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December 30, 2005
Reader Bleg re/evil
From a reader:
XXXX saw the Exorcism of Emily Rose and are worried about waking up at 3 AM frequently since seeing the movie - that's the time when the devil begins tormenting Emily. I didn't see the movie and I can't think of any particular significance to 3 AM, but I pointed out that the Bible has no 3 AM because there were no clocks back then. Perhaps the middle of the night was considered the most dangerous and vulnerable time of night? Would you or any of your knowledgable readers know?
"XXX are curious about whether there is any biblical/factual significance to the 3 a.m. time when satan began tormenting the girl in the emma rose exorcism movie. (they wonder if they should attach any significance to the fact that they've been waking up at that time fairly frequently since seeing the movie.) have you heard of any such thing? signed. freaked out in memphis."
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Comments
The middle of the night was midnight, wasn't it?
As for temptations and attacks by the devil, wasn't Jesus tempted during daylight hours to throw Himself off the cliff?
Posted by: Bauer at Dec 30, 2005 11:14:06 AM
I'd suggest that it might be because 3 am is the opposite of 3 pm - the traditional hour of Christ's passion.
Posted by: Gregg the obscure at Dec 30, 2005 11:15:20 AM
The most important thing to remember is that Jesus is the Lord of all times and that there is no time that does not belong to him. People who get carried away or "freaked out" about anything to do with Satan should not be encouraged to continue thinking along the lines that lead them to be so obsessed. The evil one is an attention hound, and the best thing to do is to laugh at him to show that he has no power over anyone, especially those who have been washed in the blood of the lamb. CS Lewis thought that laughter was the thing that most quickly deflates the pride belongining to the evil one.
The silly, actually childish, idea behind the 3:00 am thing is that it is 12 hours before the hour of 3:00 pm, the traditional hour of Christ's death.
The best thing for your friend to do if she continues to awaken at this hour is to offer a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for always being with her. While laughter is a good attitude, you can't laugh if you are really scared. The most powerful prayer against the evil one is based on "praise and thanksgiving" to God as these are the two things that Satan simply cannot do.
Posted by: chicago at Dec 30, 2005 11:17:00 AM
I think Greg the Obscure is rather clear this morning - 3:00pm is known as the Hour of Mercy, for at that hour the Sacrfice of Christ was consummated at Calvary. 3:00am then is used as a mockery of Our Lords Saving Sacrifice - I have heard that satanic covens often hold their services (the "black mass" is a (vain) attempt to un-do the Mass itself!) at 3:00am - I believe Fr. Corapi has mentioned this somewhere as well.
Posted by: Fr. Totton at Dec 30, 2005 11:19:23 AM
I haven't seen the movie, but it strikes me that given the time difference between the Holy Land & America, 3 am in the US might be equivalent to 3pm at Calvary - since I understand Emily Rose is portrayed as a Suffering Servant figure this would imply that she is sharing directly in the Passion of Jesus.
Posted by: hibernicus at Dec 30, 2005 11:22:44 AM
Chicago,
While I understand and admire your Christian maturity in regards to your advise, there is nothing silly in the "bewitching" hour of 3:00AM. It is niether childish, nor is it foolish. Saint Padre Pio as well as The Little Flower were oppressed as well as physically tormented by demons; Saint Faustina, through her pleads to The Devine Mercy of Christ, helped to lessen the demonic torments of dieing souls. None of these people invited these attacks other than they being being Christian. Sometimes Christ allow oppression in order to strengthen souls- at other times, as in the case of The Little Flower, it is to save souls through redemptive suffering.
The Devli is a negation of Good; 3:00PM is the Mercy Hour- the opposite, 3:00AM is thought to be the time of The Devil who mocks Christ's Mercy.
I see no reason for people to watch these movies, especially young people. Curiosity about Evil is normal, but viewing movies about demonic possesion just opens up trouble most people would rather avoid. I will not watch movies such as Emily Rose even though a few Priests gave it good reviews.
Prayer, fasting, and humility are the best ways to ward off diabolical oppression and/or torment. Humility especially is something The Devil abhors.
Posted by: JP at Dec 30, 2005 11:37:34 AM
It is sort of common knowledge that if anything is really bothering you, you'll probably wake up at about 3 AM to worry about it. Has something to do with circadian rhythms?
Posted by: Anita at Dec 30, 2005 11:40:54 AM
I would offer this:
Sometimes, when we watch a movie or read a book involving a vivid depiction of evil, there is a part of us that gets fascinated by it, and can both be drawn to it, and disturbed by it.
This can be a rather shocking experience, and certainly sobering. It can induce anxiety and fear; and/or it can wake us up to these things being real and not to be trifled with.
I'm not saying no one should ever watch, or read, such stories. But it is good to know our limits.
I would also say that the fascination with evil can be concealed under what seems a legitimate concern or interest. Many of our Pentecostal/Evangelical brethren will "pray against Satan," and when I was part of that movement, I found myself concerned by how frequently the evil one came up in such prayers. I came to believe that this was a mistake; a subtle, unintentional dualism, a kind of Manicheanism.
