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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Discerning Deliverance Ministry	Marie	Friday, April 23, 2010
Question: Dear Bro. Ignatius Mary, I joined the Catholic Church last year. Prior to doing so, I went through some demonic attacks and harassment. I have been working closely with a spiritual director, a spiritual counselor, and keeping in touch with an exorcist who gave me guidance to help me on the path to spiritual wellness through Christ. And I am doing well and have a close relationship with the Lord due to having a strong prayer life and a regular Sacrament life. However, I am now starting to have some thoughts and feelings about volunteering in deliverance ministry. I know through your site that to do so I have to be Catholic for five years -- so I have plenty of time to continue discerning about this (which is good, because frankly the idea still scares me). It will also give me time to discern with my spiritual director and counselor and to continue growing in faith in God and knowledge about the Church -- both things clearly need for this ministry. But for those four years are their any books you might recommend I read to learn more about deliverance ministry and exorcism? In order to help me figure out if this is where God is calling me? Thank you and God Bless, Marie
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Marie: I praise God that you have been delivered and moreso that you have entered the Church Jesus personally founded. It is true that one must be a Catholic in good standing for five years to graduate from our training program, but one can enter training before that. The training, in the first two years or so is the type that is formative. Thus, a lot of your formation as a Catholic can be within our program. As for discerning whether or not God is calling you to deliverance ministry, like it is for the priesthood or religious life, or getting married, that does not happen overnight. Part of the four years of training includes testing your calling, both for yourself, and also us discerning your calling. There is plenty time to figure out if God is truly calling you to this ministry. All that is sufficient in the beginning is that you have a clue, an idea, and a nudge in the direction of doing this apostolate. The final discernment will come later. The preparation to enter our program is the same as it is to develop a good Catholic life. Attend to confession and the Eucharist frequently, Mass at least every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, and more often if you can. Learn your faith, especially learn it well enough that you could teach it. Develop strong devotions to your favorite saints. A strong spiritual warrior must be firm in the faith and lead a devotional and intimate life in friendship with God before all else. I recommend the teaching tapes of Scott Hahn. He is wonderful teacher who will give you a great deal of information and bring you excitement about your faith. His tape on "Salvation History" is a must. In that teaching he talks about the five covenants leading to the New Covenant of Jesus. It leads you to understand the Old Testament, which is necessary to properly understand the New Testament. "Building a Catholic Biblical Worldview" is another one. In fact, there are no bad tapes with Scott, they are all great. I would suggest you listen to and study the material from Scott Hahn for the next year. Then if you are still interested, contact us. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Discerning Deliverance Ministry

Marie

Friday, April 23, 2010

Question:

Dear Bro. Ignatius Mary,

I joined the Catholic Church last year. Prior to doing so, I went through some demonic attacks and harassment. I have been working closely with a spiritual director, a spiritual counselor, and keeping in touch with an exorcist who gave me guidance to help me on the path to spiritual wellness through Christ. And I am doing well and have a close relationship with the Lord due to having a strong prayer life and a regular Sacrament life.

However, I am now starting to have some thoughts and feelings about volunteering in deliverance ministry. I know through your site that to do so I have to be Catholic for five years -- so I have plenty of time to continue discerning about this (which is good, because frankly the idea still scares me). It will also give me time to discern with my spiritual director and counselor and to continue growing in faith in God and knowledge about the Church -- both things clearly need for this ministry. But for those four years are their any books you might recommend I read to learn more about deliverance ministry and exorcism? In order to help me figure out if this is where God is calling me?

Thank you and God Bless,
Marie

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Marie:

I praise God that you have been delivered and moreso that you have entered the Church Jesus personally founded.

It is true that one must be a Catholic in good standing for five years to graduate from our training program, but one can enter training before that. The training, in the first two years or so is the type that is formative. Thus, a lot of your formation as a Catholic can be within our program.

As for discerning whether or not God is calling you to deliverance ministry, like it is for the priesthood or religious life, or getting married, that does not happen overnight. Part of the four years of training includes testing your calling, both for yourself, and also us discerning your calling. There is plenty time to figure out if God is truly calling you to this ministry. All that is sufficient in the beginning is that you have a clue, an idea, and a nudge in the direction of doing this apostolate. The final discernment will come later.

The preparation to enter our program is the same as it is to develop a good Catholic life. Attend to confession and the Eucharist frequently, Mass at least every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation, and more often if you can. Learn your faith, especially learn it well enough that you could teach it. Develop strong devotions to your favorite saints. A strong spiritual warrior must be firm in the faith and lead a devotional and intimate life in friendship with God before all else.

I recommend the teaching tapes of Scott Hahn. He is wonderful teacher who will give you a great deal of information and bring you excitement about your faith. His tape on "Salvation History" is a must. In that teaching he talks about the five covenants leading to the New Covenant of Jesus. It leads you to understand the Old Testament, which is necessary to properly understand the New Testament. "Building a Catholic Biblical Worldview" is another one. In fact, there are no bad tapes with Scott, they are all great.

I would suggest you listen to and study the material from Scott Hahn for the next year. Then if you are still interested, contact us.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.