“Blasphemy is the language of hell because, as God speaks by the mouth of the saints, so the devil speaks by the mouth of blasphemers.”
(St. Alphonsus de Liguori)
Blasphemy is an essential component of satan’s plan to destroy the Kingdom of Christ on earth. This has long been a staple of the so-called entertainment industry; to slip at least one incident of blasphemy against the Lord, most especially in the form of “Jesus!” said sneeringly or vehemently and almost always by a protagonist. By this, Hollywood presents blasphemy of Our Savior’s name as a model to be emulated. This knee-jerk blasphemy is Hollywood’s tribute to their true master. And of course, the masses of people followed dutifully. The escalating rioting and destruction we are so dismayed by is the result of the widespread blasphemy against Jesus Christ, Who alone is the source of peace and order.
NOTE: As I was restoring this post, I edited out several passages detailing the blasphemies of the unfaithful prelates now occupying the Vatican. I did this because it has become evident to me that such filth just should not sully this site which is dedicated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. But the point which I was trying to make is valid, even without the examples:
When a consecrated soul deliberately disobeys God, grace is withdrawn, leaving the sinner more vulnerable to the power of satan. A common sign of diabolic power is blasphemy. Blasphemers thus unknowingly proclaim themselves as marked by satan, becoming, as it were his mouthpieces.
In her revelation at La Salette, Our Lady complained against blasphemy and linked it with famine. In days gone by, it was said that blasphemies bring on famine, earthquakes, and pestilence. “Propter blasphemias, et fames , et terræmotus et pestilentia fiunt.” (From St. Alphonsus Liguori)
St. Alphonsus tells us of blasphemy:
“All sins are hateful in the sight of God; but the sin of blasphemy ought more properly to be called an abomination to the Lord. Every mortal sin, as the Apostle says, dishonours God… but blasphemy dishonours Him directly by the profanation of His most holy name.
If one man shall sin against another, God may be appeased in his behalf; but if a man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him?” (1 Kings 2:25 .) The sin of blasphemy, then, is so enormous, that the saints themselves appear not to have courage to pray for a blasphemer.
O diabolical tongue! exclaims St. Bernardine of Sienna, what could have induced you to blaspheme your God, who has created you, and redeemed you with His blood?
Today, it is all too common to hear others blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ—of God who died on a cross for the love of them; instead of loving and blessing this God, they revile and curse Him. As St. Augustine says, “Christ was scourged by the lash of the Jews; but He is not less scourged by the blasphemies of false Christians.” Many today also blaspheme and insult the Virgin Mary, that good mother, who loves us so tenderly, and prays continually for us.
In years past, some of these blasphemers have received a horrible chastisement from God. The infamous Nestorius blasphemed and induced others to blaspheme, most holy Mary, by asserting that she was not the mother of God. But, before death, his impious tongue was eaten away by worms, and he died in despair.
The gravity of blasphemy
St. Alphonsus then recounts some of the teachings of the Fathers of the Church regarding the gravity of blasphemy:
“St. Chrysostom says, that “there is no sin worse than blasphemy; for in it is the accumulation of all evils, and every punishment.” St. Jerome teaches the same doctrine. “Nothing,” says the holy doctor, “is more horrible than blasphemy; for every sin, compared with blasphemy, is small.” (In Isa. 118.) And here it is necessary to observe, that blasphemies against the saints, against holy things or holidays—such as the sacraments, the Mass, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Holy Saturday—are of the same species as blasphemies against God; for St. Thomas teaches, that, as the honour paid to the saints, to holy things, and holidays, is referred to God, so an insult offered to the saints is injurious to God, who is the foundation of sanctity. The saint adds, that blasphemy is one of the greatest of the sins against religion.
Thus, from the works of St. Jerome we may infer, that blasphemy is more grievous than theft, than adultery, or murder. All other sins, says St. Bernardine proceeds from frailty or ignorance; but the sin of blasphemy proceeds from malice.For it proceeds from a bad will, and from a certain hatred conceived against God. Hence the blasphemer renders himself like the damned, who, as St. Thomas says, do not now blaspheme with the mouth—for they have no body,—but with the heart, cursing the divine justice which punishes them. “The detestation of the divine justice is in them an interior blasphemy of the heart.” (S. Thom. 2, 2, qu. 13, a. 4.) The saint adds, that we may believe that as the saints in heaven, after the resurrection shall praise God with the tongue, so the reprobates in hell shall also blaspheme him with the tongue.
