral and thus, cannot be the source of morality. Again, using a lion’s behavior as an example, it cannot be judged immoral for attacking and devouring its prey; it’s simply acting on its survival instinct.
• Culture (Man) – is dismissed as the source of morality by Peter Kreeft through the use of the following analogy (based on Immanuel Kant’s moral theory): A locksmith who locks himself in a room is not really locked-in for he can unlock himself. Kreeft further asks: “how can the one bound and the one who binds be the same?” In other words, it is impossible for man to impose morality on himself.

Judgement of morality

Christians:

Christian morality is summarized in the Ten Commandments. Thus, a person who commits a violation of any of the commandments, such as murder of innocent lives, is guilty of committing sin/immoral act.

Atheists:

Atheists often turn to nature and evolution to explain the existence of morality. However, neither explanation can account for how and why we judge certain acts as right or wrong; this is due to the following reasons:

• Nature’s indifference – As previously explained, nature is amoral; it knows not of good or evil. If morality comes from nature, then nothing can be judged as moral or immoral. But how can this be? For instance, how can someone view the Holocaust as anything but evil? As Scott Hahn wrote: “People will usually recognize evil, even if they are reluctant to recognize good”.
• Survival of the Fittest – Moral standards, according to the mechanics of evolution, works as follows: anything that aids self-survival is “good” and anything that aids self-extinction is “evil”. This is the morality of Nazism – an ideology responsible for the perpetration of the worst crimes against humanity. They alleged that the Jews and other “inferior” groups threaten the purity of the Aryan race and is therefore “evil”; they then justified the murder of millions of innocents as “good” because it aided to the survival of the “master race”.

Reason of morality

Christians:

The Christian answer is based on 2 premises:

• 1^st Premise – Morality is based on God’s nature
• 2^nd Premise – Man is made in God’s image and likeness.

In light of the aforementioned premises, man's moral obligation makes perfect sense:

Man is called to love because God is Love; Man is called to the truth because God is Truth.

Atheists:

In the novel “The Brothers Karamazov”, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote that in a world without God “everything is permitted”.

Why love and not hate?

Why the truth and not the lie?

Why be good and not be evil?

If God is not, then indeed, why not?

Despite the differences, everyone - Christian believers and non-believers alike, are called to live a moral life. There is an inner voice - the conscience, within all of us, urging us to do good and avoid evil. This is further proof of God’s love for us all; as Dinesh D’Souza wrote: “while the atheist may have rejected God, God has not rejected him”.

1. Introduction
2. Christian Morality
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law

Confrontation Between God and the Devil (by Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia)

photo courtesy of !Shot by Scott!

While my two companions and I were seated inside the small office where I sometimes conduct interviews, a self-assured woman entered the office accompanied by her father. She was a doctor who had just finished medicine from one of the top medical schools in the country. I agreed to meet her since there were enough signs that pointed to a great probability of extraordinary demonic harassment. An occult practitioner had warned her not to see me because I was “bad”. Nevertheless, she made up her mind to see me since no occult practitioner had yet been able to help her with her problem.

            She had been into the occult and had “duwendes” protecting her. The problem started when, after completing an important project in her life, she prayed to God and offered to Him the fruits of her work. After that, paranormal occurrences started to take place in her home, terrorizing her family. What was worse, within a short span of time, an alien entity had begun to take over her body and now she is frightened. Before the meeting, I had already asked Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales, my bishop, for the faculty to perform an exorcism. I knew in my heart that I would be needing it.

I greeted the client guardedly. Peering right into her eyes, I noticed that they were glazed. “This is not a good sign,” I told myself, knowing full well that the eyes easily make evident what is occurring in the depths of the soul. I turned to one of my companions in the office, one who is sensitive to spirits, and I noticed that she seemed sick. Again, not a good sign.

I proceeded to interview the doctor and her father more thoroughly. She was forthright with her answers and, as the interview progressed, I also tried to explain to her the probable spiritual dynamics that were occurring in her life.

