Last night, I rented a movie at Video City titled The Rite of New Line Cinema. It was a good movie where the faith in God of a seminarian has been tested. Featuring Anthony Hopkins (Father Lucas) and the seminarian named Michael (Colin O’Donoghue), the story tells us about how faith in God is being tested under different circumstances. In the making of an exorcist-priest, Michael questions everything he believes. Do devils really exist? Do they really possess human beings? This kind of stuff cannot be explained by merely looking at scientific theories and frameworks, e.g. psychiatry.
While he was in Vatican City to undergo apprenticeship under Father Lucas, he was able to witness exorcisms performed by Father Lucas. But when Father Lucas himself was possessed by the devil, he had no other choice but to perform the ritual by himself with the help of Alice Braca. The devil accused him of many things especially his doubts on God’s existence, or perhaps God’s presence in people’s lives in times of problems.
There are many times when our faith in the Supreme God is being tested. With the onslaughts we experience in life, we question God why He allows horrible things to happen to us. It seems that God doesn't make any sense at all.
