October 27, 2022 — This is a spooky AMDG episode. And that makes sense, right? We’re in that time of year when both secular and spiritual calendars invite us to reflect on the supernatural, the unknown, those spirits at work in our lives in ways we can’t quite put our finger on. We celebrate and remember our beloved dead — but first we masquerade as ghosts and goblins.
For many of us, the more secular ghost stories that Halloween represents — hauntings and the like — are kept separate from our belief in heaven and the afterlife, all that All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days point to. But for our guest today, Gary Jansen — director of new products and acquisitions at Loyola Press and author of the book, “Holy Ghosts: Or How a (Not So) Good Catholic Boy Became a Believer in Things that Go Bump in the Night” — ghosts, spirits, souls and the afterlife all come together in his own story and his own faith.
A number of years ago, he found himself living in a real haunted house. He writes about it in his book, and he shares some reflections on the matter with us today.
In the end, what Gary really drives home is that any supernatural occurrences ultimately serve to lift our gaze upward at the supernatural world in general — in that world, we encounter angels and demons, miracles and hidden whispers, and ultimately, we come closer to God as we delve more deeply into the mysteries of our faith.
If you’re interested in checking out Gary’s book or learning more about Gary’s other works — including an excellent new kids’ book, “Remember Us With Smiles,” click on the links below.
Visit Gary’s site: garyjansen.com
Click here to learn more about “Holy Ghosts.”
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