I knew that things were not right when the father, who was not sensitive to the paranormal, told me that he felt the hair on his body stand. Unknown to me, my sensitive companion started to also feel the same thing. She told me afterwards that it was around that time that she also started to “see” huge dark entities pacing back and forth in the hallway outside the office. There was no one else on the floor where we were since it was already late in the afternoon.

I decided to end the interview by giving her some assignments to do. I told her to get rid of all her occult paraphernalia, bolster her spiritual life and start using the sacramental of the Church. As we all stood up to call it a day, she asked me to bless the water that they had brought along. I readily agreed. With my two companions beside me, and she and her father in front of me, I started the prayer of blessing.

A strong voice suddenly erupted from the young doctor’s throat. “Stop!” I stopped the prayer immediately wondering what was wrong. But even before I could lift my eyes to look at her, my gut was already telling me that something was unusual with her voice. It sounded like hers but not totally.

            As my gaze rose to hers, I realized that my foreboding had just come true. I was not looking at the eyes of a young woman. Her eyes were now alien and snake-like, filled with arrogance.

            “Stop that!” she said again.

            My mind was reeling at what was happening, trying to put two and two together. I was caught unprepared. This was the first time in my life that a demon had spoken directly to me.

            The woman then arrogantly crossed her arms and gave me a look that was telling me, “What will you do now?”

            I gulped. My mind was racing for the right response. I knew that through her stories that she could remain in this possessed state for more than an hour. Nervously, I grabbed my “exorcism kit” from the table nearby and quickly pulled out my manual of prayers. I could sense the heavy fear rising in me like a giant tidal wave about to hit land.

            Trembling, I used all my willpower to calmly leaf through the correct pages where the deliverance prayer was. The entity eyed me with a piercing gaze as I placed my hand on the woman’s head and began to mouth the words of my command. Even as I started, I knew that I would fail; there was so much fear in my heart and so little faith. My words rattled as they left my lips and my knees wobbled from the strain of trying to remain focused.

            The woman slowly took hold of my hand that was on top of her head and, in an almost snake-like manner, removed it. She then moved backwards slowly and very confidently sat on the soft-cushioned chair just behind her. She folded her arms defiantly and stared at me. Trying with the best of my ability to remain calm and collected, I again mouthed the word of my command. The entity at the same time started to mockingly laugh, voicing out the chilling words, “Is that the best you can do? Priest? You cannot get rid of me! I can stay here all afternoon!”

            It knew that I was afraid of him and that I do not have the faith to drive him out, my heart silently moaned. My companions by this time were hiding behind my back since they had no firsthand experience with possession cases. The father remained immobile and rooted on his spot.

            The entity continued its tirade of mockery against me. “Why do you do this, priest? Go back to your mansion! You cannot be happy doing this! You are a rich man!” It knew my background! This was further parapsychological proof that an alien entity was at work. I could now sense the very dark and evil presence all around me. This was one powerful spirit given free reign in the life of this woman.

            “Lord, what am I to do? Help me!” I called out silently from the depths of my heart. At that precise moment, I realized my weakness, the answer to why my prayers of command were ineffective. I did not have faith and the demon knew this. It also knew that I had fear in my heart. Yes, demons can know the emotional state of a person by his bodily reactions.

            I knew then what I had to do. I had to draw from within me the faith that could move mountains. Without delay, I silenced myself and entered into God’s presence. “Lord, grant me the strength I need to bring Your victory in this deteriorating situation,” I prayed.

            In response to this desperate cry for help, God gave me a feeling of peace and quiet confidence which entered my heart little by little. I opened my eyes and peered into the eyes of the sneering entity. I did not approach her but simply extended my hand towards the young doctor and spoke the words of command with calm authority.

            The voice of the entity immediately changed from one of arrogance to one of anger. “Stop that!” it said. I knew the Lord had joined the battle against this demon.

            As I continued to repeat the prayers of deliverance with more and more boldness and faith, the demon became totally uncontrollable in its rage, screaming in hatred and pain. Miraculously, the body of the possessed doctor could not get up from the chair where she was seated; she remained rooted on the spot, taking the spiritual bombardment.

