Frequently Asked Questions
It is not clear what is required to be a member. What must I do to become a member of the association?
Answer: All that is required to be a member is that one says the daily prayers. If one decides to cease one’s association with the Auxilium Christianorum, one simply stops saying the prayers. There is no other requirement in order to be a member.
If I pray it to drive out demons, doesn't this open me up to attack?
Answer: The nature of the association is to provide protection for its members, not to leave them open to attack. It is by means of the ecclesiastical approval, i.e. by the protection of the Church, that the members are protected. In addition to the prayers which are efficacious in protecting its members, the power and jurisdiction of the Church likewise protect its members. Therefore those who pray the prayers and become members of the Auxilium Christianorum often experience a decrease in demonic influence in their own personal lives over the course of time.
Can those who do not have a regular confessor or spiritual director join without consulting a priest?
Answer: Because of the nature of this association, the members often experience an increase in their spiritual lives. For this reason, we strongly exhort those who contemplate joining to consult a priest or their spiritual director. By consulting a good priest or spiritual director, those wanting to join can be assured that they are spiritually prepared for membership in this association.
What is a consistent life of meditation?
Answer: Meditation is a specific form of prayer, different from vocal prayer, which consists principally in intellectual and volitional reflection upon some perfection of God, Our Lady, His saints or some mystery of the Church. All of the Saints observe that advancement in the spiritual life is not possible without meditation. For those seeking knowledge of how to pray mentally, they can obtain the book The Ways of Mental Prayer by Lehody published by TAN.
What is the difference between demonic oppression, obsession, possession?
Answer: These forms of demonic activity are called extraordinary because they do not occur with the same kind of frequency that ordinary demonic influence occur. Ordinary demonic influence occurs when a demon or demons introduce into our imaginations something to tempt us. Extraordinary influence occurs when, by the permissive Will of God, a demon or demons is allowed to influence a person in specific ways. Demonic obsession is when a demon repeatedly and constantly influences a person’s mind so that he cannot get a particular thought out of his mind. Demonic oppression is when the demons do not attack the person interiorly but seek to destroy the person’s exterior life which includes family, relations, work, physical health and things of this kind. Demonic possession consists in a demon or demons taking over the body physically so that the person does not have volitional control over what occurs bodily.
What happens if I fail to say my Rosary daily or the prayers for the Association of Auxilium Christianorum daily?
Answer: If one merely fails to say the Rosary or the prayers for the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum on a day or even for a few days but generally says the prayers, this does not affect their enrollment in the association. Daily recitation of the prayers and the rosary is exhorted in order to provide for the two principal aims of the association in the best possible way.
What are the sacramentals which are known to ward off and drive out the demonic?
In order to avoid superstitious use of these sacramentals, the laity are strongly encouraged to discuss these sacramentals with a knowledgeable priest. These sacramentals include but are not limited to: holy water, exorcized and blessed salt, votive candles, incense, holy oil (not Oil of the Sick which is destined for use in the sacrament of Extreme Unction), Epiphany water and medals (e.g. St. Benedict Medals – such as putting them at the entrance of each door and window of a home, on things that behave strangely, such as computers, and also with people) and sacred images. Holy oil may be used on the following:
- on persons, by placing the oil on the area that is influenced by the demon, or in the Sign of the Cross on the forehead
- on things by making the Sign of the Cross on the thing that is discovered to be influenced (this can include animals, although holy water is normally used on animals)
- on houses, Signs of the Cross are made over the entrances to doors and windows or on items in the house which are affected
The use of votive candles that are blessed using the old rite with old rite holy water are efficacious in driving out demons of the air; this is also true of exorcized incense.
Holy water: the use of old rite holy water is more efficacious than new rite holy water, based upon the nature of the prayers of the blessing. This does not mean that the new rite holy water is inefficacious; it simply is not as efficacious. In the absence of holy water blessed using the old ritual, one should make use of holy water blessed using the new ritual. Holy water may be used to spread around everywhere in houses, on people and on things; it may also be consumed by those who are having problems. Epiphany water is even more efficacious because of the fact that it undergoes a twofold exorcism.
Exorcized salt is efficacious in placing in locations that are influenced. Exorcised salt may also be consumed and used in cooking.
Why is it called the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum when the members are encouraged to strive to increase the devotion to Our Lady under the title of Virgo Potens (Virgin Most Powerful)?
Answer: The title of the Association of the Auxilium Christianorum is used to indicate that Our Lady aids Christians who are devoted to her and that this association was started to aid Catholics trying to lead a good moral and spiritual life. The devotion to Our Lady under the title Virgo Potens is encouraged because of Our Lady’s power in relationship to driving out the demonic.
Even if it is financially possible, is it required that each member of the Auxilium Christianorum keep a statue of Our Lady and a statue of St. Michael in his home with a burning votive candle?
Answer: There may be reasons other than financial which would indicate that it is not prudent to have a burning votive candle in front of the statues. For example, if there are small children in the home and there is no way to keep the candle or statues properly elevated out of the reach of the children, then one is merely encouraged to have some kind of image of Our Lady and St. Michael. If for legitimate prudential reasons one cannot burn the candle before the images, this is not essential or required but merely an act of devotion and encouraged to drive out the demons of the air.
Why is the litany of the Precious Blood included in the prayers?
Answer: Exorcists have known for some time that the Precious Blood has a particular power in driving out the demonic. This is often why in binding prayers invocation of the Precious Blood is also included.
Why is the litany of humility included in the prayers?
Answer: The demons are proud and hate the humble. The litany of humility greatly aids the humility of its members and therefore is a strong weapon and a form of protection against demonic influence.
Is there a difference between how a priest says these prayers and a layman?
Answer: Most of the prayers are said the same way by a priest and a layman. However, some of the prayers where the layman would make the sign of the cross over himself, the priest makes the sign of the cross, not on himself, but in the same manner he would when blessing people as a form of exorcizing the demons.
Why does the handbook and the website say that it has ecclesiastical approval without listing who gave the imprimatur?
Answer: In many dioceses, bishops have exorcists but they do not make the name of those exorcists known except to certain priests. This is done in order to protect the exorcists. In like manner, the bishop who gave approval for this association is known to the priests who have started it and will be made known to priests who need to know who gave the ecclesiastical approval or to members of the Magisterium. Otherwise, in order to protect the bishop and the priests involved, their names are not made public.
Why does the Prayer "August Queen of the Heavens" refer to Our Lady as the "Divine Mother"?
The prayer is included as an accurate translation from a vision given toVenerable Father Louis Cestac – founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Maryon13th January 1863 by the Blessed Virgin Mary from the French:
The reference “Divine Mother” is translated by some as heavenly but its actually meaning is a reference to her being the Mother of God. For further information see:
http://www.marysheel.org/two-prayers/5-august-queen-prayer.html
