Midnight Mass

Camille Mc MIlan Rambharat

Have you seen the movie Midnight Mass on Netflix?

If you’ve seen it—good for you. If you haven’t—also good for you! This mini-series literally gave me nightmares after binge-watching a few weekends ago. It scared the beJesus out of me—and I’m not even joking. And this is coming from someone who loves scary movies. That love started early. I remember being terrified by The Incredible Melting Man in the cinema, and even earlier, sneaking behind the couch to watch Dark Shadows when I was supposed to be in bed.

Midnight Mass is centred on the Catholic Church, its priest, and parishioners on a quiet, isolated island. But it goes much deeper—it’s about a congregation that not only believed in evil but surrendered to it, whether knowingly or through misguided faith. The show was controversial, within the Catholic community—and understandably so. While some scenes were over the top, the underlying message was eye opening: that even in sacred spaces there are those who walk in darkness.

As followers of Christ, we cannot afford to be naïve. Scripture warns us: “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:13–14). Evil doesn’t always show up with horns, forks and fire. Sometimes, it wears a collar and quotes scripture.

Watching the movie stirred up recent memories of receiving threatening and disturbing, evil messages from someone within the Church-messages that are far from godly. How does this happen? How can those who claim Christ engage in such darkness? Yet, even Jesus was tempted. “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world… ‘All these I will give You, if You will fall down and worship me’.” (Matt 4:8–9). But Jesus stood firm: “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve’.” (Matt 4:10).

The movie also reminded me of something I often heard elders say in church: “Be careful who lays hands on you—not everyone in church is of God.” That wisdom aligns with 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

We are living in times that require ongoing vigilance and prayer. Pray without ceasing. The battle isn’t only against the evil we face outside the Church but also what may arise from within. In Gethsemane, Jesus asked His disciples to stay awake and pray. “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41).

As we journey through this Lenten season—a time of repentance, reflection, and renewal—may we use this sacred time to examine our hearts, deepen our faith, and remain alert to the spiritual battles around us. Let us not only fast from food but also from complacency, lust, falsehood, hate, jealousy and fear. May we walk with Christ through the wilderness, standing firm in truth and love.