Devils lurk in hotel rooms

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Although it is easy to accuse anyone of superstitious behavior, one should also remember that “reality” is never confined to the visible. That’s why our Nicene Creed uses the the phrase “…all that is seen and unseen…”. Having said that, one cannot just dismiss these things when we enter a hotel room either. As Catholics let us be thankful that we are equipped with the Sacramentals and all the doctrinal meanings that go with it.

Sacramentals are the marks of Catholicism. And it has nothing to do with superstition, which is an individual’s errant behavior. A superstitious person does not need Sacramentals to behave as such.

The problem is poor doctrinal formation.

Which might be another thread…
 
There was a good tip I received in an email a few years ago about staying in a motel or hotel. It seems that some unscrupulous persons had two-way mirrors placed within the room and could observe sexual relations that took place. To check the mirror, simply put your finger against the glass. A true mirror will have a tiny space between the glass, but a pseudo mirror used for secret observation has none. The adage, “no space, leave the place” is well to remember.

I don’t know why we need be concerned only about porn movies, when many of these rooms are typically used for fornication and who knows what else. Covering the TV is not going to remove the source of evil in a room, nor is using the TV going to cause anyone to sin if the channels selected are wholesome.

There is much sin in the world in just about any place we frequent, and a person would have to bless every establishment they entered in order to be protected. Highly superstitious, and not wholly effective. The evil, as Jesus taught us, generates from within. I believe if Jesus is the resident King of our hearts, there is nothing that can harm us, for He will help us repel temptations.
 
Chancellare said:
Sacramentals are the marks of Catholicism. And it has nothing to do with superstition, which is an individual’s errant behavior. A superstitious person does not need Sacramentals to behave as such.

The problem is poor doctrinal formation.
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It might equally be said that a good and faithful Catholic does not need sacramentals either - not to be such nor to behave as such.

And if, as you said, it is poor doctrinal formation that leads to superstition, and many Catholics agree that such formation in general is pretty woeful, perhaps the safer route is to not make such a big deal of the use of sacramentals??
 
I believe that it is sacrilege to downplay the use of the sacramentals as “superstition.”

Carry a little blessed salt with you and bless your hotel room, there is certainly no harm in doing so, and it may end up doing you a world of good.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)
 
I think Lily M and MariaGorettiGirl are right. I certainly don’t deny that there are places more infested with evil than others, and that especially hotel rooms may be such places.

Still, I think that thinking about “the demons in my hotel room” is a sure way to occupy yourself with things which are less than healthy. In fact, I think that the devil chooses ideas such as this one with the towel (which is pure superstition, as it is not a sacramental) in order to draw our attention to himself. He does crave our attention sooo much, after all, the poor thing! 😃

I’d say that turning our hearts and minds to God, reading the Bible (which can also be found in most American hotel rooms, after all ;)) and praying the Rosary before going to sleep is a much better way to ward off the devil and his temptations than any towels thrown over TV sets…

And: The best way to deal with the devil is a good laugh about him, after all! 😛 Imagine him trying to influence you to throw your towel over the TV set… LOL!
 
Jaypeeto3 said:
I believe that it is sacrilege to downplay the use of the sacramentals as “superstition.”

Carry a little blessed salt with you and bless your hotel room, there is certainly no harm in doing so, and it may end up doing you a world of good.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)
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Jaypeeto:

No-one said that the use of sacramentals was superstitious. All of us use them, most of us had their apartments, rosaries, medals, scapulars etc. blessed.

But. Occupying yourself with the question if a specific place is possibly infested with demons because of porno movies (!) instead of trusting in God and simply going to sleep - that’s superstition.
 
paramedicgirl said:
Sprinkling salt in the corners of the room is an old practice of the Church. Done with prayers and faith it is used to deter the devil. Blessed salt is a powerful sacramental.
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👍

“Is it Tradition? Then ask no more.” - St. John Chrysostom

😃
 
Chancellare said:
Although it is easy to accuse anyone of superstitious behavior, one should also remember that “reality” is never confined to the visible. That’s why our Nicene Creed uses the the phrase “…all that is seen and unseen…”. Having said that, one cannot just dismiss these things when we enter a hotel room either. As Catholics let us be thankful that we are equipped with the Sacramentals and all the doctrinal meanings that go with it.
**
Sacramentals are the marks of Catholicism. And it has nothing to do with superstition, which is an individual’s errant behavior. A superstitious person does not need Sacramentals to behave as such.**

