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My mom is a Christian but not a Catholic Christian. She currently attends a church in the home of her friend and the church they go to is called Bethel church — I'm not sure if you've heard of it or if it is actually considered a church. I haven't done much research on it but growing up, we always went to evangelical churches or a Baptist church for a short time as well.
Anyway, I have a 10-month-old son who has a lot of trouble sleeping. My mom recently suggested he could have something dark attached to him in the spiritual realm that is causing him to not sleep well. She told me that I should go around his bedroom, anointing it with frankincense while praying.
While I completely believe in the spiritual realm, I am uninformed on how a regular Catholic-Christ follower, like myself, should go about interacting with the spiritual realm.
Is this something the Catholic Church would give guidance on?
Thank you!
Amy
{
How does a Catholic interact with the spiritual realm and discern the type of problem my son has? }
Bob replied:
Amy,
I am not familiar with this particular church, but I'll assume your mother's church is some Protestant brand of Christianity. They will be more or less correct inasmuch as they differ from the Catholic Church as to who holds the true faith.
In any case, I wouldn't presume that something demonic is involved in your son's troubles. Perhaps calling to your physician would be appropriate, unless there are more signs of something you haven't indicated.
Frankly, the Catholic Church knows more about the demonic than any other church, although average Catholics really don't have a clue. It seems that whenever Protestant exorcism attempts fail, they reach out to the Catholic Church. We have the Apostolic authority in every Bishop, so we have been at this war since the beginning. The opposite end of the spectrum believes everything can be healed in the physical realm, and so the spiritual realm is ignored. We must sit somewhere in the middle.
So, your mom is not completely wrong. It is a possibility (though I imagine unlikely given the myriad possibilities of child issues), of being a spiritual problem and if it were the case, protecting your home spiritually is a must.
Prayer, blessed salt, holy water, and special prayers of deliverance have been part of the Catholic Tool Kit for centuries. Know the St. Michael prayer:
Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host —
by the Divine Power of God —
cast into Hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
