Posts on a Page using functions.php

Question

You need to query them: (for more info see inline comments)

/**
 * Template Name: Journal
 */    
// define( 'TEXTDOMAIN', 'your_textdomain_string' );  
    // To be sure, we reset the query, so nothing get's lost
        wp_reset_query();

        global $wp_query;
        $query_cat = new WP_Query( array(
             'orderby'      => 'date comment_count' // date = default, 2nd param = comment_count
            ,'order'        => 'ASC'
            ,'post_type'    => 'post'
            ,'post_status'  => 'publish'
            ,'category_name'=> 'slug_of_cat' // change value here
        ) );
        if ( $query_cat->have_posts() ) :
            while ( $query_cat->have_posts() ) : $query_cat->the_post();
                // check for password
                if ( post_password_required() ) :
                    the_content();
                elseif ( current_user_can('manage_options') ) : // see codex roles & caps for more info
                    // display some decent message here if restricting accessability to the post
                    // or place something like 
                    echo '<span class="whatever">'.sprintf(__(You can %1$s this page), TEXTDOMAIN), edit_post_link( __('edit', TEXTDOMAIN), '&nbsp;', ')', $post_id ).'</span>';
                    return;
                else :

                    // here goes your content

                endif;
            endwhile;

        else : // else; no posts
            _e( 'Nothing published so far.', TEXTDOMAIN );
        endif; // endif; have_posts();

        wp_rewind_posts(); // for a sec. query