Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

In todays passage, we are focusing on the power that Jesus gave His apostles to heal and exorcise. He gives us all that same power, through our baptisms. When we are baptised we participate in the same offices of priest, propet, and king that Christ established in His life. So when we act in faith, in Jesus’ name, we carry the power of these offices, and we too have the ablity to heal, to prophesy in Jesus’ name, and even drive out demons. But there is a limit, we cannot do anything that Jesus did, the difference between us and Him is authority. Our authority is limited to those people and things that God has given us authority over in this world. In order to be effective you need both Power and Authority. Power gives you the ability to do something in Gods name, but it is only under the correct authority that your powers will actually be effective.

Jesus’ apostles were the predecessors to our current popes and bishops. A Pope has the full power of Jesus for healing and exorcising over the whole world. A bishop has that same authority, but it is limited to the jurisdiction of his diocese, and every single soul that is under his protection and anyone that he also bestows that power on (ie an exorcist). The bishops and their designated exorcists are the only ones that have the authority to drive out deamons in other people within their jurisdictions. The father of a catholic home has the same power and authority, as a bishop, but his jurisdiction is limited to his own home and his own spouse and children, and even sometimes his place of work, if he serves as the patriach of that workplace.

Without the proper authority though, or if you swerve outside of your authority, you will attract the attention of other demons and possibly receive retaliation. Everything in Gods kingdom is governed by power and authority, and if you do not have both the power to do so through christian baptism, and the proper authority over the thing or person in question, the demons will notice and retaliate against you. Exorcist Chad Ripperger says that demons are like “lawyers from hell,” and they follow Gods law to the letter. It is funny, but they respect God’s law better than most humans do, because they are literally bound by natural law, and do not have a choice. But they also know all the loopholes in human behaviour, and they will exploit them all, to punish us dearly if we dare to step out from under Gods protection.

Nevertheless the message for us today is clear. That with the proper authority, we have the power to heal, prophesy, and to exorcise…, In our homes, in our families, and in our places of work if they are under our jurisdiction. And more than that we are called to this vocation, it is not optional. If we have this opportunity, and are properly authorized, we must not fail to act. You must act toward the end of saving the souls of those that God has put into your life, and do not allow the forces of darkness to corrupt and destroy them…, the Kingdom of God depends on it.

Please lord help me today to find a way to evangelize, and spread your kingdom in this world, and to accept and properly use the authority given to me from above, amen.