            With renewed courage, one of my companions grabbed a bottle of holy water and started to sprinkle its contents on the woman. But the water did not and could not touch her. Some sort of invisible shield was protecting her!

            I approached the possessed person and placed my face close to hers to meet her gaze directly. I remembered a teaching which said that if you do not know the name of the demon, you may still directly command it by looking into the victim’s eyes, which is usually where the evil spirit manifests itself most visibly.

            The entity avoided my eyes, averting its gaze by looking at the ceiling. Tears were flowing from the woman’s fearful eyes. Strangely, my companions later told me, whenever each of them peered at the woman from their hiding place behind my back, the entity would be eyeing them diabolically. I told them that this was impossible because I watched the person closely the whole time that the demon started to get hurt and it never took its gaze off the ceiling.

            As I continued my barrage of prayers, I kept my eye on the entity as I grabbed my “exorcism kit” with my free hand. I hurriedly grabbed my other tools for the spiritual warfare: the exorcism crucifix, the holy water, the exorcised salt, the exorcised oil, The Roman Ritual for Exorcism, some other prayer pamphlets and a first-class relic of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I scattered them hastily on the table for easy access. The entity continued to scream with fear and pain but was obstinate in remaining within the woman. “She is mine! She is mine! I will never leave!” it screamed.

            I held the relic and cupped it in my hand. Quickly, without the entity seeing it, I placed it on top of the possessed woman’s head. The screams became louder and deafening as I struggled to keep this holy object – which tortures and “burns” any spiritual being – in place.

            “No! Stop! Stop! Sit down and let’s talk about this!” it screamed, pleading and pitiful.

            “I do not dialogue with demons!” I shouted back. “Leave her or I will continue this torture!” I knew at this point that the demon was weakening since it was now bargaining with me. This time, when my companion behind me used the holy water, the victim screamed in pain as though she was being burned. The father, who was crying on one side of the room, dashed forward to wipe off the holy water from the “burning” arm of his daughter. I firmly grasped his arm and told him loudly that it was not his daughter who was in pain, but the demon within her.

            He backed off, wavering but still clutching his handkerchief which he planned to use to wipe off the sacramental. By this time, I could sense that my energies were fast being depleted due to the intensity of the emotional, psychological and spiritual struggle. I had to keep my focus on commanding with faith and authority as well as deflect the emotional fears and anxieties that the demon was sending my way. We must keep in mind that when one is a beginner in spiritual warfare, he must have the discipline to control his mind and thoughts and remain focused since the devil can harass us with obsessive thoughts during the encounter. Our imagination must also remain under our control, as well as our feelings, since the devil can sometimes put images that distract us from the encounter and amplify any negative emotional openings that we may have.

            Throughout the ordeal, the victim was sometimes aware of what was happening; other times she was not. She felt, as she related to me later on, that her soul was in one tiny corner of her being. She also stated later that during this encounter, the spirits which manifested themselves were more powerful than any she had experienced before. She was aware that she was snarling and shouting in pain although she herself experienced no physical pain. Her father also told her that she screamed the loudest when the exorcism crucifix was placed on her head. She had tried to fight but her face was contorting badly and her body merely continued to snarl and growl at me.

            My knees now started shaking uncontrollably due to fatigue and tension although it had been, I believe, just less than ten minutes since the confrontation started. I then took The Roman Ritual of Exorcism since I had been given the faculty to perform an exorcism on this woman. I thumbed hurriedly through its pages while holding the exorcism crucifix with my free hand. As I mouthed the words in the solemn rite, the high emotional tension in my body started to inhibit me from forming the words properly. To my frustration, I got tongue-tied but still did the best that I could to continue. The screams from the possessed continued unabated, but nor for long.

            My blood turned cold when the voice that came from the woman said with renewed vigor and power, “She is ours! She is ours! We will never leave!” An important rule that I had not done because things happened so fast was to seal the place so that any spirits within the vicinity would not be able to give support to the entity within the possessed person. Now, the evil spirit was no longer alone. It had gotten reinforcements to aid it!

