The Occult

We are in the midst of a very dangerous world, with an ever increasing population that is seeking out the occult and witchcraft in large numbers. This has been an effect of the Harry Potter phenomenon, as well as other movies, television shows and books that have really jazzed up this movement to be something good. What it has done, in all actuality, is bring our young people into the realm of the devil, without their or their parents even knowing it. If you heard the show on the occult, you would have learned that people like Steve Wood and others have been involved in the occult or have ministered to those stuck in the occult, and they have seen the dangers of the movement for the well being of the young people, many of whom become depressed, angry and suicidal.



Reading books like Harry Potter is not harmless. Some people may be able to read these books and not be affected, but the majority of young people are impressionable and will seek out more information concerning witchcraft and spells. If you know anyone involved in the occult, pray some deliverance prayers for their release from the devil's grasp.



Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. What the people who seek out the occult are looking for, they will find in Jesus Christ. Sadly, many people seek out the occult to destroy Christianity, and you will find this even in our own Catholic Church, Catholic schools, and some orders of nuns. Extreme feminism has joined hand in hand with the occult and New Age movements. Our young people are being exposed to the occult in the classrooms, by people who claim to be Catholic. As a parent, it is your obligation to find out the teachers your child has and to make sure that they are not teaching your child anything contrary to the faith. And pray, pray and pray. Ask for the protection of St Michael, the Archangel and of our Blessed Mother so that the souls of your children will be protected from the evil influences that surround them. And probably most important, expose your children to good novels and books, like Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, or C. S Lewis' Narnia books. Michael O'Brien has written a very helpful book as well, called A landscape of Dragons: The Battle for your Child's Mind.

We have We Gone Wrong?

It seems that our young children, especially our teenagers, are falling into peer pressure and making bad choices because of a feeling that they are not loved or respected by their parents. It can be difficult, because I know that every parent believes that he or she truly loves their children. And I am also fully aware that as a parent, you are called to enforce the rules and hand out discipline whenever your children are not behaving. You are called to discipline and Scripture even says, "Spare the rod, and spoil the child." But this rod of discipline is not about punishing your children with physical punishment. The rod was a stick used by the shepherds to gently lead their sheep in the direction they wanted. When the sheep strayed off course, the shepherd would let them know that they needed to come back on the right path. You are the shepherd of your children, and you are called to the authority of leading your children down the right path, using your rod to prod them back.

Once again, it is all about communication. When you build a relationship of trust with your children and have open and honest communication starting when they are very young, they will also return that trust and share with you some of the pressures that they are experiencing. Yes, they will at times fall into this peer pressure, and they will seek to be more independent, but they will also seek your love and security to help them when they make mistakes.

Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and promiscuity are only three of the dangers that your teenager is exposed to. Another danger, and one that is growing at an alarming rate, is the occult. We will talk about this danger in an upcoming show.