Jezebel spirit? QUESTION from Teresa September 24, 2001 Dear Bro John Paul
i hope you remember my previous questions. I don't want to take up your time with the history of this situation. Our pastor has become very dependent on his secratary and the confirmation coordinator. Both these women have told me to get out of Dodge, because he is a long time friend and my 3 sons confirmation sponsor. I don't want there jobs, pose no threat to them. 6 years ago god asked me to pray for this good priest , said it would cause much joy and suffering.
Last week I came home tired after helping our youth group deal with the horrible crisis in our country, but was happy because the kids had shared thier feelings and we had educated them a bit on Catholic teaching on war from the Catechism. On my computer there was an e-mail from the pastor, saying I was infecting the youth dpt, bringing grief to him and his work. I immediately quit youth ministry. The next day he e-mailed me, and was mad because I quit. The youth directors are beautiful people, but are very discouraged that I left and cancelled next weeks youth retreat, because I told them i wouldn't help.(out of obedience to Fr. J).
I have never had a vision or heard god audibly, but during my holy hour He seemed to show me that there is a real ugly spiritual battle in my parish, right now, because Fr J dedicated the parish to Our Lady and began Perpetual Adoration ( life long dreams for him) He is being held hostage, saying and doing things that are totally not like him, then changing his mind the next day. He would never make me and so many good people suffer this way, unless he was suffering himself. The youth directors are very discouraged because I have been deactivated, but I told them to keep fighting for our pastor/ friend, our youth, but mostly for Jesus and Mary.
I have been sidelined, wounded in the battle, but victory is around the corner and they must keep fighting. In january, before I had even heard ofthe Legion of St, Michael I was at a youth leader training retreat and was given a card in front of the Blessed sacrament saying that St. Michael would be my patron in this difficult millenium. Within a month 2 of my sons chose St. Michael as thier confirmation Saint. I felt inspired to give our pastor a saint michael medal. Good, simple people in my parish are getting discouraged. The elite powers,basically these two women are running everything.
Fr Joe is a perfectionist, harder on himself than anyone. Perfectionism is an insidious evil, because it comes under,a cloak of superiority which is false purity, vs true purity which is bathed in humility. Perfectionism breeds discouragement, kills joy, leads to despair, and brings about the very mediocrity it loathes. The opposite of perfectionism isn't shoddiness or mediocrity. I don't know what it is. Positive growth maybe?
what do I do? I am in over my head, but nothing is too hard for God. I just want to be obedient and faithful
god Bless teresa OCDS
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on October 9, 2001 Dear Mrs: Teresa:
The situations you are relating are standard fare for the Jezebell Spirit. This insidious and grotesque spirit has infected many parishes. It usually attaches itself to women (and there are specific reasons for this), but men can be affected too.
In situations like this we need to remember that only God can deal with this. Sometimes we just need to back off and get out of harms way and retreat into prayer. Prayer is the most important weapon. Prayer is what the Jezebell spirit does NOT want you to do. The tactic of the Jezebell spirit is to get a person upset and frustrated and intangled in parish intrigue and political struggles to the point that one's prayer life suffers. When that happens, STOP, RETREAT, PRAY.
Pray for this Parish Priest. He is obviously under severe pressure and harassment from this Jezebell Spirit. Pray for his fortitude and courage to stand up against these forces that are bringing the parish down. He can do a lot to rid the parish of this spirit by spiritual warfare prayer in the name of his priestly ministry and by taking control over the actions of these women and firing them from their positions of influence. He needs to remember that he is the boss, not them.
Pray, pray, pray. That is the main weapon.
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