Three Days of Darkness

The Last Hour

Since the beginning of Christianity, there has been the acknowledgment that this world we live in is temporary. The Apostle’s Creed includes the line “From thence He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” Jesus is physically in heaven and from the moment of his ascension, we have entered the “last hour” in which Christ’s mission will be accomplished.

The Second Coming

Jesus is present in the Church, but until his reign is fulfilled “with power and great glory” we are still under attack. Before the second coming of Christ, the Church will go through “a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.” The evil one will use religious deception and offer us “solutions” to our problems if we abandon our faith.[1]

Private Revelation

In addition to the truth that was revealed during the life of Christ and those who personally experienced him, there are private revelations that have been given to certain believers. These private revelations add nothing new to the Gospel that our Blessed Lord lived, but they can reaffirm what he taught. We are not required to believe these messages.

Three Days of Darkness

There have been many private revelations about “The Chastisement” and its most talked about aspect: “The three days of darkness.” The Chastisement is similar to the Plagues of Egypt, the world is destroyed by events such as disease and “fire falling from the sky.” The Three Days of Darkness is often described as an event similar to the Passover in which the persecutors of the Church will be wiped out. Believers will survive as long as they pray for mercy, refrain from looking out the window, and avoid leaving their homes.[2]

Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi, a well-known mystic from the 19th century describes the "Three Days of Darkness" like this:

There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy. All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms.

Conclusion

Stories from private revelation can be fascinating. We can learn from these stories, but we really shouldn’t get caught up in the details. The bigger picture is this: EVIL EXISTS and we must choose holiness over it. Each of us doesn’t know the day or hour that we’ll face our Blessed Lord. Whether that be at our personal deaths or at the Second Coming, we should be ready. Prepare spiritually by returning to Jesus, receiving the sacraments, reading the scriptures, and praying often. The victory over death has been won by Christ. We need to cooperate with His grace so that when we reach the end, we spend eternity with Him.

[1] “From Thence He Will Come Again To Judge The Living And The Dead, 668-679.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, 2019.
[2] Driscoll, Brother Craig. “The Three Day of Darkness.” The Coming Chastisement, Queenship Pub. Co., Santa Barbara, CA, 1995, pp. 21–22.

Three Days of Darkness