The Devil Probably
Here's
a thoughtful breakdown of The Devil, Probably—both its narrative and how it
resonates with Catholic perspectives and spiritual reflection.
🎬 Film Summary: The Devil, Probably (1977)
Directed
by Robert Bresson, this French drama follows Charles, a disillusioned Parisian
youth who rejects politics, religion, psychoanalysis, and even environmental
activism. The film opens with news of his death by gunshot, then retraces the
months leading up to it.
🧠 Key Plot Points:
·
Charles
is deeply alienated from society and finds no solace in relationships,
ideologies, or institutions.
·
He
explores various avenues—activism, psychoanalysis, romantic encounters—but
finds them all hollow.
·
His
despair culminates in a chilling decision: he arranges for his own death at the
hands of a drug-addicted friend.
·
The
title comes from a line overheard on a bus: “Who made this mockery of
humanity?” “The devil, probably.”
You
can read more on Wikipedia’s detailed plot summary.
✝️
Catholic Reflections & Lessons
Though
Bresson was Catholic, this film is not overtly religious—but it invites
profound theological reflection:
🔍 1. The Absence of God and the Rise of Despair
·
Charles’s
rejection of religion reflects a modern crisis of faith. His nihilism echoes
the spiritual void that emerges when God is removed from the center of life.
·
Catholic
thought would interpret his despair as a symptom of spiritual disconnection,
where the soul longs for meaning but finds none in secular ideologies.
😈 2. “The Devil, Probably” as a Metaphor
·
The
devil is not a character but a concept—an unseen force of destruction,
confusion, and despair.
·
Catholic
theology sees the devil as the deceiver who thrives in moral relativism and
spiritual apathy. Charles’s world, full of indifference and decay, is fertile
ground for such influence.
🕊️ 3. Suicide and the Search for Redemption
·
The
film’s treatment of suicide is stark and unflinching. Catholic teaching holds
that suicide is a grave matter, but also acknowledges the complexity of mental
anguish and entrusts souls to God’s mercy.
·
Charles’s
fate is tragic, but it raises urgent questions: What happens when society fails
to offer hope? Where is the Church’s voice in such despair?
🌍 4. Environmental and Social Collapse
·
Charles’s
disgust with pollution and societal decay reflects a prophetic concern.
Catholic social teaching emphasizes stewardship of creation and the dignity of
human life—both of which Charles sees violated.
🧘♂️ Spiritual Takeaways for the Reflective Traveler
·
This
film is a meditation on what happens when the soul loses its compass.
·
It
challenges viewers to ask: Where do I find hope? What anchors me when the world
feels broken?
·
It’s
a call to reclaim spiritual depth in a culture that often trades mystery for
materialism.
Christopher’s Corner
· Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: August
· Spirit Hour: National Pinot Noir Day
· Foodie-National Catfish Month
· Monday: Litany of Humility
· Bucket List trip[2]: USA 70-degree year trip:
o Week 4: Wild Shores & Hidden Chapels
§ Base: Pacific City or Lincoln City
§ Cape Kiwanda: Windswept dunes, solitude, and maybe even some barefoot beach Lectio Divina.
§ Sitka Center for Art & Ecology: Check for contemplative art workshops or open studios.
§ Local Chapels: Look for small Catholic churches along the way—each with its own faithful story.
· 30 Days of Women and Herbs – Frauendreissiger
o Day 4 Groundpine (Lycopodium clavatum)
· MEDICINAL PLANTS Day 4 Digestive System-Revealed by Heaven to Luz De María
o ROSEMARY Scientific name: Rosmarinus officinalis L. Family: Lamiaceae Stimulates gastric and intestinal juices. Eliminates spasms, reduces gases, colic and flatulence. Used in gallbladder conditions and dyspepsia.
o Use mullein and rosemary in discreet amounts. Blessed Virgin Mary, 28.01.2016
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: August
AUGUST 18 Monday in the Octave of
the Assumption
Luke,
Chapter 22, Verse 1-2
Now the feast of Unleavened Bread,
called the Passover, was drawing near, and the chief priests and the scribes
were seeking a way to put him to death, for they were AFRAID of the people.
