Demonic Possessions - Sacramentals
On Monday, Deacon Lawrence Mthethwa took time out of his busy schedule at the chancery to give me an interview, as I was interested in hearing more about the eerie events at our mission of a Zulu lady in her late twenties. There is no convincing Lawrence that we have a case other than satanic possession; such as an obsession, psychological aberration or depression. Nor could the Prayer Teams keeping vigil 24/7 be dissuaded otherwise either.
Some of these unusual events were related to me on the previous Friday when Lawrence stops in after leaving the chancery for home. He usually drops in to pick-up the weekly Zulu Catholic paper, UMAFRIKA and a fifty pound bag of dried soup, delivered monthly at the rectory on his way back home.
The mother, Ndokweni, told Deacon Lawrence that peculiar noises started occurring in her home, never experienced before. Her daughter, she said, was unaware of having fallen in love with a man who was also a Satanist. In retrospect it was realized that, that was when these weird happenings started to occur.
In conversation with her mother, the daughter tells of plans to purchase a flat in Pinetown. The mother forbids her to do so; however, after a bit, an agreement to rent an apartment was reached. After listening to the mother at length, Deacon Lawrence advised the mother to forbid her daughter to marry that man and the mother agreed.
It all began with beguiling behaviors in December. Her daughter wasn’t coming home after work anymore. The phone would ring at odd times with no answer at the other end, only strange and heavy breathing.
Then, one evening Ndokweni receives a call from a lady who asks her if she is the mother and then proceeds to tell her to please pray hard for your daughter as she is in danger. Pray as hard as you can, the lady pleads. The mother prayed through the night and through the morning. Deacon Lawrence comments that it is a well known fact that Satan works hardest from 12:00 midnight to 2:30 in the morning.
Physical abuse occurred in the relationship. At 12:00 midnight the daughter calls and pleads with her mother to pick her up. “Where are you?” and asks for directions. When Ndokweni arrives she instructs her daughter to get in the car, I’ll follow you and drive it back to the owner.
The daughter says “I can’t, a devil is in the car.” The mother then orders her daughter to get the keys and come with her. Arriving at the boyfriend’s house, the mother gives him his keys and tells him his car is at such and such a place and leaves with her daughter.
The next day, a Wednesday, Ndokweni invites the neighbors to come to her home and pray for her daughter from 7:00 in the evening all through the night and the next three days non-stop. With her body shaking violently, the evil spirit came out of her daughter on Saturday Evening and so did an excess of drenching water all through her bedding.
On the Friday night before, two ladies dressed in black came to the house requesting to take the daughter to their minister. The mother refused. On Saturday shortly after midnight ten people also dressed in black wanted to get into the house. However, fifteen Catholic ladies were already there praying and sprinkling holy water, calling upon the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This seemed to make the visitors outside not only shy away from entering the house, but run when the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel was recited.
Deacon Lawrence mentioned that the position of the crucifix in a home is quite important. As you walk in the front door it is best to have it in view of the person entering. The Bible’s position in the house is to have prominence as well. Sacramentals, such as blessed water, incense and rock salt are part of the Zulu Catholic household too.
I asked Deacon Lawrence about prayers he says during such times. He told me of three very powerful invocations he uses:
1. Mary, Mother who crushed the head of the Serpent, pray for us.
2. St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us
3. Precious Blood of Jesus conqueror of the Devil, save us.
Fr. Al