Author name: Molly Hostetler

Each year we observe the mysteries of Christ’s incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension and anticipate his second coming. This provides a cycle of fasting and feasting in our home according to the liturgical calendar. We have enjoyed reading about others’ traditions and deciding what ours will be. 

The personal call of Christ to follow Him in a life of chaste celibacy brings a seminarian into a suffering that involves his whole person. Seminary formation serves such a man by assisting him to integrate chastity within his body. Such integration is the work of grace and the acceptance of personal suffering.

The Crusader, with the Templar as his exemplar, was the perfect example of the chivalric knight, of the good knight. The formation of chivalry was tied directly to this spirituality of Crusade. At the same time, back in Europe, these knights were building kingdoms based on the monastic reform ideals.  

On All Souls’ Day (and for the whole month of November) we focus on the Church Suffering: the Holy Souls in Purgatory, who are guaranteed to one day be in heaven, but who are now suffering and need our prayers.

Christians should not live in fear of the devil. We are called to be God-fearing people and what this means is that we live in awe of God and all that he is doing in our lives because of his great love for each of us. Our strength comes from “the Lord’s Resurrection, in the triumph of life over death, of love over hatred, of truth over falsehood, of light over darkness.”

There are several false religions or spiritualities in the world. It’s important to guard against falling into them, as they are almost always pathways to demonic interaction. Every measure must be taken to guard against the false promises of Satan in black magic, which has become readily available online and promoted in the media.

God enables our bodies to speak his life-giving language of love. Sex is God’s idea; it is not the consequence of sin. In marital sexuality the meaning of unity is evident through bonding, the purpose of unity is evident in babies, and the joy of unity is evident through pleasure. Here is a brief look at each of these three aspects.  

The word “occult” comes from the Latin occultus, meaning hidden or secret. Its basic principle is that people want to bypass God. The world of the occult is extremely complex and diverse. It is expressed in various ways by such things as superstition, idolatry, and divination, but ultimately falls under the heading of magic. All magic is inherently evil and very dangerous because it has its origin in “the dominion of darkness” (Col 1:13).