(The other night, Rev. Billy Graham referred to "two forces" in the world, God and evil. I have no doubt that Rev. Graham is orthodox on this point, but it was a sloppy and unhelpful way to talk about this. There simply is no comparison; any attempt to make any sort of comparison is an exaggeration of the evil one that cannot be quantified.)
I won't offer this as a mandate, but my own practice is to say little about the enemy of our souls; because that generally validates his conceit and deceit.
I would point to Sacred Scripture: you will go quite a way into the Bible before you will encounter an actual reference to any supernatural power other than God or his messengers (as opposed to passages understood, in light of later revelation, as referring to such forces).
When evil spirits are mentioned in the Old Testament, they are described as under God's control -- i.e., God "sent" an evil spirit to torment Saul. It is not really until the Gospels that you get a significant amount of information about such forces -- and notice, it is the Son of God who does battle with them, and he simply silences them and casts them out. He doesn't seem very interested in them -- he knows all he needs to know. And that's the Son of God.
Well, I could say more, but perhaps I've said too much already. This is a fascinating subject; and that very fascination can be a subtle distraction and snare.
Posted by: Fr Martin Fox (Septimus) at Dec 30, 2005 11:50:11 AM
JP,
Thanks for your comments. In case there's some misunderstanding in the way I expressed myself, I do not believe that there's anything silly or unbelievable about the suffering of the saints in regard to their experiences of evil. I realize there's a thought that 3:00 am is some special hour, but I am not aware that the saints you mention only were effected at 3:00 am by such experiences. The devil has no more power at 3:00 am than at any other time, as can be witnessed on the daily news programs detailing his works every hour of every day of the year. He uses these "special thoughts" or "special times" to gain a toe-hold in the minds of those he is trying to frighten, and therefore, such notions should be discouraged.
I don't see any relation between your post and what one should do in regards to being scared by a movie into believing that Satan has power over you. Satan had no power over the saints you mention, rather the Lord permitted them to share in his suffering, all the while being secure in the knowledge that Satan is ultimately powerless in the most profound way -- he can't experience God's love.
Those who are not saints should be discouraged from any line of thought that leads them to believe that Satan has any power over them, as that can result in the obsessive kinds of thought that the evil one can use to make things even worse. From their lack of knowledge and from their reported fear, I concluded that these people are not yet at the level of spiritual maturity of the saints you mention.
I would be surprised if the saints you mention would not agree that praise and thanksgiving are the most powerful prayers against the evil ones. The demons flee from these prayers.
Posted by: chicago at Dec 30, 2005 11:52:36 AM
http://www.aboutjeffmessenger.com/articles/article/2272651/36635.htm
According to this article by Jeff Messenger 3AM represents an attack on the trinity.
"A few tried and true signs of diabolical infestation is the mocking of the Trinity. Sounds or attacks usually occur in a series of three. Three AM is the favorite time for such entities to do their worst."
Posted by: Joe Gloor at Dec 30, 2005 12:04:26 PM
First, some secular input. I suffer from mild sleep apnea and tend to wake up around 2 a.m. in a fright. The sleep doctor that I consulted said my experience is typical of someone who has sleep apnea. He explained that what happens is that the sleep apnea causes you to have trouble breathing, that this in turn causes you to think that you are suffocating, and that you then become frightened.
That said, I recently have had the experience of being frightened by the idea of demons and agree with Fr. Fox and Chicago that it is best to not become obsessed with these things. I came upon the subject by way of reading about Marian apparitions. When pondering what Marian apparitions might be, I wondered if the phenomenon of alien abductions was in any way similar and so I began to read about alien abductions. What I learned about them was very frightening -- they are as real as Marian apparitions and, although no one really knows what they are, I believe they are the work of demons. I've decided to respond by praying more and not reading any further about the subject. (Incidentally, alien abductions often, but not always, occur in the early hours of the morning -- I've never heard that they occur around 3:00 a.m. though.)
Posted by: Dan at Dec 30, 2005 12:12:09 PM
I don't know if this is a traditional or new devotion, but my friends and I understand the 3am hour as the time of intercesion for the souls in Purgatory. I have always seen it as a time to pray for people who have no one to pray for them: a sacrifice of sleep for the sake of someone you don't know.
Posted by: genevieve at Dec 30, 2005 12:18:46 PM
From Shakespeare (Catholic, acc. to Peter Milward, SJ), Hamlet:
It (Hamlet's ghostly father) faded on the crowing of the cock.
Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallowed and so gracious is the time. (1.1.157)
All evil flees the "bird of dawning" - St Peter's crowing rooster - of our Eucharistic Lord. Cowering, panicky fear of satan needs prayer for more faith IN our Eucharistic Lord's power, else we are bowing to the satanic's false impotence.
Posted by: Jeff at Dec 30, 2005 12:30:10 PM
When I told a priest friend of mine that I frequently wake up at the same time every night (interestingly enough, it's 3 a.m.)he encouraged me to pray for someone who may be in need of prayer. So now, I grab my rosary, pray for whomever may need the prayers, and fall back asleep.