**The problem is poor doctrinal formation. **

Which might be another thread…
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👍
 
to deny whether things can be cursed or blessed is unwise.
a room can be consecrated for holiness or for sin.
i dont know how the towel would help, but certainly blessed salt.
the more time passes in my life, the more I am certain of just how MUCH Mary takes care of for us. ive been in hotel rooms and thought “I wonder how much fornication has taken place on this bed?” but in reality, unless God allows something like that to affect us, its irrelevent. but that doesnt mean we shouldnt be vigilant, we shouldnt be foolish with our soul.
Brown Scapular 🙂
 
and as i understand it, as humans can be possessed, so can inanimate objects. it is not as if a demon is “somewhere” spirits are not in places, they are said to be “somewhere” when they ACT there.
so in a hotel room, a demon is present if he continues to act there. same with angels. God acts on everything to hold it all in existence, therefore He is omnipresent.
 
Mordocai said:
and as i understand it, as humans can be possessed, so can inanimate objects
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Earlier in the thread someone mentioned that they are going to read Father Amorth’s book. In it he mentions that buildings can indeed be possessed. In once case, an exorcist was called to investigate a building in which satanic rituals had been held. After several attempts to exorcize the demons in the building he finally told the owner that the only remedy would be to tear down the building.
 
I once asked a priest from the Opus Angelorum if places can be “haunted” by evil spirits due to the evil that occurs in the place. He said yes.

It makes sense. We have holy ground, don’t we? In fact I once heard a priest speculate that angels may stay forever in any place where Holy Mass is celebrated.

But, I would think if you in a state of Grace, they can’t touch you.

opusangelorum.org/
 
paramedicgirl said:
For the unbelievers, they might want to pick up a copy of Father Amorth’s books . He’s the chief exorcist for Rome.
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I just finished his first book on exorcism; there was a whole lot I had never heard about before. Like someone else mentioned from the creed - “things seen and unseen”

Since belief and unbelief seems to be so topical, Fr. Amorth repeatedly made the important point that MANY, in fact MOST, priests and bishops either don’t believe enough, or are afraid to do exorcisms, leaving many suffering people. But that’s for another thread…

I guess that’s what we get when we’re in a world where a recent survey reported that only about half of the priests believed in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. (wouldn’t that make them protestant?)

As for hotel rooms, I was just in one for four days and didn’t think twice about whether or not sin was committed. Plus, I had my rosary, holy water from Lourdes, and Michael the Archangel medal. But - I was thinking more along the lines of what could have been left behind in the material world, like lice, scabies, bedbugs, flu viruses, etc. :eek:
 
Since this follows the discussion, I’ve posted this link from an article I read today.

spiritdaily.com/sanfranciscosalt.htm

SUGGESTION IS MADE TO SPREAD ‘BLESSED SALT’ IN AREAS THROUGHOUT U.S., CANADA

“Lord Jesus, bless our area, protect it against storms, fires, thefts, crime, abortion, earthquake, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other untoward events, as well as from evil people and evil deeds and the influence of the devil,” you might say, as you sprinkle little pinches of it. “Let a person convert with every grain we sprinkle. Let every grain have an angel attached to it.”

Improvise. Pray your own prayer. Be site-specific. Pray for the needs of your community. Pray against unsavory businesses and developers and politicians. Pray to expurgate the evil in your area. Pray that the salt repulses those who are in darkness – that they be converted or dissuaded from your locale. Pray to protect the young as well as nature.

It is the message this week: we are in a time of preparation, and one way to prepare is to surround your home, neighborhood, and community with the great sacramentals the Church, in its wisdom, through the Holy Spirit, has bequeathed us.
 
I think what makes ANYTHING superstitious is if you put your faith in that act alone and then go on and flaunt temptation or tip-toe through sin! If your heart is pure then the sacramental is used in good faith and you KNOW your salvation comes from God not the Salt or Holy Water or Rosary or whatever -even if it is blessed! Also do not think that you are doomed to diabolical attack if you do not have a blessed sacramental with you! Your faith, if sufficient and unwavering, will defeat any number of demons or The Devil himself.

