Drive out demons and heal, too

                                  Jesus demonstrated his power through signs to prove the truth of his words.  He also said that certain signs will accompany his true followers (Mark 16:17-18).  As members of the Church, we, too, can:

Drive out demons:  Jesus called Satan, "the father of lies" (John 8:44).  Satan spreads deceit and despair throughout the world.  The truth of the Gospel overpowers Satan's lies.  Whenever we bear witness to the Gospel, we help to drive out demonic forces.

Speak new languages:  The Gospel truth never changes but making sure it is heard may mean changing methods to suit the time, culture, and place.  Sometimes this entails learning new vocabulary or ways of communicating, such as social media, to reach more people with God's message of love and hope.

Pick up serpents.  Nothing is more poisonous to our relationship with God than yielding to temptation.  Temptation, depicted by a serpent, was Satan's weapon against our first parents.  When we use the Church's tools, including the Gospel and the Sacraments, we can safely handle the poisonous serpent of temptation.

Heal the ill.  Physical illness can be devastating, but so is the great spiritual sickness, ignorance of God.  We don't all have the gift of physical healing but when we proclaim the Gospel, we can bring healing to those who don't know God.