The Path from Black Mass to Christianity: A Thomistic Perspective on Desire

In Christian theology, especially in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, desire is crucial in the journey towards God. When properly directed, desire leads to the ultimate goal of union with God. Surprisingly, even practices like the Black Mass, which seem opposed to Christianity, can be viewed through Aquinas’s ideas as part of a journey towards God. By examining the nature of desire and its fulfillment, we can see how participation in a Black Mass might unintentionally guide a person towards Christianity.

Understanding Desire in Thomistic Thought

St. Thomas Aquinas believes every person has a natural tendency to seek what is good, which ultimately leads to God (Aquinas, 1947). Desire is fundamentally aimed at what is good and true.

Natural Desire for God: Aquinas states that every human has an inherent desire to seek God, based on the rational soul’s ability to know and love God (Aquinas, 1947).

Misguided Desires: Because of original sin and human fallibility, desires can become disordered. People might seek fulfillment in lesser goods, mistaking them for the ultimate good (Aquinas, 1947).

The Black Mass: A Parodic Inversion of the Holy Mass

The Black Mass is a deliberate mockery of the Catholic Mass. Its elements are sacrilegious and blasphemous, aiming to subvert the sacredness of Christian worship (LaVey, 1969). However, this act of parody acknowledges the significance of the Holy Mass.

Inversion as Recognition: Mocking the Holy Mass paradoxically affirms its importance. The intensity of the parody shows an implicit recognition of the sacred, which participants might be seeking, even in a distorted form (Bennett, 1990).

Desire for the Sacred: Participants in a Black Mass may be driven by a deep, though misdirected, desire for the sacred. This desire, expressed perversely, reveals a longing for spiritual engagement (Bennett, 1990).

Conversion through the Process of Desire

According to Aquinas, the journey towards God often involves transforming one’s desires (Aquinas, 1947).

Awareness of Misguided Desire: Participating in a Black Mass can highlight the emptiness and dissatisfaction of blasphemous acts, prompting a reevaluation of one’s spiritual direction (Bennett, 1990).

Reordering of Desire: Realizing the inadequacy of sacrilegious practices, a person might begin to seek true fulfillment. Aquinas suggests this involves reordering desires towards the ultimate good—God (Aquinas, 1947).

Grace and Conversion: The process of reordering desires is aided by grace. Through divine intervention and the Holy Spirit, a person’s heart can be turned towards God (Aquinas, 1947).

The Role of the Church and Sacraments

The Church provides the means for individuals to reorder their desires and achieve union with God through its teachings and sacraments.

Sacrament of Reconciliation: For those who have participated in practices like the Black Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation offers a path to repentance and healing (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994).

Eucharist as Fulfillment: The Holy Mass, especially the Eucharist, serves as the true fulfillment of the desire for the sacred. By participating in the Eucharist, individuals experience Christ’s real presence, which satisfies the deepest spiritual longings (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994).

Conclusion: The Redemptive Potential of Misguided Practices

In Aquinas’s view, even the most misguided practices can serve as steps towards God when seen through the lens of desire. The Black Mass, though fundamentally opposed to Christian worship, highlights a deep-seated yearning for the sacred. By recognizing and reordering this desire, individuals can begin a transformative journey towards Christianity. Through God’s grace and the Church’s guidance, what starts as a parody can lead to genuine conversion and the fulfillment of the human desire for union with the Divine (Aquinas, 1947; Bennett, 1990; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994).

References

Aquinas, T. (1947). Summa Theologica. Benziger Brothers.

Bennett, R. (1990). The Black Mass: Exploring the Dark Side of Religion. HarperCollins.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

LaVey, A. S. (1969). The Satanic Bible. Avon Books.