(The Praying Nun, 1829, Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, German)
The local priest-exorcist received an urgent call from the Convent. That morning the Sisters woke up and went down to their chapel. They found their wood tabernacle upside down on the floor and the Eucharist still in its monstrance standing upright next to it. The Sisters were spooked.
The doors to their Convent had been securely locked the night before and were still solidly locked in the morning. Moreover, the handful of Sisters, all strong in the faith, were not awakened to any sounds through the night. The tabernacle had been bolted to the table and its base was now split in two. To split the base of the tabernacle and take it off the table could not have been done quietly. It would have required it being forcibly yanked from its base. In short, what occurred was not humanly possible on several accounts, as the Exorcist quickly surmised.
If the attack was demonic, and all signs pointed to it, why did the demons single out the convent? The Sisters live a short distance from the State Capitol and not far from an abortion clinic. They are a quiet contemplative presence and clearly pro-life, participating in local pro-life events. In the wake of the potential overturning of Roe vs. Wade, there have lately been a number of abortion advocates in front of the Capitol protesting. Are such demonstrations an opening to the demonic?
Satan choosing to harass these Sisters in such an obvious way tells us several things:
*The possibility of Roe vs. Wade being overturned is a huge threat to Satan’s
dark kingdom. He uncharacteristically broke out of hiding to visibly
threaten the Sisters. He must be desperate.
*The Evil One recognizes the power of the Sisters’ prayer and witness, and
believes it is essential to stop them in order to accomplish his goals. Perhaps
it is such prayer, as much as anything, that is turning the tide.
*While God allowed Satan to break their tabernacle, He did not allow Satan
to touch or desecrate the Eucharist. It remained intact and upright in the
monstrance. Jesus is Lord!
The Exorcist first cleansed their chapel and house, using the Leo XIII deliverance prayers found in the ritual for exorcists. Then he said to them, “These are just demonic antics. Don’t let them frighten you. That is Satan’s goal: to frighten you into backing off. Rather, it suggests that whatever you are doing is spiritually important and you ought to do more of it! Satan’s harassment is a confirmation of you and the importance of your life.”
Everything Satan does, much to his dismay and rage, witnesses to the Truth and redounds to his own destruction. For the Kingdom of God to triumph, it only takes a few faithful hearts dedicated to prayer and united in the Eucharistic Lord.
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