Fear is the eighth deadly sin, and the Jewish authorities were absolutely controlled by fear. Naturally when fear rules your life you instinctively run or fight. They chose the death of one man to save the people, which was their rationalization to have Christ killed. Judas was their answer. The Jewish authorities’ leadership failed miserably out of self-deception.
The
anatomy of peace: resolving the heart of conflict[1]
Leadership
and Self-Deception is simple: people whose hearts are at peace do not wage war,
whether they're heads of state or members of a family. In this semi-fictional
narrative ("inspired by actual events") illustrating the principles
of achieving peace, the setting is a two-day parent workshop at an
Arizona-based wilderness camp for out-of-control teenagers, but the storyline
is a mere setting for an instruction manual. Workshop facilitators Yusuf
al-Falah, a Palestinian Arab whose father was killed by Israelis in 1948, and
Avi Rozen, an Israeli Jew whose father died in the Yom Kippur War, use examples
from their domestic lives and the history of their region to illustrate
situations in which the normal and necessary routines of daily life can become
fodder for conflict. Readers observe this through the eyes of one participant,
a father whose business is in nearly as much trouble as his teenage son. The
usefulness of the information conveyed here on how conflicts take root, spread
and can be resolved more than compensates for the pedestrian writing.
Copilot
This is a compelling theological and
psychological thread—one that links Luke 22:1–2 with the deeper dynamics of
fear, self-deception, and the anatomy of conflict. Let’s unpack this rich
tapestry a bit further.
📜 Luke 22:1–2: Fear as Catalyst for
Betrayal
“Now
the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the
chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid
of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.” — Luke 22:1–2, NIV
This
passage reveals a tragic irony: the leaders entrusted with spiritual guidance
are driven not by faith or discernment, but by fear. Their fear of losing
control, status, and influence leads them to rationalize the murder of an
innocent man. In rabbinic terms, their yetzer hara—the impulse toward
self-preservation—overwhelms their yetzer hatov, the impulse toward
righteousness.
⚔️ Fear as the Eighth Deadly Sin
The
framing of fear as the “eighth deadly sin” is provocative and insightful. While
not traditionally listed among the seven, fear—when it becomes a ruling
principle—can indeed distort judgment, erode virtue, and catalyze violence. In
this case:
·
Fight
or flight becomes fight
and scapegoat.
·
The
leaders choose expediency over truth, echoing Caiaphas’s chilling logic
in John 11:50: “It is better that one man die for the people.”
This
is not just political maneuvering—it’s spiritual collapse.
🧠 Leadership and Self-Deception: The
Box of Fear
In
Leadership and Self-Deception, the Arbinger Institute introduces the
metaphor of “the box”—a state of self-justifying blindness where we see others
as obstacles or threats rather than people. The Jewish authorities in Luke 22
are deep in the box:
·
They
betray their internal sense of right, then justify it by demonizing
Jesus.
·
Their
fear of the crowd becomes a mirror of their own insecurity, not a
reflection of divine truth.
This
is the anatomy of self-deception: we betray ourselves, then rewrite reality to
protect our ego.
🕊️ The Anatomy of Peace: Healing the
Heart of Conflict
In
The Anatomy of Peace, Yusuf al-Falah and Avi Rozen—men from opposing
sides of a generational war—model reconciliation through vulnerability and
truth-telling. Their workshop teaches:
·
Peace
begins with a heart at peace,
not with tactics or negotiation.
·
Conflict
is sustained by collusion,
where each side justifies its own behavior by blaming the other.
·
Transformation
begins when we see others as human,
not as categories or threats.
This
echoes Christ’s own path: He does not resist with violence, but offers Himself
in love, even to those who betray Him.
🔄 From Betrayal to Redemption
The
Jewish authorities’ failure is not final. The very act they commit—killing
Jesus—becomes the means of redemption. This is the paradox of grace:
·
Fear
leads to death,
but love transforms death into life.
·
Self-deception
leads to betrayal,
but truth leads to reconciliation.
Bible in a Year Day 61 Complaining in the Desert
Fr. Mike discusses how the Israelites complaining against God and believing they were better off in Egypt reflects our own inclination to be enslaved by sin. Today's readings are Numbers 11, Deuteronomy 10, and Psalm 33.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Conversion
of Sinners
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[2] Schultz, Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You
Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
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