Episode 3012: Book of the Bible: Joel

The Book of Joel
Judgment, Repentance, and Restoration

Sharon’s Opening Prayer
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
We ask the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Prophets, and St. Jerome, Patron of Biblical Scholars, to guide us in understanding Joel’s prophetic words on judgment and mercy.
Introduction
Sharon: Today, we embark on a journey through the Book of Joel, a prophetic book of the Old Testament that speaks profoundly about judgment, repentance, and restoration. Joel’s prophecy is deeply relevant for us as traditional Catholics in our times, as it warns of divine chastisement but also of God’s infinite mercy for the repentant. The book of Joel was written between 835-800 BC. He is one of the twelve minor prophets. The book of Joel is only 3 chapters. That would lead one to believe this will be a short episode, right Walt? I find it interesting that the Epistle reading was from this book on Ash Wednesday…the importance of fasting for the penance of ourselves, our neighbors and our nation. What better way to start our Lenten season.
Joel was a prophet whose words speak deeply to our times warning of divine chastisement while offering hope to the penitent.
Joel’s vivid imagery especially the locust plague and its connection to Pentecost.
Chapter 1 – Locusts and Repentance (Verses 1–4)
3Tell ye of this to your children, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.
4 That which the palmerworm hath left, the locust hath eaten: and that which the locust hath left, the bruchus hath eaten: and that which the bruchus hath left, the mildew hath destroyed.
Joel begins with an unprecedented plague that devastates Israel.
Symbolism of the Locusts
• Palmerworm: Initial abandonment of God’s law
• Locust: Apostasy of Christian civilization
• Cankerworm: Spread of sin and heresy
• Mildew: Spiritual ruin
Church Fathers like St. Gregory and St. Jerome interpret this as both historical and prophetic. Cornelius a Lapide emphasizes the importance of passing down divine warnings through generations.
Spiritual Lethargy and Apostasy (Verses 5–8)
5 Awake, ye that are drunk, and weep, and mourn all ye that take delight in drinking sweet wine: for it is cut off from your mouth.
Joel calls the people to “awake,” warning that spiritual drunkenness blinds them to their state.
Traditional Commentary:
St. Thomas Aquinas sees wine as symbol of grace; its absence reveals a loss of divine presence.
• St. John Chrysostom interprets the locusts as heresies.
• St. Pius X links this devastation to Modernism, which strips the Church of Tradition.
The “virgin mourning her husband” is a powerful image of the Church grieving her loss of union with Christ due to sin.
Destruction of Worship and Nature (Verses 9–12)
9 Sacrifice and libation is cut off from the house of the Lord: the priests, the Lord's ministers, have mourned: 10 The country is destroyed, the ground hath mourned: for the corn is wasted, the wine is confounded, the oil hath languished.
Joel laments the end of sacrifice and worship.
• St. Alphonsus Liguori warns of times when the Mass would be suppressed or distorted.
• St. Robert Bellarmine sees natural disasters as consequences of national apostasy.
The withering of crops and trees reflects both physical famine and spiritual desolation.
Application:
• Modern loss of the Traditional Latin Mass and reverence.
• Apostasy leading to both interior and exterior ruin.
A Call to Priests and the Nation (Verses 13–14)
13 Gird yourselves, and lament, O ye priests, howl, ye ministers of the altars: go in, lie in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: because sacrifice and libation is cut off from the house of your God. 14 Sanctify ye a fast, call an assembly; gather together the ancients, all the inhabitants of the land into the house of your God: and cry ye to the Lord:
Joel directly addresses priests, urging them to fast, weep, and lead the people in penance.
• Cornelius a Lapide relates this to the diminishing of the Holy Sacrifice in modern times.
• St. Augustine emphasizes the need to restore Tradition through the leadership of faithful elders.
Traditional Catholic Parallel:
Just as Joel calls the nation to sacred assembly, the faithful today must turn to communal prayer, the Rosary, and the Latin Mass for reparation.
The Day of the Lord (Verse 15)
Joel proclaims, “The Day of the Lord is at hand.”
• St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Robert Bellarmine interpret this as both historical judgment and a prefigurement of the Last Judgment.
• Modern examples: French Revolution, World Wars, Communism—warnings fulfilled.
Our Lady of Fatima: Her warnings echo Joel’s if people do not repent, great destruction will follow.
Spiritual Famine and Desolation (Verses 16–20)
16 Is not your food cut off before your eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? 17 The beasts have rotted in their dung, the barns are destroyed, the storehouses are broken down: because the corn is confounded.
• Cornelius a Lapide and St. Chrysostom describe a famine not only of food, but of grace and truth.
• Animals symbolically groan for lack of spiritual nourishment just like faithful today thirst for doctrine and reverent worship.
Final Verse Application:
Even amid chastisement, the faithful cry out to God. Mary, as our intercessor, provides hope and strength during trials.
Chapter 2 – The Day of the Lord Intensified (Verses 1–11)
Sharon reads Joel’s alarming description of the advancing army of judgment.
Catholic Understanding of the Four Last Things:
• Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell—each is evoked by Joel’s terrifying imagery.
• The army represents both historical invasions and future chastisements.
The urgency of conversion is magnified.
The Call to Conversion (Verses 12–17)
Walt reads: Joel’s appeal: “Be converted to Me with all your heart.”
Traditional Practice Highlighted:
• Fasting, mourning, and weeping—ancient disciplines emphasized in Lent and penance.
• God seeks “hearts, not garments”—true contrition.
This call resonates with modern Catholics striving to restore devotions and liturgical discipline.
God’s Response – Mercy and the Holy Ghost (Verses 18–32)
Sharon shares Joel’s beautiful promise: God will restore His people and pour out His Spirit.
• Foreshadowing Pentecost: Fulfilled in Acts 2.
• St. Thomas Aquinas teaches all truth flows from the Holy Ghost.
• St. Louis de Montfort foretells Mary’s role in forming saints of the end times.
Application:
• The Traditional Latin Mass honors the Holy Spirit with its reverence and mystery.
• Marian devotion is essential in our times.
Chapter 3: Judgment of Nations & Final Triumph
Walt reads: Joel 3:1-15, discussing divine justice upon the nations.
• Just as ancient nations fell for their sins, modern secularism invites chastisement.
• Universal salvation is a false comfort—Joel shows God judges all.
Sharon concludes Joel 3:16-21 with a vision of God’s protection for His people.
21 And I will cleanse their blood which I had not cleansed: and the Lord will dwell in Sion.
• “The Lord shall be the hope of His people.”
• New Jerusalem prefigured a symbol of Heaven.

Conclusion & Final Reflections
Final Traditional Themes:
• Divine chastisements are real and just.
• Prayer, penance, and Tradition are our refuge.
• The Blessed Mother leads us in these final times.
Saint Quotes:
• St. Alphonsus Liguori: “God is merciful for a season, and then chastises.”
• St. Thomas Aquinas: “Every truth is from the Holy Spirit.”
• St. Louis de Montfort: “The most fearful enemy against the devil is Mary.”
Closing Prayer (Sharon):
May we heed the warnings of Joel, remain faithful in trial, and find refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.
Final Remarks:
Sharon: Joel’s message is timeless repentance and faithfulness lead to restoration.
Walt: Let us hold fast to Tradition in these turbulent times. God bless you.