It is our approach and intent that makes anything superstitious. And personally I think THAT very attitude will ‘call’ the demons right to you! Demons are everywhere, but that does not mean they can attach to you, unless you somehow ‘leave the door open’ for them to ‘come in’.

Ravyn
 
Ravyn_Guiliani said:
I think what makes ANYTHING superstitious is if you put your faith in that act alone and then go on and flaunt temptation or tip-toe through sin! If your heart is pure then the sacramental is used in good faith and you KNOW your salvation comes from God not the Salt or Holy Water or Rosary or whatever -even if it is blessed! Also do not think that you are doomed to diabolical attack if you do not have a blessed sacramental with you! Your faith, if sufficient and unwavering, will defeat any number of demons or The Devil himself.

It is our approach and intent that makes anything superstitious. And personally I think THAT very attitude will ‘call’ the demons right to you! Demons are everywhere, but that does not mean they can attach to you, unless you somehow ‘leave the door open’ for them to ‘come in’.

Ravyn
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The power of sacramentals come from the intercession of the Church. When used with faith and prayer, there is absolutely no superstition involved.
 
LilyM said:
It might equally be said that a good and faithful Catholic does not need sacramentals either - not to be such nor to behave as such.

And if, as you said, it is poor doctrinal formation that leads to superstition, and many Catholics agree that such formation in general is pretty woeful, perhaps the safer route is to not make such a big deal of the use of sacramentals??
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Although I see your point, it is also difficult to eliminate a rich Sacred Tradition just because there are people who are incompetent. It’s like telling your doctor not to prescribe anywide-spectrum anti-biotics because it is being abused by other patients.

Sorry if my response does not sound charitable.
 
I think this thread has convinced me to stay away from traditional Catholicism. I’ve been traditionally minded for some time now but I can’t accept that devils “attach themselves” to inanimate objects and that spaces or things can cause one to sin. Or that to sprinkle salt will eradicate devils more than it will attract insects. Incidentally, I always thought there was one devil, not many devils. And while I do believe that the devil tempts us and can on rare occasions possess a human soul, I simply can’t accept what appears to me to be a superstition. I think I’ll do much better to pray to God for strength to resist evil, and implore the saints to intercede in this regard on my behalf.

So - so long.

Pax

By the way - a fellow poster suggested that to believe otherwise was a sign of not poor indoctrination to the faith. I grew up with a very conservative polish parish priest and spent 8 years in Catholic schools - I’m quite sure I know the faith.
 
AMDG1 said:
I think this thread has convinced me to stay away from traditional Catholicism. I’ve been traditionally minded for some time now but I can’t accept that devils “attach themselves” to inanimate objects and that spaces or things can cause one to sin. Or that to sprinkle salt will eradicate devils more than it will attract insects. Incidentally, I always thought there was one devil, not many devils. And while I do believe that the devil tempts us and can on rare occasions possess a human soul, I simply can’t accept what appears to me to be a superstition. I think I’ll do much better to pray to God for strength to resist evil, and implore the saints to intercede in this regard on my behalf.

So - so long.

Pax

By the way - a fellow poster suggested that to believe otherwise was a sign of not poor indoctrination to the faith. I grew up with a very conservative polish parish priest and spent 8 years in Catholic schools - I’m quite sure I know the faith.
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Well rember Blessed Salt is a sacramental. It’s “power” comes from God Almighty. Also devils can be another term for demons, ya know the fallen Angels that follow Satan THE Devil.

As for Satan attaching himself to places. All I can say is, as an ex-Occultist TRUST ME we can and does.
 
8 years in Catholic schools? Sadly, nowadays that probably is counter-productive to Catholic Catechizing!
I had 8 years as well (at a fine school mind you) and didn’t know what adoration or benediction was until I found out myself in my JUNIOR year of highschool. I was horrifically catechized. Catholic schools are not Catholic anymore.

Yes it is true, demons can attach themsevles to whatever God allows them to. Demons (being pure spirit) are said to be ‘in a place’ when they ACT in a place. So, as I said before, to deny this is to deny that aspect of the faith. Read the catechism about angels/demons or whatever you like. To think you know Catholicism and to miss certain basics is to simply just be wrong. I am sorry if that sounds uncharitable, it is not intended. But I’d rather you know the truth than what you think the truth is. That’s why Christ instituted a Church.

God BLESS
Mordocai
 
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