Are there curses? Yes. Neither our culture nor our Church discuss them, but they exist. Did you ever see a list of what has happened to those poor people who were involved in certain television programs?

In a number of cases -- Bewitched, The Little Rascals -- the list is impressive and distressing (at least on the surface). Whether or not it is a "curse," those involved in music and Hollywood often find themselves in a pattern of violence, alcoholism, drug use, and early, sometimes violent, death.

This says nothing of movies. Those involved in films like The Omen, Poltergeist, and Close Encounters have had many strange and in some cases fatal experiences. "Is There an O'Neil Curse?" asked a headline on ABC recently, detailing the unfortunate occurrences to the family of a famous actor.

In politics, there are the Kennedys. A list of the unfortunate events that have beleaguered them is another lengthy one. One can cite the airplane crashes alone. Odds are great against so many in one family so afflicted.

Evil comes in ways we often don't expect -- if we even consider the intrusion of darkness to begin with.

This is why we advise folks to "close the door to the fort": too often darkness comes in through seemingly "harmless" vicarious means such as radio, television, movies, books, magazines, and newspapers. You don't have to be on television to encounter the strange effects.

Sometimes it's like there is an inherent problem with the medium. "I have always heard that bad spirits can come from the TV, movie screens, and  computers," wrote Betty Gillis of Ridgeville, Ohio, who sent the unusual photo to the sides. Just a blur from holiday lights? Whether or not it is a light bleed, it is a good enough metaphor. "My son was watching a show when I took these pictures of our Christmas tree," she explained. "I am a believer now! I took the pictures (there where four altogether) to our priest, and when we prayed, the Holy Spirit revealed it was the spirit of lust. It could of even been a commercial on. I did get out my Holy Water and sprayed the house. Father asked us to place the picture on the TV and computer as a reminder for us to cover ourselves with the Precious Blood of Jesus as protection from any evil coming from these portals."

Evil can also "curse" us through objects -- that is to say, objects, if they have been the focus of an obsession, or over-attachment, or if they are associated with a deceased person who needs prayer, or the occult, can be a magnet for spiritual energy. Antiques should be blessed with Holy Water. So should our homes on a daily basis, especially during Lent, which is a potent time to purify ourselves and our situations.