Oct 11 Gospel about driving out demons

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Can someone explain the last verses of today’s (Oct 11) Gospel? On the USCCB website:

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Does this mean that a person from whom a demon is driven is worse off if he allows the demon to return to him? Presumably this refers more practically to grave sins because demonic possessions aren’t common.
 
on_the_hill said:
Can someone explain the last verses of today’s (Oct 11) Gospel? On the USCCB website:

“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Does this mean that a person from whom a demon is driven is worse off if he allows the demon to return to him? Presumably this refers more practically to grave sins because demonic possessions aren’t common.
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I think it refers to falling away. There are some harsh warnings, by the Apostles, if this should happen. Let’s start with St. Paul.

Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

St. Paul says that anyone who falls away, which I consider the equivalent of allowing the demons to return, it is “impossible” for him to repent again.

St. Peter says something very similar:

2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

I hope that helps.
 
I think it’s a warning against complacency.

Don’t rest on your laurels!

Keep moving forward.

There’s no “staying still” or stagnation in the spiritual life. You’re either moving towards God, or away from Him. Complacency can be one of those things that trips us up into unintentionally moving backwards.
 
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People ask to have their house blessed by a priest. This is a from of exorcism.

Imagine for a moment that there is objective mortal sin taking place by the people who live in that house.

They have Father come bless the house, but, they do not bother to repent their sin and amend their lives.

This Scripture tells us that those people are likely to have even more problems with evil.

Don’t leave the door open to evil by allowing sin in your life.
 
It means that when the evil spirit leaves, there is a void. That void needs to be filled up with God, or the evil spirits will come back one hundred fold.
 
What are the evil spirits you are talking about? Sorry if the question is stupid
 
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