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Herminia Remmen
It's been about a week since Midnight Mass descended onto the world and caught hold of viewers' imaginations. And throughout its seven episodes, the Netflix series spun a terrifying tale of a small fishing village on Crockett Island, unknowingly caught in the grips of a growing terror made all the worse by the religious fervor spreading throughout the residents.
"I wanted very much to try to tell a story wherein I would authentically try to inhabit both perspectives that exist within me, about faith and about religion, to see where I came out," explains the Oculus director in a featurette that delves into some of the religious themes of his new series.
This marks the beginning of "Lent," a 40-day period which most Christians observe as it commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert. This is done in preparation for Easter, with many Christians giving up certain vices or pleasures. Ash Wednesday, in particular, is considered a day of repentance, with priests marking the foreheads of churchgoers with ashes meant to serve as a reminder to atone for one's sins. So it's no wonder that there's a slightly better turnout at the church on this day, which both Bev and Father Paul note.
This phrase is usually uttered when priests apply ashes onto a person's forehead. It's meant to be a reminder that eventually everyone dies and so it's best to repent when one has the chance. It's also quite significant that this is the fate that most of the island's inhabitants eventually face, as they are burned into ashes (or dust) in the sunlight.
Sung by David (of "David and Goliath"), this psalm is a plea for God's favor again, following his people's rejection. In quoting this, Father Paul is urging parishioners to believe because he does think that God will help restore the island back to its former glory following its steady population decline and the loss of jobs and livelihood after a local oil spill by a big oil company has made it extremely hard to fish in the waters around the island.
Another psalm from David! But unlike the previous one (above), this one reiterates confidence in God and in one's belief that he will help and take care of them. Though Bev is the one reading it to the church congregation, it's significant that the camera is focusing on Father Paul, almost as if the words are galvanizing him and his belief in his actions and what's to come.
A reference to the Book of Proverbs, which is a collection of stories, wisdom, and knowledge. It's an apt title for an episode that not only documents the aftermath of a "miracle" and also sees Father Paul detail what happened to Monsignor Pruitt, in a story that unfolds over the course of the episode. It also relates to the debate in the classroom, where Sheriff Hassan pushes back against Bev's decision to distribute Bibles in the classroom and read scripture, stating that he has no problem with his son reading the Bible, as long as it's done out of curiosity and a pursuit of knowledge rather than it being forced onto him.
This psalm reiterates that it's important to thank God for his love, while also highlighting that God is responsible for any miracles of wondrous acts that might occur. Bev Keane recites these words when parishioners who've heard of Leeza being able to walk again come to Father Paul's residence begging that he heal or help their loved ones in a similar way. In this way, she's telling them to be grateful for what occurred even if it didn't happen to someone they know.
This verse talks about doing good things for the right reasons and not for the acclaim or fame it might grant you, as it's only the good deed that should matter. That's probably why Father Paul quotes this as a response to Riley when he says the press might want to do a news story about the "miracle" that saw Leeza suddenly be able to walk again.
This particular proverb stresses the need to control one's emotions and not give into anger and hate. Leeza offers it as an explanation as to why she's forgiving Joe Collie for the accident that caused the spinal injury that took away her ability to walk and feel her legs. As she explains in the moment: she might still hate him for what his actions took from her, but the Bible repeatedly states God's ability to forgive, so she's going to take a page from the Holy Book and do the same despite her own feelings.
The Book of Lamentations consists of five poems, much of which documents a city filled with miseries that is destroyed as punishment for its many sins. However, this leads to a message of hope, that the events that occur are only for the people's good, and that repentance might lead God to smile upon the city again and raise it up. It's quite clear that the "city" in this case is none other than Crockett Island, which is why Father Paul brought the "angel" back with him, in the hopes that it would help save the people who live there. But as the episode also reveals, this isn't good news for everyone, as a few of the island's inhabitants are killed so as to pay for both their sins, as well as those of the rest of the people on the island.
This quote basically states that one should not listen to those who think they know better than their priests. Therefore it's no wonder that Bev chooses it to convince Wade and Sturge to help her help Father Paul in the aftermath of his killing Joe Collie.
