YOUCAT*: This commandment forbids us:
- to adore other gods and pagan deities or to worship an earthly idol or to devote oneself entirely to some earthly good (money, influence, success, beauty, youth and so on)
- to be superstitious, which means to adhere to esoteric, magic or occult or New Age practices or to get involved with fortune-telling or spiritualism, instead of believing in God’s power, providence and blessings
- to provoke God by word or deed
- to commit a sacrilege
- to acquire spiritual power through corruption and to desecrate what is holy through trafficking (simony) [2110-2128, 2138-2140]
Heard of the “Charlie, Charlie Challenge”? It was trending on social media a couple weeks ago, popular mostly with middle and high school teens. Using a piece of paper and a pair of pencils, the idea is to summon a demon who moves the pencils to answer your questions about the future. In my high school days, it was the Ouija board.
Charlie will not tell us our future. God knows it. (Jeremiah 29:11) Trust in him.
*Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
Lisa Gomes is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry