by I was going to write about this book after I finished it, but there's a few things in it I wanted to get to so I'll write about things as they come up. I'm currently on the 5th chapter. Up to now it has followed a priest from America from his calling to the priesthood up to how he ended up in exorcist school wondering what it is all about. At the moment he's still sceptic. I'm waiting to see if that changes and how.
So before I even started reading this book I had a quick glance at the [url]reviews on Amazon[/url], or at least the headlines, I hate anyone influencing my opinion before I read something. Many of the people said that this book had renewed their faith or strengthened their belief.
I thought, we shall see.
The prologue opens up with a woman lying on a black massage table while men struggle to hold her. The exorcist oversees this with his crucifix in one hand and small canister of holy water in the other pondering whether to continue after an exhaustive hour.
He proceeds to try cast out the demon. The woman screams, “The black one is here, the jinx”, (surely she wasn't talking about me?
), an indication she has been joined by Saint Gemma Galgani. “The little white one from Albania”, Mother Teresa.The demon (inside the woman) mouths of blasphemies and then resumes a childlike voice, mocking them, “Oh look at them! They are hugging and greeting each other.” Then resumes to a low, guttural, “Disgusting! Disgusting!”.
The figures appear to the young woman as if in a dream. Saint Gemma and a young looking Mother Teresa. The exorcist turns to the wall in the direction of her gaze and sees nothing. “Let us thank Saint Gemma Galgani and Mother Teresa for being here with us”.
The demon screams out, “Nooo. Him too!.” Some thrashing commences, the woman is pulled up, arms in front of her, as if by an invisible force.
She growls, “Totus tus”. The exorcist recognises it's the Pope, John Paul II and thanks him. The demon screams at him to go away. The Holy Father, in his 30s, kisses the woman 3 times on the forehead.
The father asks her to repeat, “Eternal Father, you are my Creator and I adore you.”
More wailing from the demon who staunchly refuses. The Father implores her, repeating the phrase.
The woman felt immersed in love as the figure of Mary approached in a gold and white veil that half-covered her face.
The demon cried, “No” a few more times and the woman snaps out of the trance stating, “A tear from Mary is all it took.”
Recognising the virgin Mary is in the room, the priest launches into a Hail Mary and is joined by the others present.
He asks the woman again, to repeat, “Eternal Father, you are my Creator and I adore you.” The demon trashes about again, not wanting to let go.
He repeats the incantation a few more times and others join in.
The woman, sensing the torment of the demon, saw the saints enter the room. “The white one, the black one and the little white one.”
The exorcist, sensing the change in tone, goes for a final push and in the name of Jesus asks that she repeat the phrase.
The woman pushes the words out of her lips.
The Father gets her to repeat twice more and finishes with the Eucharistic prayer.
“This”, said the demon, “humiliation was given for the Glory of God not because you commanded it, but because God commanded it. You are damned,” addressing the exorcist.
“Che Dio sia benedetto,” the father uttered.
“I go away but you are going to be damned for life,” said the demon, “You and your companions, you are going to be persecuted for life!”
[paraphrased summary with verbatim quotes]
Quite a portentous opening, one which I'm sure (hope) will be explained a little further on. And one which I'm not sure what to make of. There seems to be an element of trauma, hallucination, suggestion (by the exorcist) and interpretation.
There is a second encounter mentioned with an American priest who takes a confession from a woman who asks if he believes in demon possession. Unsure what to say he just says, "Yes." He continued to hear her confession and the woman grunted zitto (shut up). When he went to absolve her of her sins her face contorted such that she was unrecognisable. Her jaw became unhinged and dropped down, swinging from side to side 'til it was almost 9 inches open. The priest blessed her in the name of Jesus and it stopped. This was what brought this particular priest to Rome to become an exorcist. Not much is given as an explanation except that the priest sounded sincere.
So they're the juicy bits out of the way
Next up will be a bit of history on a tradition which comes, apparently, from Jesus himself and then a little on how to recognise Satan, should he come into your life.
Any comments on what has happened here?
I notice in the second one he mentions the woman's mouth unhinging and opening abnormally wide, but there's no mention of her being hospitalised with a dislocated jaw.
Any theories (besides, he just made it up
)
Yep. This is what they believe.