Known as the "Angel of God," this is one of the first prayers often taught to young children as it urges them to beseech their "guardian angels" to look after them. (many in the Roman Catholic faith believes that each person has a guardian angel.) It's clear from Father Paul's recitation of this that he sees the vampire as his own personal angel sent to look out for him and Crockett Island. However, despite his repeated utterance, it does not seem to summon it.
This particular quote is a slightly shortened version of the Matthew verse which describes Jesus telling his disciples that if they have faith and don't doubt God, they too will be capable of actions like "casting" a mountain "into the sea." Father Paul's quoting this to Mildred Gunning indicates that he truly does believe that everything that is happening is part of God's plan for him and the Island.
One of Jesus' lesser-known messages as he states that his own arrival will not bring about peace among all people, but rather will cause division amongst them. This can be seen in how some parishioners have come to doubt Father Paul and the message he's espousing, while others continue to follow him devotedly. (It is interesting to note that the "sword" referenced here is actually a knife used by fishermen to separate parts of the fish. This only ties back to Father Paul's earliest sermon in which he states that Jesus' first disciples were all fisherman, much like the inhabitants of the island.)
As Father Paul notes, the word gospel means "good news," but it also often refers to the New Testament, which is made up of four "gospels" that chronicle Jesus Christ's life and teachings all the way from his birth and right up until his death, which Christian faith states took place as a sacrifice for the cleansing humankind's sins. In a way, this episode also serves as a "gospel" of sorts, as it follows Riley's own "(re)birth" as a vampire, and follows him until he chooses to "sacrifice" himself so as to not endanger or hurt any more people. It's a direct contrast to Father Paul, who sees Riley as one of his apostles, going out to spread the word like Jesus' own apostles did.
Dolly reads this brief passage that describes Jesus' hasty burial following his death on the cross. It's interesting because this sort of parallels the way Father Paul and all treat Riley's passing at the hands of the vampire, as they too quickly prepare for his eventual resurrection.
This verse in the Book of Hebrews talks about Jesus' sacrifice, comparing it to previous animal sacrifices, and proving that it is indeed superior as not only having to take place once, but that it leads to the cleansing of everyone's sins, which previous animal sacrifices never really did. This ties in with Father Paul's general belief that his guilt for killing some of the islanders is absolved due to his not only sacrificing his own life to serve God, but also due to his sacrificing the life of Joe Collie, and now, turning Riley into a vampire as well.
Bev quoting this passage from the Book of John really underscores the general theme of Midnight Mass, in that a lot of what is mentioned in the Bible can be viewed through a horror lens. While this specific quote is talking about Jesus describing himself as the spiritual food that will help grant others salvation (i.e. "eternal life" in heaven). It also ties into vampiric lore which sees them feed on people and drink their blood so as to continue living forever.
In this quote from the Book of 1 Corinthians, the disciple Paul is talking about how important it is that people who are taking Holy Communion (or "recreating the Last Supper"), not do so casually as it is something that is sacred. Bev utters these words out of anger at Riley's initial resistance to drinking Sturge's blood, as she sees it to be a refusal of a blessing, or perhaps, even the Holy Communion itself.
This quote from the Book of Philippians talks about focusing on one's faith in God to find peace as this will help soothe all anxieties. Father Paul quotes it in the context of asking Riley whether he's found his new purpose and whether this new stage of his life has brought him peace from all the guilt he'd been feeling.
This book of the Bible takes place after Jesus' death and details all the actions of his apostles (or followers), as they go about spreading the word of God to others and trying to convert people to Christianity. Thus, in this episode we see the focus move away from Father Paul and onto those who are following, as well as the other inhabitants of Crockett Island. As the final sequence, which takes place at the titular Easter Midnight Mass, unfolds it becomes less about Father Paul's words and more about how people are responding to the information he's sharing and the choices they make in the face of it. It's a fitting episode title as Father Paul repeatedly refers to the people helping him carry out his plan as "apostles."
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