ONCE, Christ went to a synagogue and started to teach the people who were impressed by the way he did it, since, according to them, “he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes.” (Mk 1,21)
Then came a man with an unclean spirit who cried out: “What have we to do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us?” (Mk 1,22) That was when Christ immediately told the unclean spirit to go out of the man, and it did.
This gospel episode somehow reminds us that when we are practically possessed by some evil spirits who would put us under their bondage, all we have to do is to approach Christ through the many means the Church now offers us. And for sure, that possession would be solved.
While we would ardently hope that the relief be immediate, we know that God in his own mysterious ways would also want us to do our part, and this may take a lot of time and effort. But we are assured that all our needs are taken care of. God’s providence never fails.
Nowadays, we cannot deny that there is practically a widespread demonic possession of people, even those who look good and holy, that puts them in the helpless condition of being addicted to pornography.
The reasons are easy to find: there’s first of all human weakness that is left unattended, then temptations that can easily be covered up and hidden are proliferating, what with the very easy access to pornography in the internet.
We all know that the consumption of pornography gives rise to significant obstacles to genuine progress in one’s interior life and even the balanced development of one’s personality.
We cannot and should not be indifferent to this issue. Some drastic measures ought to be made. And I believe that among the things we can do is first all to come up with plans of prevention and comprehensive education of people that should start from an early age.
In this regard, parents play a crucial role, and so, they should be the first ones to be educated about the proper use of technology, the danger of pornography and how it can be avoided.
They should delay giving mobile phones to their young children. They should learn the art of giving age-appropriate affective and sexual formation to their children. Alternative and healthy activities, like sports, hobbies and deep friendships can be suggested to foster a well-balanced life for their children.
Obviously, some personalized accompaniment of those affected should be done, where a wholistic view of the problem is sought, addressing not only the spiritual aspects but also the anthropological, psychological and emotional dimensions of the problem. In this regard, sincerity and complete transparency should be encouraged by treating those affected always with affection and understanding.
Another thing that can be done, and I think is very important, is the strengthening of the spiritual life, knowing that God’s grace and the spiritual means are fundamental pillars in the struggle for purity. Yes, frequent confession and regular prayers, even Eucharistic adoration and Marian devotion are very helpful in this regard.
We should also learn how to discern and identify clear signs of pathology in this area. For this, we may have to refer those affected to a specialist or a psychiatrist. In all this, a lot of patience is needed.
Let’s hope that we can really drive out this demon of pornography that is possessing a lot of people these days, especially the young ones.
