"Sin, Despair, & Hope" by Fr. Chris House
Sin, Despair, & Hope
As October approaches, this is the usual time of the year that I make time to watch the movie The Exorcist; some may find that odd but as its director, the late William Friedkin, said of the movie, it’s more of a theological thriller than a horror movie. This year I’ve decided to go for the book instead of the movie. I first read the book when I was in seminary at Mundelein in 1998, at the time of the 25th anniversary of the movie’s release; as with many stories, the book is more detailed (and frightening) than the movie. The story, written by William Peter Blatty, focuses on a twelve-year-old girl who is possessed by a demon and the investigation that ultimately leads to two Jesuit priests performing a major exorcism for her deliverance.
The book itself was inspired by actual events concerning a Lutheran boy in Silver Spring, Maryland whose family turned to the Catholic Church for help. The quest for help eventually took them to the Jesuits in St. Louis, Missouri where the boy (a girl in the book and movie) was delivered from the power of demonic forces after a major exorcism in 1949; the process of exorcism took weeks to perform. One of the most striking scenes in the movie is when the two Jesuit priests take a break in the midst of performing the needed exorcism. During this break, the younger priest, who has been having his own crisis of faith, asks the older priest why a twelve-year-old girl; the older priest responds “to make us despair.”
At the beginning of the Scriptures in the Book of Genesis we see that it is the devil who tempts us to turn inward on ourselves and away from God; that is the definition of sin. Daily we are tempted to serve ourselves, our wants, our desires, to be the ultimate end in ourselves. Let’s be clear: the devil does not make any of us sin; we make the choice ourselves even though the devil may give the invitation.
Sin directly separates us from God when a sin is ours, when it is the result of our own action or inaction. Sin can also attempt to separate us from God when it is the sin of someone else and we are moved to despair. This phenomenon can be especially profound with the reality of sin in the Church. We see evil committed by others and some run the danger of losing hope and falling into despair, which then can ultimately lead us to despairing of the goodness and love of God.
The Lord gives us strong words in this Sunday’s Gospel reading from Mark: if your hand, foot, or eye are going to keep you from entering into heaven then get rid of them. The Lord Jesus is telling us that there is nothing in this life, be it material things, relationships, pleasures, behaviors, whatever, that are worth risking the gift and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven. We are also warned sternly to be on guard that we do not lead anyone else into sin because the punishment for that will be severe.
Our sins separate us from God and they can also be a catalyst to separate others from him too. We must be on guard to seek the good, to seek the things of heaven, to seek God in all that we do. Personal sin can lead us to despair by falling into the trap of believing that we are unforgivable. The reality of evil itself can lead us to despair by questioning why God would let such things happen. As disciples, we are called to never lose hope: hope in the power of God’s mercy and forgiveness in our own lives and in the lives of others; hope that the grace of God can effect true change in our lives through conversion; hope in the fact that God is alive and at work in the world and that his sacred act of our redemption is on-going.
When faced with the power of sin, when tempted to lose hope because of evil in the world, let us always remember the words emblazoned under our Lord in the image of Divine Mercy: Jesus, I trust in You!
A Prayer for First-Responders
This Sunday, September 29th, is the feast of the Archangels Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. It is customary on this day to remember those who serve in our community as first-responders, be they police, fire, or other emergency personnel. For them, I invite us all to offer the following prayer: Merciful Father, I ask you through the Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, to watch over and protect all of the men and women who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbors. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!
Father Chris House