            I bent down in tired frustration with my hands on my shaking knees. I knew that I could not keep up this struggle for long. I then prayed a silent prayer to Mama Mary for her powerful intercession. “My Mother has never ever failed me!” I thought.

           

            Suddenly, an inspiration hit me (thank You, Mother!). This young woman must herself enter into the battle and tell God that she chooses Him and not the demon! In any exorcism, the possessed person must renounce the devil as much as he can, with the freedom remaining in him, especially if he has been involved with satanic activities. Then he must choose God with as much passion as he can muster. This would then release any “right” the devil has over the person.

            I took the woman’s hands and placed the exorcism crucifix into them. I told her to loudly say the words, “Jesus, I love You!” I was hoping against hope that wherever her consciousness was imprisoned in, she could still hear my words. Her father and my two companions joined their voices with mine in telling her to call on Jesus. The young woman’s consciousness suddenly emerged and came into the foreground and she immediately started to mouth the words, “Jesus, I love you.” As she tried to repeat these words a second time, her mouth froze at the beginning of the word Jesus. She couldn’t seem to continue. I could see the struggle in her pitiful face as she tried unsuccessfully to say the Name of Jesus while gazing directly at the crucifix she was clutching. The spirit was preventing her from speaking! She seemed like an infant desperately trying to speak its first words. The whole group then gathered around her encouraging her to say the Name of Jesus and to fight whatever was holding her in bondage.

            As she struggled with almost superhuman effort, my mind was silently praying “Dear God, please help us. Please help her!”

            Suddenly, the words burst forth from her lips. “Jesus! Jesus! I love You, Jesus!” As she repeated these words over and over again, I saw her tearful and sweat-filled face beaming and now at peace. She held the crucifix gently and tenderly kissed it.

            “She is back,” I told myself, “The demons have departed! Thank You, Dear God! Thank You!”

            My knees then gave way at that precise moment and I flopped down into a nearby seat. “The Lord truly came at the perfect moment,” I reflected, “I would have collapsed from exhaustion if the struggle continued any longer.” My companions were also visibly drained and shaken by the experience but relieved as I was that the battle was over. The victory was again the Lord’s!

            Although we were rejoicing, I knew that the war was far from over.

Reference/s:
Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia (2006). Exorcism - Encounters with the Paranormal and the Occult. Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc.

An Essay on Morality: Introduction (Part 1)

photo courtesy of Daniel Sanculi

What is morality?

Morality comes from the Latin word moralitas, meaning "proper behavior". It can be defined as the distinction between what is good/right from what is evil/wrong.

What are the properties of morality?

Morality is distinctly human

While some display behavior that might seem like moral sentiments, animals primarily act on instinct. For example, a lion will mate with as many partners and as often as possible because it simply has no choice on the matter and only acts on its instinct to propagate. Humans, on the other hand, know that at the very least, there has to be limits on sexual behavior. This is the reason why we put sexual offenders in prison.

Morality is universal

Consider the following facts:

• Every known culture has a system of morality; every known culture has their own version of the Golden Rule/Law (“One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.”).
• Everyone prefers virtue, though more often practice vice; e.g., even a cheat don’t want to be cheated on.
• Everyone endowed with reason knows that one ought to be good and not be evil; anyone who believes otherwise belongs either in a mental hospital or in jail.

Morality is absolute

The following are examples of moral relativist/subjectivist self-refuting ideas:

• The relativist/subjectivist says “there is no absolute”; yet this itself is an absolute statement.
• The relativist/subjectivist says “there is no truth”; yet this itself is a statement claiming to be true.
• The relativist/subjectivist says “you should not impose your morality on me”; yet this itself is a statement of moral imposition.

The fact is we all have absolute moral standards that we use to judge the behavior of others. And while there are differences in the particulars, there is agreement on the fundamentals. For instance, while we may argue on the morality/immorality of capital punishment, we all agree on the value of protecting innocent life.

1. Introduction 
2. Christian Morality 
3. The Conscience 
4. The Natural Law