Blasphemy the language of hell; because, as God speaks by the mouth of the saints so the devil speaks by the mouth of blasphemers. When St. Peter denied Christ in the Palace of Pilate, and swore that he did not know Him, the Jews said, that his language showed that he was a disciple of Jesus, because he spoke the language of his Master. “Surely,” they said, “thou also art one of them; for even thy speech doth discover thee.” (Matt. 26:73.) Thus we may say to every blasphemer: You are from hell; you are a true disciple of Lucifer; for you speak the language of the damned.
St. Antonine writes, that the entire occupation of the damned in hell consists in blaspheming and cursing God. In proof of this doctrine the saint adduces the following text of the Apocalypse: “And they gnawed their tongues for pain: and they blasphemed the God of heaven.” (Apoc. 16:10, 11.) The holy doctor afterwards adds, that he who indulges in the vice of blasphemy, already belongs to the number of the damned, because he practises their art.
Silver and gold . . .
In a sermon on blasphemy, Saint Jean Vianney recalls us to the early days of the Church when Saints Peter and John went up to the Temple to pray and met a beggar who had been lame from birth, begging at the Temple door.
Saint Peter said, “Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.” (Acts 3,6)
“And Annas the high priest, and Caiphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest. And setting them in the midst, they asked: By what power, or by what name, have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them:
‘Ye princes of the people, and ancients, hear: If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole: Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by Him this man standeth here before you whole.
‘This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved’. (Acts 4)
Our Lord Himself asserts, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will grant your request. Hitherto you have not asked for anything in My Name, but pray, so that you may receive, that your joy may be perfect.”
St. Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney, the beloved Curé d’Ars reminds us,
“With the Name of Jesus on their lips, the Saints of God breathed forth their souls. Jesus was their last prayer, their last sigh. “Lord Jesus, receive my soul!” This is how St. Stephen prayed when they were stoning him to death, and so he died in the Lord. “Jesus, my love!” sighed the holy martyr Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, as they led him to his death, to be torn asunder by the wild beasts.
Readers, think on these holy images from true saints. Each day, make reparation for those false Christians among us who have slipped into this offensive habit of blaspheming Our Lord’s name and the name of His most pure Mother. Think now, and always: The most holy name of Our Lord Jesus Christ is given to us as a blessing, yet what a curse it is to them that use it blasphemously! And we who hear it, what of us who treat this with indifference?
When you hear blasphemy against the most Holy Name of Jesus or His Most Blessed Mother, make the Sign of the Cross and pray in reparation, Blessed be the most holy name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, or Blessed be the name of the great Mother of God, Mary ever Virgin. It is also essential to avoid these occasions of sin whenever possible. However, at times, it is impossible for us to withdraw; then we must offer Our Lord all our loving reparation. I remember being assigned an AIDS patient several years ago who was waving his rosary while screaming blasphemies interspersed with bits of prayers. I was the unwilling witness to more vile blasphemies than in all the rest of my life together. I still pray for that poor tormented sinner, and those like him.
Grant us, most merciful Jesus that Thy most holy Name may ever be to us through all our life and especially at the hour of death, our consolation and our hope and in Heaven our eternal joy and blessedness. Amen
The above essay draws from the following resources:
- “The Saint Alphonsus Liguori Collection, Sermons for all Sundays in the year”, Catholic Way Publishing, Kindle Edition, LINK.
- “Sermons of the Curé of Ars: Sermons for all the Sundays and Feast Days of the Year” LINK.
NOTE: Readers, there is a reason for this post at this time. During Christ’s Passion, blasphemy was the soundtrack, and now in the Passion of the Bride of Christ, we see the same. The deluge of sacrilege and blasphemy is a sharp reminder of just how far along this deadly path we have advanced. While it is a “normal” adaptation for people undergoing great stress to block out the stressors in order to take care of their daily responsibilities, we must not allow ourselves to become indifferent to the malicious blasphemies which attack Our Lord, but must make of everything a sacrifice, offering reparation with the Immaculata, our Mother and our sure path through this darkness to the arms of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!