Posted by: lourdes at Dec 30, 2005 12:45:45 PM
In "Something Wicked This Way Comes" we see this description of the hours of the night:
3AM is the worst hour to wake up. If you wake up at 2AM you've still got plenty of time to roll over and get more sleep. If you wake up at 4AM you can just get up and have an early start on your day. But 3AM is stuck right in the middle. The worst.
And it is taken as a bad sign that the carnival train arrives in town at 3AM.
Posted by: joel at Dec 30, 2005 12:53:56 PM
I learned that I seem to do better when I steer clear of negative input of any kind - violent, sexually explicit, or evil-creepy shows, music, films, books, internet material, etc.
This policy reduces my choices an awful lot, but then, when you think about it, it opens up many opportunities, too: there are an awful lot of passages of St. Thomas and St. Augustine I've never read, loads of Shakespeare I'm unfamiliar with, and there are any number of ballets and operas I haven't seen yet. So I find I've got plenty of time for these things!
Posted by: Marion (Mael Muire) at Dec 30, 2005 12:57:14 PM
Say the prayer to St. Michael, then a rosary.
Posted by: John J. Simmins at Dec 30, 2005 12:59:50 PM
I agree with Joel about 3 a.m. being rotten timing as far as going back to sleep and with Chicago that the best response to fear at night is to say prayer of praise and thanksgiving. Works every time.
Posted by: Mary Kay at Dec 30, 2005 1:10:38 PM
While remaining wary of the traps others have warned about, I second the suggestion of John and others: If you find yourself awakened in the middle of the night, pray for the first person who comes to mind and for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Posted by: Cranky Lawyer at Dec 30, 2005 1:14:12 PM
1. Anita and Dar have good points that there can be a physical element to the 3:00 a.m. timing in circadian rhythms and a possible sleep disorder. Also, if XXXx is drinking alcohol at bedtime to try to sleep better, then XXXX should consider that it is normal for alcholo to actually tend to wake someone up, perhaps around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., when it wears off. Better to stick to one glass of sherry or Chardonnay at night if waking up at 3:00 has been a problem.
2. Prayer and Scripture reading are excellent weapons. I would keep a rosary and Bible by my bed. Use them whenever XXXX wakes up and see how quickly it puts the mind to rest. Where there may be true Satanic involvement, the demonic world would much rather have XXXX sleep than pray or read Scripture.
3. Depending on XXXX's work schedule and other time commitments, it might help for XXXX to pray all 8 hours of sixth century Benedictine practice until this problem is resolved. Prayer before retiring, going to bed early, rising to pray in the middle of the night, and then rising early in the morning to pray before the beginning of the day, could make for a restful sleep through the 3:00 a.m. hour.
4. Consider that it may be God who is waking XXXX to give XXXX time to pray for those who are afflicted or under demonic deception, at a time when XXXX will have no distractions from prayer.
Posted by: Teresa Polk at Dec 30, 2005 1:18:57 PM
As someone with a vivid imagination, I am often attacked by Satan through my own ability to visualize and "stick" on creepy things.
I've learned over the years that avoiding frightening movies is the way to go. And when I say frightening, I mean anything supernatural (hey, bring on Jaws and disaster movies!).
More than two years ago I went to see a zombie movie. I'd always liked scary movies before that. But I was pregnant with my second son, and pregnancy messes with my already fertile imagination.
That movie quite literally pushed me into a terror -- panic attacks and nightmares for months and months. I couldn't sleep in a darkened room for almost a year. I'm convinced the evil one was using my most vulnerable trait against me. And yes, I often woke at three am.
What worked? Lots of prayers, especially the rosay and appeals to St. Michael the archangel.
The solution -- no more scary movies for me.
Posted by: Cin at Dec 30, 2005 1:25:24 PM
3am is traditionally the time for monks to get up and pray the divine office.
A number of Catholics seem to naturally wake up at 3am for prayer. It's the best thing to do at that hour because its a rare moment of quiet and peace.
God Bless
Posted by: Chris Sullivan at Dec 30, 2005 1:31:00 PM
Where there may be true Satanic involvement, the demonic world would much rather have XXXX sleep than pray or read Scripture.
I wonder if that's good advice for a stranger based on a secondhand description from a blog reader -- seems like it could lead some people to unwarranted fear of getting needed sleep as something "Satan wants them to do" when they could be praying. (Speaking from similar experience from younger years, when I had less perspective on OCD/scrupulous tendencies which still trouble me.)
Posted by: thomasina at Dec 30, 2005 1:34:49 PM
Chris Sullivan is right about 3:00 a.m. as the traditional hour for Lauds. Yet, it is often switched to sunrise. When I wrote before that observing the hours would let you sleep through 3:00 a.m., I was, of course, thinking of praying at midnight and then sunrise. :-) I found this page from someone's website with a list and description of each of the traditional Benedictine hours:
http://members.aol.com/DWFrancis/Prayer/hours.html
Posted by: Teresa Polk at Dec 30, 2005 1:47:55 PM
Thomasina, I will take your word for it as to scrupulous tendencies and obsessions. I wasn't thinking specifically of someone with that sort of problem.
Posted by: Teresa Polk at Dec 30, 2005 2:14:01 PM
