This excerpt from Piety and Personality by Rosemary Berry explores how different temperaments react to apocalyptic fear and how Christians can find peace amid global turmoil. Berry contrasts the anxious or reactionary tendencies of each temperament with the calm trust that comes from prayer, sanctifying grace, and focusing on what one can control. Ultimately, she reminds readers that readiness for judgment lies not in predicting the world’s end but in living faithfully and remaining close to Christ through the sacraments and daily prayer.
One of the scourges of the last one hundred years or so is a fear that the end of the world is practically upon us. Saint Paul thought the same thing, and the world has hung on for another 2,000 years since then. We cannot say that the world will not come to an end soon, but no man knows the date nor the hour. No one can—even if they say they have had a revelation about it.
How Different Temperaments React to Fear
A Melancholic person may spend all of his or her time reading books of Catholic prophecy, taking apart the Book of the Apocalypse, worrying, and disturbing everyone around them. They might lose sleep, agonizing over stockpiling food for the end times, or scouring their conscience for things that will come out at the General Judgment. They might go around telling everyone that the world is coming to an end, frightening small children, and giving young people the idea that they will not reach maturity.
A Sanguine person may “freak out,” running around in a state of frenzy thinking that everything is hopeless. He or she may flip the other way, and decide, “Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die!” Some Sanguines might abandon their principles because panic induces them to give up on trying to do God’s will.
A Choleric person may be writing books on the end of the world, joining organizations to stockpile food for the terrible persecutions and trials that will come under the Antichrist, and ordering everyone around them to ignore his example at their own peril to body and soul.
The Phlegmatic is probably the least affected by worries of this kind. He usually does not see the point in getting all riled up about it. But he may secretly burrow into a deep part of himself, quietly worrying and silently letting it destroy his joy and peace.
The World’s Troubles and Our Perspective
As the world becomes worse and worse: politically, morally, and physically deteriorating, meteors coming, weather patterns changing, overall health declining, it is easy to get depressed about it all. But as a BBC poster says: “Greece is collapsing, Iranians are getting aggressive & Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC!”
Prayer and Trust in God’s Providence
Let us pray. Ask Our Lord to take us into His Heart and protect us from all the things that may happen in the world. If we are in His Heart, then we will have the strength to deal with whatever may happen. If we are in the state of sanctifying grace, and we take all reasonable measures to protect ourselves and our family from the moral and physical danger in the world, then there is no use worrying. Once again, God’s timing is perfect. He knows the right time for each prophecy to be fulfilled, and some of them will not—they are just private revelations that people think will happen!
Our first priority is still to get to Heaven, whether we are hit by a truck this afternoon, or are still on earth at the Second Coming of Christ. It doesn’t take a worldwide computer crash or a nuclear war for us to meet our Maker. We could fall down the stairs and break our neck tomorrow. Then the four Last Things will become the four immediate, all-important things—Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Focus on What We Can Control
It doesn’t matter what the world is going to do or not going to do, we are still in the Palm of His Hand. We are still only responsible for what we can do, what we can control. Can I control what the president is doing? Can I control what the pope is doing? Can I control what the United Nations is doing? No, but I can control my own actions.
When it is time for my judgment, I need to be ready. In the depths of our souls, we need to be ready. How? By doing God’s Will, by following His Commandments, by bringing others to His Light when we can. We need to do this whether the world is coming to an end this week, or 4,000 years from now.
Living in Grace and Peace
If we pray the daily rosary, attend Mass and receive the Sacraments frequently, and remain in the state of sanctifying grace, then we are ready for whatever happens. Let us make Holy Hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, let us take twenty minutes daily for contemplation of the life of Our Lord or meditation on spiritual subjects, and let us face the world while holding His Hand. This is the answer. This will save us. This will give us peace, now and in eternity.
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This article is taken from a chapter in Piety and Personality by Rosemary Berry which is available from TAN Books.
