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Thank you, Ambassadors. You are changing the world.

Okay. And then go.

Wonder opens our hearts to—

Beauty in the ordinary—

Miracles everywhere—

Holy moments.

Don't let the world steal your wonder.

Have you ever encountered someone possessed by a demon? We read over and over again in the Gospels about people who are possessed by demons. It's a mistake to encounter these stories today and say, possession by demons is an old-fashioned thing. That doesn't happen anymore. Don't be so sure. Doesn't your own experience suggest that it still happens? Haven't you witnessed people who were possessed? I have a clear image of what it looks like. Back when I was traveling all the time, I'd see people at ticket counters in airports screaming at the poor soul behind the desk because the flight was delayed. I remember one man screaming at the top of his lungs at this young customer service agent. His veins were popping out of the side of his neck. I thought he was going to give himself a heart attack. Throughout this episode, he was acting as if the airline representative had an extra $350 million jet at home in her garage and was personally withhoarding it just to ruin his day. He appeared possessed. Sometimes you witness someone who has had too much to drink and they take on the manner of someone possessed. Their personality shifts. Their inhibitions vanish. Their better self disappears. I've seen people possessed by jealousy, rage, wanton ignorance, petty power, greed, drugs, selfishness, and anger. In those moments, they don't seem reasonable. They don't seem free. They appear to be possessed by some evil spirit.

And we have all experienced different forms of possession ourselves. We've probably all been possessed by fear at some time in our lives. We can be possessed by ambition. Anxiety or depression can take possession of us. And we can become possessed by resentment, addiction, pride, lust, greed, or rage. If we're honest with ourselves, there's usually something unhealthy or counter to God's way that is possessing us at any given moment. And it needs to be cast out of our lives. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 21 through 28, we encounter one of the earliest miracles of Jesus' public life. Jesus enters the synagogue in Capernaum and begins to teach. The people are astonished, not because of clever words or polished delivery, but because Jesus teaches with authority. And then something interrupts the scene. A man with an unclean spirit cries out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." Notice this. The demon recognizes Jesus before most people do. Make no mistake, the devil knows his theology. He knows who God truly is, which is why he's afraid of Jesus. But he also knows how humanity tends to operate, and he's been adapting his techniques over millennia to lure us away from God.

In Rediscover Catholicism, I wrote, "Don't dialogue with temptation." Because once you open the conversation with the devil, he has plenty of tricks to play. He will wear you down, wear you out, and get your mind tripping all over itself. Jesus models exactly how to shut down the conversation. He doesn't argue. He doesn't negotiate. He doesn't explain. He simply says, "Be silent. Come out of him." And the demon obeys. Jesus can cast out demons with just a phrase, or sometimes a single word, "Go." That is the power of God. That is the power of Jesus. In every moment, that power is something we are either collaborating with or collaborating against. The best thing to do when we are facing temptation is to replace dialogue with the devil with the dialogue of prayer. That's how we invite the power of God into the circumstances of our lives and collaborate with His grace. Modern culture wants us to believe that evil is outdated, imaginary, symbolic. But Jesus takes it seriously. He confronts it directly. He names it and He casts it out.

We all need that miracle worked in our lives from time to time, because while possession still exists in the dramatic sense that we see in movies and on television, it often manifests today in quieter, more socially acceptable terms. The devil doesn't use spectacle when simple distraction will do. Fear tells us God cannot be dependent upon. Ambition tells us our worth depends on achievement. Anxiety tells us we are alone and unsupported. Addiction tells us relief matters more than freedom. These are not harmless thoughts. They are spiritual forces that work against God's plan for our lives. And Jesus still has authority over every one of them.

The most important detail from this scene in Mark's gospel, in every scene where Jesus casts out demons, is this: The demons leave because Jesus commands it. Freedom begins when we give Jesus authority in our lives. This miracle invites us to ask a dangerous but necessary question. What has authority in my life? What voices shape your decisions? Something always has authority. The question is whether that authority belongs to God or to something else. Many of us want God as a comforter, but not as a commander. We want His peace, but not His authority. And He doesn't want to negotiate with the things that are destroying you either.

When Jesus says, "Be silent, come out," He is restoring the man's freedom. And that is always His goal. God's authority is never about control. It's about liberation. There is something deeply hopeful about this miracle. It reminds us that no fear is stronger than Christ. No addiction is more powerful than His Word. No darkness is immune to His authority. But the reality is that it also makes us uncomfortable because Jesus will only cast out what we are willing to surrender. So today, take a quiet moment and ask yourself honestly, what is possessing you right now? And then, in the silence of your heart, invite Jesus to step in with authority and cast it out.

Trust.

Surrender.

Believe, receive.

Receive.

Receive. Your greatest ability is your availability.

Let God surprise you.

In today's lesson, we have all experienced possession. There are so many unclean spirits willing to take possession of us at any time. Resentment, addiction, pride, lust, greed, jealousy, rage, wanton ignorance, petty power, alcohol, drugs, selfishness, control, and anger. There is one name above all others that every evil spirit knows to tremble at, the Holy Name of Jesus. Learn to recognize the signs of possession: discontentment, an overly critical spirit, a dissatisfaction that cannot be soothed, a preference to argue rather than to resolve conflict, a general unreasonableness, an inability to say no, and an unwillingness to step away from a dangerous situation.

And today's virtue, freedom. Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. The virtue of freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right in whatever situation each moment presents. It therefore must be one anew in each moment, and can be lost in any moment. Today, I want to invite you to really stop and think about becoming a member of Dynamic Catholics Ambassador Club. If you're already a member, thank you. We're so grateful for your generosity, for your support, for sharing the message in your own community, in your own circle of influence. If you're not an Ambassador yet, click the button below, choose your welcome gift, and join today. Have a great day, and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

God of miracles, wonders, and grace.

I thank you for all the good you have done in my life.

For the miracles I recognize—

And the many graces I so often overlook.

I open my heart completely to you today.

Inviting you to completely inhabit my soul.

So that through me.

Others may encounter your love.

Your mercy.

Your compassion.

Your kindness.

And your staggering generosity. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Ambassadors. You are changing the world. Have a great day.

Have a great day.

Have a great day.