Exorcism and the Kingdom of God: Freedom, Rightly Ordered Love, and the Service of Truth

1. In the Gospels, we see several exorcisms - the casting out of unclean spirits and demons from within people. Exorcisms were an important sign that accompanied the proclamation of the Good News that the Kingdom of God was near. Far from being “sensational” in any shape or form – in fact, ministers who abuse this sacred work of God and other sacred signs for their own glory or selfish ends are severely rebuked by Jesus in strong terms, “Go away from Me, all you evil-doers; I have never known you!” - an exorcism is both a work of mercy and an act of courageous charity – the humble servant of the Kingdom of God becomes a channel of God’s Holy Spirit – who is described in this passage as “the finger of God” – a reference to Exodus 8:15-19 and 2 Maccabees 8:18 – the God of Israel, who with a  “single beck” or a “single nod” who overthrows the powers of the Enemy and frees human beings from the tyranny of Satan, the “prince of this world” (John 12:31). 
2. The Kingdom of God manifests itself as a powerful presence which envelops Jesus of Nazareth from the time he returns in “the power of the Spirit” after praying and fasting in the desert (Luke 4:14). Radiating from His person, this powerful reality reaches towards every soul He encounters - and to those who were willing to welcome His Word – the Kingdom takes up residence within them and draws them deeper into the Source of its Divine Life, which is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul explains that the Kingdom of God surpasses following physical rules on eating and drinking, but “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). We can find an echo of this in today’s reading from his letter to the Galatians where he reiterates the primacy of faith, which transforms the nations from outsiders into sons and daughters of Abraham, and co-heirs of the promises of God to Israel. Those living within the Kingdom of God experience deliverance from evil, freedom from their sins, and above all, freedom to love as they ought, what Saint Augustine calls “ordo amoris” or “rightly ordered love”. Many of those freed from the power of the Devil follow Jesus, receive the Word of God and thus learn to live as His children. Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, was now free to love God as His beloved daughter with an intense love. 
3. In today’s Gospel, some people, however, make a disturbing claim: that Jesus exorcises demons through the power of Beelzebul. There is something sinister about this claim: in fact, the statement stems not merely from ignorance, but from deep seated malice. The attack is aimed directly at Jesus, and characterizes His power as stemming from the power of the very Devil that He came to destroy. In plain words, Satan is at work in Jesus. Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan (1 John 3:8). The response of Jesus engages fearlessly and reasonably with the claims of his malicious attackers – he not only answers them using their own terms but asking them specific questions, invites them in his unfailing charity to move from the falsehood of their statements towards the light of the truth. In this instance, Jesus also teaches them the reality that takes place in an exorcism: the evil spirit is likened to a strong man, fully armed, who guards his possessions. One would be foolish to engage such a strong man unless he has either the power, the skills or the weapons necessary to overcome him. The minister of the Kingdom of God, skilled in the art of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-20), through prayer and fasting made strong in the Spirit (1 John 2:14; Mark 9:29) and lastly fortified by the Word and Authority of Almighty God, is fully equipped to do battle with the Evil One (1 John 4:4), to bind him prisoner and to plunder and distribute his weapons and spoils (Matthew 12:29). The souls and their faculties which are held captive by the Evil One are now freed. 
4. However, Jesus warns that the battle is not fully over. The evil spirit thus driven out will always return unless the soul which is freed chooses to now freely develop and to use all its powers of reason and its other faculties to remain within the Kingdom of God. Though the soul is cleansed from the filth of possession, its house is empty if the Kingdom of God has not yet taken residence there. The point, our Lord goes on to say, is that there can be no middle ground, no neutral space. Jesus warns the exorcised – all the baptized are thus exorcised  - that unless they choose to make a conscious decision to “be with Jesus” and to “gather with Jesus” – they will end up being against Him, or will scatter what they think they possess and be overpowered again by wickedness – this last state of this soul is described as being worse than the first. 
5. Dear friends, Saint John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church, whose memorial we celebrate today, used the powers of his reason, which he patiently developed, to fearlessly and charitably defend the cause of the Truth. His sermons and extensive writings in the public square attracted many to the One, True, Holy and Apostolic Church – and they continue to teach and inspire thousands even today. Let us pray, asking his intercession that our own time of formation may be both a period of grace to deepen our own life with the Kingdom of God in all its grace and power, and also, like Newman, we may be able to develop and use the God-given powers of our intellect - argument, learning and precise definition – in the footsteps of Saint Thomas Aquinas – all used in meekness, charity – the parrhesia of the Apostles – the Greek word used to describe the boldness, the frankness enveloped in innocence (Acts 4:13), to combat false reasoning with true reasoning, using all of our own unique gifts and graces which are developed to the full in the humble service of the truth.
   These reflections were shared during the homily on the occasion of the Memorial of Saint John Henry Newman, celebrated on 9 October 2026.