The Date with the Exorcist
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The Date with the Exorcist
Does the idea of a real-life exorcist invoke some healthy skepticism or cause a chill to run down your spine? For me, it was both.
I almost took a pass on attending a speaking event with Father Dan Reehil, official exorcist for the Diocese of Nashville, but not today, Satan. (And thanks for the push, Dom!)
Fr. Reehil became a Catholic priest after a career on Wall Street. His presentation was rich in lively anecdotes, practical advice, and well-timed jokes.
However, to my surprise, Fr. Dan Reehil spent almost no time at all talking about the details of demonic activity. Instead, he had some suggestions for how to fortify ourselves against it.
Who Needs Exorcists, Anyway?
There are four types of what’s called “extraordinary demonic activity:”
Demonic Possession - The devil or evil spirit takes over the person’s body and uses it as its own. This activity is the most rare.
Demonic Infestation - Evil is present in a location or item, such as a voodoo doll or Ouija board (apparently I was inviting demons to join EVERY sleepover between 4th and 6th grades).
Demonic Vexation - Physical attacks on a body, such as bites or bruises.
Demonic Obsession - Mental attacks on a person, so that everything the person thinks is being filtered through the demonic presence.
Let’s ponder the people in our lives who could probably use an exorcism. You can list names in the comments I’M KIDDING PLEASE DON’T.
Prepare to Die
You know Catholics - they’re all about that heaven! For those of us with end-of-life fears, Fr. Reehil compared death to the chariot that takes you to the pearly gates. Our misgivings may have more to do with how ready we feel, spiritually, to hop on the chariot.
Reehil illustrated this idea with a story about three boys playing soccer. They were asked, “If I told you that you were going to die in an hour, what would you do?” The first and second boys panicked, thinking about how an hour wouldn’t be enough time to go to church, go to confession, apologize to their mothers for misbehaving, and so on.
As for the third boy? “I’d play soccer,” he said. He’d already been to Mass, righted his wrongs, and forgiven those who’d hurt him. So he’d just play soccer till his time was up.
The Devil Loves Details
The result of listening to the exorcist? A feeling of calm in remembering that tending to our spiritual needs can be pretty simple. My favorite Reehil-advised action step was to take time while praying to listen to what God has to say to you with a journal and pen handy.
Reehil is worth seeking out if he’s speaking in your area. He joked that "there’s not a thought that has entered my head that hasn’t been published,” and sure enough you can find him on instagram, YouTube, and his podcast Battle Ready.
Recreate This Date
How: This date was in two parts for me. One was the attending the talk, and the other was examining what would enable me to just “play soccer” before my time is up.
You can search for exorcist talks to attend near you (why not?), or grab a journal and a cozy chair to commune with the Divine.
Travel Time: Pray here now!
Date: If you get to YouTubing, do it during daylight hours in case you rabbit-hole yourself into some scary exorcism footage.
Cost: Free
Meet ZARNA!
While driving this week, I was stunned to realize I hadn’t posted anything about Zarna Garg, the lovable, 50-year-old comedian who has been taking the world by storm. She’s the author of a forthcoming book and the writer/star of a Mindy Kaling-produced sitcom.
Here she is counseling her son on college admissions.
Zarna brings an unapologetic type-A energy to everything she does. You can follow her on instagram here: